Chinese are known for their great service. Consider the following:
Four Chinese American guys decide to go out to eat one fine Southern Californian evening. This is not a suprise because, let's face it, Southern California has some of the nicest evenings anywhere.
They decide to go a Chinese restaurant, not that the restaurant building itself is of any ethnicity, but rather the food that is served there. This restaurant will go unnamed because I don't want everyone crowding it because of the awesome service. Also, because this is supposed to be a hypothetical story.
They walk in, are seated in about 5 minutes, and proceed to pour over the menu. When the time comes (read: they are starving and tired of all the waiters/waitresses ignoring them), they need to flag down a waitress because all Chinese restaurants have waiters/waitresses that come when you want them to. The waitress proceeds to take their orders and leaves to fill them. Time: approx. 10:15pm. The orders: One "Chicken a la king", two "Pork Chops", one "satueed shrimp with rice".
It take an usually long amount of time to receive their drinks. They spot the 4 Thai teas at the counter and know it is for their table. No one brings them their drinks. Grass grows and gets cut. Nations rise and fall. Bad movies are sat through. Finally, BM goes to the counter to see if he can get the drinks. The counter guy says, no, but he will bring them over.
The waiter at the counter brings the four drinks, all of which are Thai ice teas. At least 3 of them taste like they've been made with sour milk, so the waitress is again flagged down and 2 are exchanged. A few minutes pass, the waitress returns with 2 soups, saying the other 2 will come shortly.
A few more minutes pass, with no sign of the soups or the remaining food. The four guys flag down a waiter and tell him that two soups have yet to come out. He goes into the kitchen.
The waitress comes back a little bit later with the two soups. They are quickly consumed. The waiter comes back after the soups are consumed and gives 2 more soups. The guys have now received 6 soups when they ordered 4. All Chinese restaurants have excellent communication among their workers.
3 of the guys' food comes out. The two pork chops, and the shrimp with rice. The conversation gets into gear; 3 guys chow down on their food. Approx 20 min have passed since ordering.
Everyone wonders where the "Chicken a la king" is. The four guys flag down a "manager" (he's wearing a shirt and tie, not a uniform). They proceed to tell him the "chicken a la king" has yet to come. The following conversation takes place.
DVJ: "We ordered a Chicken A La King and it hasn't come out."
Manager: (shakes his head and puts his hand on the guy's shoulder as if somebody just died) "Awwww, sorry, we ran out of chicken breast and we forgot to tell you. Do you want to order something else or just take it off the order?"
Dumbfounded that a restaurant can "forget" to tell someone their order isn't coming, DVJ says to take it off the order, and he'll go without food. He changes his mind and walks off to flag down a waiter and order pork chops.
Restaurant: 1 DVJ: 0
He comes back, conversation again picks up. Meanwhile, the Thai ice teas and other drinks have been consumed and refilled. DVJ asks, "Do you get free refills here?" "Yeah." DVJ finishes his tea and flags down the waitress for a refill.
Waitress: "Oh, that drink you only get one of."
Restaurant: 2 DVJ: 0
Another 10 min pass. They flag down the "manager" again, to ask about the pork chops.
DVJ: "I ordered pork chops, and it hasn't come out."
Manager: "Is this before or after you took Chicken a la king off the order?"
DVJ: "After."
Manager: "Who did you tell? Which waitress or waiter?"
DVJ: "I told that waiter over there."
Manager: "Oh. They're not making it for you. Sorry, I'll go check on it right now."
All Chinese restaurants have excellent communication among their workers.
This is immediately followed by the waitress bringing a glass of ice water for DVJ as a consolation prize because his drink doesn't get refills. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.
Restaurant: 3 DVJ: 0
Time: about an hour since walking in. DVJ has had a bowl of soup and one drink. Everyone else has finished their meals. The pork chops have yet to come out. The manager stops by and says, "I'm sorry about this." TC did get DVJ a free refill though. Another 10 min pass. The pork chops still don't come out. Everyone wonders if that last statement means the manager is sorry because DVJ will not get his pork chops. (maybe they ran out?)
DVJ accepts the fact that he will eat nothing tonight and flags down the manager to get the check. DVJ goes home hungry, but with first hand knowledge that Chinese restaurants have the best service.
Time: a little over an hour
Meal: none for DVJ (plus a drink with no refills)
# of times 'flag' appeared in this story: 8
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
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