It was already three people deep by the time I slipped my cash drawer into the register. Recession? Not during the holidays, I guess. And certainly not in hospitality establishments. When times get rough people want to go somewhere and forget their problems. That's where I come in. I turned around to face a forest of holiday hands clamoring for my attention, just in time to witness the quick jerk of the youngster's foot as he squirmed within the arms of his harried mother. I winced even before the kicked glass on the table behind them hit the floor. I looked in the direction of the busboy, but he was already on his way over. During the holidays everything goes up a notch. Volume, attitudes and service, it really is the Super Bowl of the service industry and our restaurant was humming like a finally tuned machine. I took one order from a statuesque blond while delivering another round to a young couple spending their first holiday season together. Turning I faced another just arriving couple. The woman in her mid-forties stood closely to the man in his mid forties. The assumption was obvious. "Is this together?" I said making a circling gesture with my hand and mouthing the words carefully so that if they couldn't actually hear me over the din, they could still understand my moving lips. They both nodded vigorously. "Two cosmopolitans, a red wine and…" began the woman. "A bourbon and coke, said the man simultaneously. "One with Ketel One," continued the woman. "Two white wines," said the man. "The other with Skyy," said the woman "A Sauvignon Blanc and a…" said the man. "Oh the first one with less lime," said the woman. "…a chardonnay, no make it a pinot grigio," said the man. "On second thought make that second one a lemon drop," said the woman. I looked back and forth at the two people. Piecing together the order, I delivered one lightly limed Ketel One cosmopolitan, one Skyy lemon drop, a house red wine, a bourbon and coke, a Sauvignon Blanc and a pinot grigio, repeating each item as I sat it down. "No, the second wine was supposed to be a chardonnay," said the man. OK I thought. I replaced the pinot grigio with a chardonnay and then I went through the items again. "You are missing a cosmopolitan," said the man. OK, I thought once again as I made the extra cosmopolitan. "That'll be 53 dollars and 63 cents," I said after tabulating the order on the computer. Somewhere inside I blessed the advent of computers. The couple looked at each other. "Oh… We are not together" they said decidedly together. Every day in the restaurant industry people are asked questions and every day they don't answer them. This causes confusion and confusion affects service. The more time that a server or bartender has to unravel the wrong answer to a question the less time they have to wait on other customers. And sooner or later that customer might turn out to be you. In order to help improve your service I've put together a little list of four seemingly simple questions that get asked all the time in the restaurant business and go routinely unanswered. Or answered with a long rambling answer that imparts no useful information. A simple yes or no to these questions will speed up service everywhere. An answer that begins with an explanation of how your guests live in Orinda in a house they recently bought and… on the other hand is guaranteed to impact service somewhere. When checking in with the hostess: "Do you have reservations?"-This is not a judgment or condemnation but a way of keeping things orderly. "Is your whole party here?"- Parties are usually seated when complete. Any other information is really unnecessary. When waiting at the bar: "Would you like to see a menu?"- This question means exactly what it means. It doesn't mean that you won't be sat in the dining room. It doesn't mean that you are giving up anything. It is simply meant to ascertain whether or not you like to see a menu while you wait. More often than you might imagine people respond "no" to this question when they actually mean, "yes". "Are you together?"- This question isn't meant to pry into your personal life, or probe the depths of your commitment. The bartender just wants to know whether all the items will be on the same bill. If applied to two person of the same sex no implication is intended. Ditto for two people of the opposite sex. By the time I separated the couple's two orders and re-tabulated their separate bills my forest of hands had a decidedly more feverish lilt to it. Patience is a gift that should be asked for more frequently. Closing my cash drawer I turned to face yet another couple. "Will this be together?" I asked. They nodded in unison. I had a feeling that it would be another two to three minutes before I would actually know for sure.

Four Questions