When we think of fine dining establishments, what comes to mind seems to be elaborate decor, beautifully crafted dishes resting on beautifully crafted plates and some of the finest wines in the world. Not to mention the vast knowledge and finesse displayed by food service professionals. An equally important component, which some professionals seem to forget, is attitude and presentation; and I don’t mean the obvious tidy uniform and ‘service with a smile’. I will be touching upon other key aspects that I believe are ruining fine dining for many guests, drawing on from my own experience, what I have witnessed first-hand and an array of reviews I found online. For the sake of the establishments I will be talking about, as well as the people who wrote the reviews; I will not be including any names in this article.
An Unappetising Scent
Most service professionals have the look of their uniform down-pat, however they seem to forget the fact that, once smoked, cigarettes leave a strong smell on ones uniform. I have seen the obviously negative effects as a result of this negligence myself, to the extent that a guest actually wrote to an establishment directly to complain.
Another equally agitating addition to one’s presentation is the overpowering scent of too many sprays from a perfume or cologne bottle. As service professionals, we all know that these are just two of many examples that ruin a guest’s experience, not allowing them to fully enjoy their dish as the chef intended. So, why do so many professionals still do this?
Talking For The World
Whilst guests appreciate thoughtful interaction, I believe there is a fine line between a meaningful conversation and talking the guest’s ear off. This is why it is very important to really read the guest to ascertain:
· First of all if they are open to conversing
· Secondly, if so, how much conversation is acceptable before the guest becomes irritated and wants you to leave them alone
As a frequenter of restaurants myself, whilst I of course want to know what’s on my plate, I do not want to listen to the waiter drone on for five minutes straight about the supplier, in precisely which part of Oxfordshire the supplier is located, why the chef decided to place this particular dish on the menu, why they enjoy this dish, all the while placing my dish in front of me. I want to enjoy my meal, not leave it to get cold or melt whilst I listen to the waiter go on and on. Granted, if I actually ask for further information besides what the dish actually is, talk away.
Getting Personal
To me, the waiters and sommeliers (as well as managers and so on) are there to serve guests and cater to their every need. I do, however, sometimes feel that they go beyond this, and not in a good way. There are many times I can remember where I have been asked personal questions during my meal, including but not limited to:
· Where are you from?
· Are you here on holiday or do you live here?
· Is this your friend?
· Are you both celebrating something, an anniversary perhaps?
Each guest has their preferences and idiosyncrasies so, as aforementioned, it is important to read them in order to figure out which questions are too personal
Speaking in Tongues
Another dreadful mistake food service professionals make is realising that a table speaks one of the languages they speak (apart from English) and begin to converse with the guest accordingly. Before doing this, one must ensure that the guest actually wants to speak to you in another language; unless the guest does not know English or has initiated conversation in the language in question, this is completely unprofessional.
On the other side of the coin, certain food service professionals may not realise that a table speaks a language they know and so begins conversing with their colleague in said language right in front of the guest. This is disrespectful on two fronts:
First of all, if the guest doesn’t speak the language, they may assume that you are talking about them (most likely in a negative light).
Secondly, and much worse, if the guest does understand what you are saying and you do actually say something negative about them, you will immediately cause the guest to become upset, lose faith in you and lose faith in the establishment. I never thought this could actually happen in a fine dining establishment until I began reading some restaurant reviews. According to a guest of a Michelin starred establishment, the waiters were speaking negatively about him right in front of him in their own language, not knowing the guest understood. So be careful what you say, because you never know who is listening and who can understand you.
These are just some examples of what I believe some food service professionals lack when it comes to ensuring their guests have an overall pleasant meal. I don’t think they realise how much power they have in making or breaking the guest’s experience at the establishment. Therefore, it is imperative that we all continue to work on ourselves and consistently look for improvements that need to be made in order for the level of our service to be worthy of the establishment at which we are working.
And lest we forget, it is not all in the hands of the waiters and the sommeliers. No. Managers and supervisors have a significant part to play in ensuring that the people working at the establishment are: trained, well informed, and overall happy to work with them. Any negative feelings as a result of maltreatment by superiors can be immediately spotted by guests, thus affecting their dining experience. But what if the server is the issue? What if they come into work with a bad mood? What if they don’t even enjoy their work to begin with? How will this affect other colleagues, the general ambience and, as a result, the guest’s overall experience? This is something that I will address in a future article.
