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Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier

The Essence of Great Service

6/16/2012

15 Comments

 
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Recently I was in the UK for meetings and had a couple of hours in Heathrow before getting on my flight to head back home. After catching up on e-mail, I strolled about looking for a place to grab a sandwich. As I wandered through the food court, I spotted a cafe called Giraffe whose motto “live eat live” was boldly posted in multiple locations. Just as I hit the perimeter of the restaurant ,a petite young woman in a bright red Tshirt walked directly up to me, called out a bright sing-song “hello!” and offered a menu along with a huge smile. How could I refuse? She then proceeded to sit me next to an enormous plant.

After a few minutes, my server showed up. Like the hostess, she was short, petite, and with a big smile. She spoke excellent English with the slightest trace of an accent. I placed my order for lunch and she returned momentarily with drinks in hand. I said thanks then asked where she was from. Her name was Anna and she was from Kraków, Poland. She went on to say that Kraków was a beautiful city and that I absolutely had to visit at some point. I told her I was from San Francisco and she said she’d always wanted to go there but it was extremely difficult because a visa was required and that was very expensive. 

Small talk accomplished, she took off for to scour the rest of her station; I turned my attention back to the restaurant at large. The bustling Giraffe restaurant sat at least 120 people, and was an incredibly busy place with an endless stream of singles, large parties, and moms with small squawking kids ensconced in various Dr. Seuss-like vehicles guaranteed to block any and all transit. The turnover was frightening with everyone needing to be served right NOW so they could make their flights. (By the way, why is it that they never post the gate in Heathrow until 10-15 minutes before boarding? To add even more excitement to the travel experience?).

Amidst all this dining frenzy was Anna. After watching her work for a short time, I quickly realized two things: first, she was bionic. Second, and no big surprise, she was a mighty mite (see blog post from May 18th). Anna moved quickly and effortlessly from table to table taking orders, serving and clearing, all the while smiling and conversing with diners as if the whole thing was no big deal and just an easy dance. I had fantasies about cloning her and negotiating a huge contract with a big corporate restaurant group back in the states.  Visions of a massive pile of cash danced in my head. With an army of Annas I could, dare I say it, rule the world.

I sat back and thought about Anna and what made her such an all-star at her job. What made her so great? Why was she so different from most people who work in airport fast food places, who seem like they’ve been condemned to the cocktail lounge in hell with no promise of a return shuttle? The first thing that came to mind was that she was utterly unafraid of hard work. OK, I thought, so a lot of people are that way, but the wrong person in this particular job would end up hating life almost instantly because it was so insanely busy and the pace never let up. Aside from that, what else made her so different from the endless herd I’ve seen working in fast food joints over the years? Why was she such a valuable employee regardless of whether the management was clued in or not? After further observation I came up with several reasons:

First: She made genuine eye contact with everyone she spoke to. She didn’t fake looking at or communicating with anyone. She was, in short, completely HOME.

Second: she really focused and actually listened to what I was saying even after the order had been taken. Even though she was constantly moving like a hummingbird, whenever Anna stopped and chatted with me she came to a complete halt and put all of her attention on listening. Mind you, she probably had a zillion things going on in her head at the same time. At first I thought it was my irresistible charm, but then quickly realized that she did this with everyone at every table. 

Third: really two things, but they are very, very subtle and could the key to Anna’s magic. Every time I asked her a question she smiled in response and leaned in very slightly when answering.  Combined, those two responses gave the impression that she cared about what I was saying. Aha! That last point is perhaps the key. She not only cared about what I was saying, but she probably cared that my experience at the fabulous Giraffe restaurant was a good one. That alone, meine freunden, sets her apart from everyone else and makes her an all-star. Game, set and match.

Not convinced? Allow me to explain via contrast, one of the most powerful tools for learning. Imagine what my experience would have been like had Anna done the complete opposite: not making consistent eye contact, not really listening carefully (itself a recipe for disaster), and not making any effort to smile while moving slightly back and away when answering a question. The difference would be radical as in someone completely disconnected from the moment, the experience, and the job. 

For years I’ve preached the idea of taking care of the table when doing service demonstrations in Master Sommelier Intro Courses. I think the concept of caring and taking care of the guest is what sets great sommeliers apart from everyone else. I go on to tell the students that in an exam—and on the job—if the table catches on fire, you take care of it. If a herd of goats somehow finds its way on to your floor, you take care of it. If the host wants to taste the Haut-Brion out of his daughter’s plastic slipper, then you need to figure out how to make it work (true story). 

Taking care of the guest also presupposes one very important thing: that the sommelier or server is secondary and never the most important part of the dining equation. The very idea of serving requires putting one’s self second to the needs of the guest. Period. On that note, fellow MS Madeline Triffon in a recent conversation spoke to me about the “joy of serving,” literally the times when one is in the zone and having a great time doing the job while making people’s dining experience wonderful. She was speaking from personal experience. She was also describing our friend Anna.

As I left busy confines of the Giraffe I said good bye to Anna and told her that she was doing a heroic job, which elicited yet another huge smile. I wished her the best of luck and hoped that she would someday get a chance to visit San Francisco. Then I tipped her six pounds on a 12 pound check. She was worth every pence and more. 
15 Comments
Bob Cranston link
6/16/2012 01:28:05 pm

Great stuff Tim . . . thanks for sharing!

