CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character

Yahoo News ^ | Fri Apr 14, 2006 | Del Jones

[ConservativeBamaFan]

Office Depot CEO Steve Odland remembers like it was yesterday working in an upscale French restaurant in Denver. ADVERTISEMENT

The purple sorbet in cut glass he was serving tumbled onto the expensive white gown of an obviously rich and important woman. "I watched in slow motion ruining her dress for the evening," Odland says. "I thought I would be shot on sight."

Thirty years have passed, but Odland can't get the stain out of his mind, nor the woman's kind reaction. She was startled, regained composure and, in a reassuring voice, told the teenage Odland, "It's OK. It wasn't your fault." When she left the restaurant, she also left the future Fortune 500 CEO with a life lesson: You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the waiter.

[Just another Joe]

I've always heard of is to see if someone salts their food before tasting it. It is a sign of jumping to a conclusion out of habit before getting a good assessment of the reality of the situation.

It could also be a sign that they just recently got out of the Navy.

My wife used to get soooo mad at me because I would automatically salt and pepper my food at home.
It was habit when I was in the Navy because the Navy cooks wouldn't spice the food at all due to possible allergenic reactions.

[Servant of the 9]

One other "lunch test" I've always heard of is to see if someone salts their food before tasting it. It is a sign of jumping to a conclusion out of habit before getting a good assessment of the reality of the situation.

It can also just be a sign of a person who drinks a lot of water.
If you drink a gallon or more of water a day, food salted for the average person always requires more salt.
It's a matter of experience, not jumping to a conclusion.
In the last 50 years I have never been served a meal that was adequately salted to my taste, so why not salt first?

So9

[kalee]

ping

[HamiltonJay]

Holtzman grew up in the coal-mining town of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and in the 1950s saw opportunity as a waiter 90 miles away in the Catskill Mountains, where customers did not tip until the end of the week. When they tipped poorly, he would say: "Sir, will you and your wife be tipping separately?"

Hahahahahhahaha...

Honestly, I have always watched how people treat those around them, particularly folks that can be percieved as "beneath" them.... There is nothing more embarrassing than being with someone who treats the staff rudely and poorly.

I know I won't do business with someone who acts that way... and I wouldn't date someone who acts that way.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"'ve always heard of is to see if someone salts their food before tasting it. It is a sign of jumping to a conclusion out of habit before getting a good assessment of the reality of the situation.'

That's Henry Ford's old test.

[thoughtomator]

I find that food for which salt is appropriate is almost always lacking in it, due to accommodations made for those with low-sodium dietary habits. I don't think that a test of character in any way.

[Crawdad]

I'm reminded of Bill Clinton dressing-down a subordinate at a ceremony in DC. It occurred about one week into his first term and was caught on camera.

[khnyny]

Good article and so true. If you observe people closely, they always give away their true natures.

[wideawake]

That's Henry Ford's old test.

Hilarious, given his vicious prejudices about human beings.

[Noumenon]

The Scott quote makes for an interesting tagline.

[HairOfTheDog]

CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I've had friends who are cold, rude, poor tippers and/or difficult customers, and it not only makes me uncomfortable, it makes me think less of them for it.

They'd be lousy bosses.

[Skooz]

Nice article.

I worked as a busboy in high school and have treated waiters, busboys, et al with supreme respect ever since.

[pollyannaish]

This is an excellent article. Thanks for posting it.

[discostu]

I think you just like salt. My wife and I drink a ton of water (the two of us alone go through 15 gallons a week at home and both work full time) and we don't use salt for hardly anything because we don't really like it except with certain foods. Now pepper on the other hand, in some restaurants I've been known to turn food black.

[pollyannaish]

Hey! That is exactly what got me on board the W train. I would see other politicians sign autographs while talking to the press or important people...and the person they were signing the autograph for was never even acknowledged and were completely invisible to the candidate.

It never matter who President Bush was talking to, he would look them in the eye and usually even speak to them a second. Making those connections one at a time. He behaved more decently than any candidate I have EVER seen...including local ones. Very impressive.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

You might get a kick out of this website:

http://www.bitterwaitress.com/

[Hegewisch Dupa]

But what if they're from Barcelona???

[JoeSixPack1]

If you ever want to learn about someones character, have them DRIVE you somewhere in heavy traffic.

[geezerwheezer]

My grandemere' (grandmother for folks in California) always told me that I would get a lot more with a smile and a kind word than I would with a frown. Folks that work in a restaurant aren't always well paid, and they do remember who stiffed them and who looked after them. Associates of mine marvel at how I always have coffee served to me before I sit down, and the workers all say hello to me. Maybe it's because I'm soooo very handsome, but more likley because I always spend a minute or two with them and leave a good tip, and smile at them. ( I just threw in that handsome part for fun!!)

[Borges]

To Ford's credit he apologized later in life and admitted he was wrong.