lea wrote:

I just find the American "Is everything ok?" perfunctory, like "have a nice
day". 1 person in 20 really hopes you *do* have a nice day, the others do
it to avoid getting the sack.


Better to be told "have a nice day" by 20 people who don't really mean it than
to be told to **** off by one who does.

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 12:42:38 GMT, Frogleg wrote:

We would all like Jeeves (or Bunter) to be serving us, quietly,
unobtrusively, and with psychic powers. I wonder what Jeeves' wages
were?

It varies, of course; but in the US, a good butler can expect to bring
in $60k to $90k per year on average, which I'm sure beats the hell out
of waiting tables.

Regards,
Tracy R.

Dave Smith wrote:
lea wrote:

I just find the American "Is everything ok?" perfunctory, like "have
a nice day". 1 person in 20 really hopes you *do* have a nice day,
the others do it to avoid getting the sack.


Better to be told "have a nice day" by 20 people who don't really
mean it than to be told to **** off by one who does.

heh.
I see your point

--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

RESPONDING TO:
restaurants could develop a
signal mechanism -- "if you need anything, put up this flag or secure
a napkin to the edge of the table." :-)

That is truly rediculous! Actually all of this post was. Servers are
trained to "anticipate" the needs of their guests'. If the server came
to the table I am sure he/she sensed that there was something possibly
needed at the table at the time (since the pace at the table started
to "slow down"). Wondering if the previous poster that was
"interrupted" considered that there may have been one of their dining
companions that did need something and just wasn't in the habit of
interrupting the person that was speaking to say he/she needed the
server.
I can guarantee that if the poster had needed something and the server
was not there at that exact moment she would still be complaining! If
you do not want a server to interrupt your conversations at the
table... dine at home! They are just doing their job... trying to
Serve You.

~A Manager that TRAINS her waitstaff!



Frogleg wrote in message . ..
On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 06:31:27 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:

Julia Altshuler wrote in
news:KvOfb.688791$uu5.112026@sccrnsc04:

It happened again tonight. We ate the first part of our meal in
relative silence since we don't like to talk much as we eat. As we
were slowing down, we started talking more. Only when we're in the
middle of spirited conversation does the waiter or waitress come over
to interupt to ask if everything is alright. I have to take my
attention away from my dining companions to pay attention to her to
reassure her that everything is fine. (Or it was fine until I was
interrupted.)

You won't change their habits, but you might change their immediate
behavior by telling the waitperson (as you are being served) that you'd
rather not be disturbed while eating, and that you'll let them know if
you need anything during the meal.

Waay too reasonable for rfc. :-) I don't remember any waitress
"training" when I served, but I'm sure some establishments
suggest/require that waiters regularly visit tables with those chirpy
inquiries. There's also the difficulty of judging which patrons prefer
upscale service (no queries; no "my name is Pat and I'll be..."; just
noticing when something is required and supplying it, and which are
used to the chirpy, chain-restaurant "friendly" style which makes some
feel they're being neglected if no one stops by to inquire.

Maybe, in the absence of well-trained waitstaff alert for the
slightest glance in their direction, restaurants could develop a
signal mechanism -- "if you need anything, put up this flag or secure
a napkin to the edge of the table." :-)

Servers are
trained to "anticipate" the needs of their guests'. If the server came
to the table I am sure he/she sensed that there was something possibly
needed at the table at the time (since the pace at the table started
to "slow down").

You missed the point of the thread. And you seem pretty confident of things
that you had no way of observing. It is the experience of many that waiters
(can we eject "servers"?) insensitively intrude on intimate situations, and
that this tendency seems to be increasing.

I can guarantee that if the poster had needed something and the server
was not there at that exact moment she would still be complaining!

Again, by what warrant do you issue such guarantees? For most of us, the
intruding waiter is MUCH more obnoxious than the neglectful one. And we know,
if a waiter is neglectful, we have the option of rising and seeking him out--as
I have done, for instance, if I need the bill because I'm in a hurry to leave.

Neil