A strange conversation
We arrived at a Japanese restaurant serving one of those conveyor belt type food (yuck! but the wife likes it, sigh...). Someone came over and the conversation went like this...
waitress: Alakar or buffet?
us: er... we want to sit there..
waitress: A la carte or buffet?
us: oh.. what's the difference? ...(click here for the rest of the conversation)
waitress: (handing us the menus for the different options) here you go. Alacar you can choose this this and this. Buffet is anything on the belt.
wife: can we sit there? (the table has four chairs near the converyor belt)
waitress: Only if you have 4 people during peak hours.
me: is now peak hour? (it's 12pm on saturday, i thought i ask)
waitress: yes
me: ok, we'll sit by the conveyor belt. (and after sitting down...) we'll have a la carte.
waitress: i'll take the menu from you. (after a few seconds...) actually if you're going a la carte you can sit at the 2 person table and we can bring your food to you.
us: (looking at each other in perplex, we stood up) ok.
That was (almost) the exact conversation that took place. After sitting down, I did think why the process for sitting down was SOooo difficult. I just want to sit down and eat! I don't want to understand your whole business process and requirements - like designated sitting area, how you price your food, what are the differences between a la carte and buffet, your peak and non-peak hours etc. Of course I could have answered her first question and probably that might be easier. I was thinking more of "let me sit down and decide", which i think is a perfectly sensible strategy. After all, it's lunch time, i would rather grab a seat first!
If any of you own your own business, or if you have the power to influence or change a business design or decision, please... KEEP THINGS SIMPLE! Remember what you're trying to do. Remember what product and service you're trying to provide. Remember what's the main purpose of the product or service. For example, the purpose of a restaurant is to sit down and eat. Not stand, wait, understand, decide, sit, realise wrong "business" decision, understand, rant, stand, move, sit.
And don't get me started on the food... oh, did i mention i don't like sushi?! ;) just the raw stuff. always doesn't sit well with my tummy. I'll need more of those to build up the immune system.
waitress: Alakar or buffet?
us: er... we want to sit there..
waitress: A la carte or buffet?
us: oh.. what's the difference? ...(click here for the rest of the conversation)
waitress: (handing us the menus for the different options) here you go. Alacar you can choose this this and this. Buffet is anything on the belt.
wife: can we sit there? (the table has four chairs near the converyor belt)
waitress: Only if you have 4 people during peak hours.
me: is now peak hour? (it's 12pm on saturday, i thought i ask)
waitress: yes
me: ok, we'll sit by the conveyor belt. (and after sitting down...) we'll have a la carte.
waitress: i'll take the menu from you. (after a few seconds...) actually if you're going a la carte you can sit at the 2 person table and we can bring your food to you.
us: (looking at each other in perplex, we stood up) ok.
That was (almost) the exact conversation that took place. After sitting down, I did think why the process for sitting down was SOooo difficult. I just want to sit down and eat! I don't want to understand your whole business process and requirements - like designated sitting area, how you price your food, what are the differences between a la carte and buffet, your peak and non-peak hours etc. Of course I could have answered her first question and probably that might be easier. I was thinking more of "let me sit down and decide", which i think is a perfectly sensible strategy. After all, it's lunch time, i would rather grab a seat first!
If any of you own your own business, or if you have the power to influence or change a business design or decision, please... KEEP THINGS SIMPLE! Remember what you're trying to do. Remember what product and service you're trying to provide. Remember what's the main purpose of the product or service. For example, the purpose of a restaurant is to sit down and eat. Not stand, wait, understand, decide, sit, realise wrong "business" decision, understand, rant, stand, move, sit.
And don't get me started on the food... oh, did i mention i don't like sushi?! ;) just the raw stuff. always doesn't sit well with my tummy. I'll need more of those to build up the immune system.
posted by Shang Lee at 2:57 am | Article's link
5 Comments:
I personally don't think it is that hard to understand why the waiter said those things. Alar carte or buffet determines whether they will sit you near the converyor belt or tables. It is more convenient for those who go for the buffet to sit by the converyor belt. As you said it was peak hours and seats management is very important for a popular restaurant to make sure every of their seats is fully utilised. I'll do the same if I'm the one who run the restorant. Btw, I hate seeing 2 people taking up a 4 seaters place while there is a long queue outside.
I must be really hungry... ;)
Culture shock? :p
Service comes after profit over this part of the world unless you pay a premium price for it.
and i thought service = better profit!
well... you thought :) Personally, I would have been extremely annoyed as well over her inability to answer a simple question.
anyway, haven't got the chance, welcome back!
Jon
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