April 09, 2005

Exasperating Service

They interrupt your conversation to ask, “Everything okay this evening?”

The neon sign says “Open 24 Hours,” but when you drive there in the middle of the night it’s closed, with a paper sign on the door: “New Hours…”

They tell you the wait is going to be forty–five minutes, so you put your name on the list and go for a walk. Forty minutes later you return: “Sorry, sir, we called your name a few minutes ago.”

They add a tip to the bill because you’re a large party, but they don’t tell you, in hopes you won’t notice and you’ll double it.

They don’t inform you about the daily specials. Getting up to leave at the end of your meal, you see a card at another table: “Ask your server about our daily specials.” There was no such card at your table.

They ignore you when you need more water, an extra roll, and some hot sauce, but they chat you up like a long–lost friend when they bring you the bill.