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Nichole Dishman
6/17/2012 04:39:03 pm

It really is magical the effects of that mix of capable, 100% present, and enjoying the job. Having a server like Anna elevates the whole restaurant experience.

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Luiz de Oliveira Jr. link
6/20/2012 12:04:57 pm

Hello thank´s a lot.

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John McCune
6/20/2012 12:21:04 pm

Enjoyed reading this.... hope Anna gets a chance to.

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John Mayfield
6/20/2012 09:53:40 pm

Master-fully said. I truly believe that everyone should serve tables at least once in their lives, especially in the antipodal world of healthcare where despite the high price tag and severity of the genre as a whole, hospital-ity is not only elusive, but devoid. Everyone is in the service industry, despite their profession.

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Jake
6/21/2012 02:28:05 am

Your article, though enjoyable, fails to capture "Essence of Great Service." You do demonstrate part of good service, but you should not be so bold to imagine you can write that in so few words. Your mention of a 4 quid tip on a 12 quid check demonstrates that you don't really know what great service is. Perhaps it is American to assume entrance to Hospitality Heaven through a 33% tip, as you unexpectedly imply. Regale a story of a 444 quid tip on a 1200 quid check, and you can sit in the lobby of Hospitality Heaven. Read the story of the server who actually knows what "great service" is without tiptoeing around "essence.

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Tim Gaiser
6/21/2012 04:57:35 am

Hi Jake, thanks for your response and points well taken. Given the context of the U.K., the tipping policies there and an airport restaurant, 33% is a very good tip. As for your comment "fails to capture "Essence of Great Service," it sounds as if you have a considerable background in the hospitality industry and a lot of ideas on what constitutes great service. I would love to hear your thoughts and I'm sure the other readers would as well. I look forward to hearing from you.

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John Mayfield
6/21/2012 05:01:11 am

QED, a lack of hospitality outside of the service industry... I blame you not, for, as many of the "now generation," you expect an exegesis out of a essay. In addition, you have not had the privilege of meeting Master Tim Gaiser nor have you experienced his truest "Essence of Great Service" firsthand. Be cautious, my friend, of besmirching others for the sake of self-promotion; for if it is not a change of spot-lighting that you seek, what else do you wish to actually create in this otherwise benign environment?

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jake
6/23/2012 03:35:48 am

1) Who begins a reply with QED followed by a sentence fragment?
2) I was born in 1960 and am not a member of the "now generation."
3) Who uses words like "exegesis" in a blog column? This ain't the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, etc.
4) I am urged "to be cautious" by a person with neither authority, moral high ground, or any sense of likeability..
5) I am not your friend. The fact that you pepper your dialogue with this "my friend" speaks more about a vision you may have of yourself, no doubt with a high horse involved.
6) Do you really believe I am trying to damage Mr. Gaiser's reputation over a few ideas on a blog?
7) If I am promoting myself, as you say, where is my full name? website? e-mail?
8) I respect anyone that can pass the highest rigors of the Court that Mr. Gaiser has, and have full disdain for wannabees that bring neither charm nor intelligence. I hope that the Court of Masters has a firm defense against those of such pious certainty of their righteousness.

Mr. Gaiser's article was a good one and I enjoyed it. I was not entirely happy with my first response and have since sent a letter of apology and explanation (800 words) through e-mail. Read his response to me and then read yours. I am not familiar with the Court's current standards, but if charm is one, you won't make the grade.

Jean L. Arnold link
6/21/2012 03:59:26 am

What a great article - insightful and broken down well into categories that are truly important. I have had observations like this before watching great and not great service but have not written them down at all and not this well.
I have been to Krakow, and I am not surprized Anna is from there. Lovely, warm, hard working folks I found in this beautiful city. Thank you for this lovely piece.

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Lynne Bryant
6/21/2012 04:49:24 am

Thank you for sharing. Genuinely being present for the customer is always a priority; everyone wins, the server and the customer. You never know what is going on in a customer's life and if you can make it easier and pleasurable for them, at that moment, it could mean a lot to them.

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Lynne Bryant
6/21/2012 05:01:42 am

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Leigh W Dryden link
6/21/2012 07:19:31 am

Right now, people come back as they are well treated and treated in a manner that they would treat others, it is about the level of service not the price of the service- great insight Tim Cheers from Sydney Australia Leigh

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Drew Hendricks
6/22/2012 02:01:26 am

Tim, Thanks for this post. Really enjoyed reading it. I have no latin acronyms or fancy terminology with which to besmirch you. Mostly because I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Genuine caring while serving others is often missing and when found it is delightful. TTFN

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Tim Gaiser
6/23/2012 07:14:20 am

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m thrilled that you are reading my blog. Thanks and much appreciated. Otherwise, keep in mind that the contents of my blog are just my opinions, nothing set in stone and they can be completely wrong. Remember also that we’re not solving the world’s problems here—I’m just writing about various aspects of wine, exams, recordings and other various topics in a manner which is hopefully valuable and entertaining to you—nothing more. By all means feel free to disagree with me and with other readers but always do so with the utmost of the respect as I’m sure you will. Gracias!

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