Why Friendly Waiters Aren't Friendly
By Sally Bishai (01/24/06)
It's happened to you: you're sitting in a Mexican restaurant and have just ordered the chicken fajitas (you're watching your weight, and the 7 calories that chicken--as opposed to steak--will save you are worth it! Sort of..).
The dish arrives, sizzling and scenting the air with the delicious fragrance of heaven. You smile at the heap of guacamole and pico de gallo and sour cream, and start stuffing tortillas with 'the fixins.'
Unfortunately, your zeal gets the better of you, and you run out of guacamole before you hit fajita #3. Your heart sinks as you realise that your waiter is nowhere near! You bite your lip on a depressed exclamation of doom, and resign yourself to a flavourless fajita.
But then, he appears, as pretty as you please. "Is everything OK? Can I get you anything?" he queries, seeming, for all the world, a beatific angel of heaven.
"Can I trouble you for some more guacamole?" you begin hopefully, cutting yourself off when you remember the time a waiter charged you $4.99 for a paltry scoop. "Wait, do y'all charge for it, or...?"
His manner instantly cools, and he clears his throat discreetly.
"Yeah, it's a dollar." Even though it's 'just a dollar,' you start to think again. Your eyes lower demurely, and you toss out a quiet "Think I'll skip it this time around, but thanks.."
Your eyes raise and speak to your dinner companion, though your lips don't move. The waiter has gone off and left you, ostensibly to get some garlic bread for the loud couple in the booth across from yours.
Suddenly, a vision of heaven appears in front of you--a boat full of guacamole, pico, AND sour cream! What's up with that?
"Here ya go, it's on the house.." he says, this grinning guacamole-bearing angel of yours. He leaves you to gorge yourself, but not before giving you a significant smile.
If anyone else had given you such a smile, you would have suspected them of trying to pick you up, but the issue of money lies between you, and he ain't a hooker.
The bill comes, and you, chagrined, hastily scribble down a gratuity that you'd never have considered in a restaurant of this 'caliber.'
He winks at you as you leave, and always seems to be your waiter when you come around.
You think I'm mad, don't you. What could be wrong with this scenario? It IS possible, right, to live with guacamole-free fajitas, isn’t it? I know it is, I know. But that's not the point I want to draw your attention to.
Rather, to the fact that Senor Garcon has committed theft. How? By not charging you for the "guac," as they like to call the avocado delicacy.
Furthermore, he's not only stolen, but created an alliance by (ok, received payment for) his theft.
It may seem like something tiny to you, but think about it. If he does this for you, then chances are that you're not the only one he’s “hooking up.”
Furthermore, HE isn't the only one doing it. Restaurants lose millions and billions of dollars a year to these "friendly waiters."
I should know. I'm a business-owner who probably loses thousands a year (or month!) to people who think they're being “nice.” (I’m not even going to mention the theives who are stealing to benefit themselves, or their families.)
I'm not being a scrooge, really I'm not. But the thing is that if restaurants are intent on being nice, they could change their policy to spread this niceness to all of their customers, or at least, stop losing so much money.
Ok, enough goings-on about stolen guacamole. I'm late for my reservations at Sergio's Mexican Hut, and my old friend Senor is waiting for me...
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