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.

[Riley]

I too waited tables and worked retail for a few years. It gives you a totally different perspective when you become the customer doesn't it.

I was never a waiter, but my first techical support job was for a large chain (that doesn't exist anymore) doing over-the-counter tech support. I met more flaming a-holes in a week than I had in the previous ten years put together. Wait-staff people and other service-industry folk get a lot of sympathy from me, because I know what kind of abuse they have to put up with from the public.

[FormerLib]

I wonder how many times he had his food was spat in for his bad behavior?

Probably not often enough but it guaranteed to keep happening if he doesn't change his ways.

[SauronOfMordor]

Speaking of the wait staff in particular, if one doesn't buy any moral argument, then there's always the fact that some of the waiter's saliva may "accidentally" find itself in one's food, if one is a complete boor to him/her.

Or something worse. Never a good idea to piss off somebody who will be handling your food out of your sight

[TankerKC]

I wonder how many times he had his food was spat in for his bad behavior?

When did that become acceptable behavior? No matter what a person does, spitting in their food is wrong. Somewhere this passed from wrong to cool.

[fortunecookie]

Having waited tables before makes one a very respectful restaurant customer.

Yes, it sure does!

[stevio]

So your husband treats the illegals the same way he treats the rich Republican elites. Got it. ;^)

Seriously, good information for my daughters and sons for that matter, when they reach dating age.

[helper]

A friend of mine,who is black, has a son working at the WH. A few years ago they had a "meet the President" day where employees were allowed to invite two family members to meet GW. The son invited his father and daughter. It was a short, few minute affair for each family was ushered in, chatted for a few minutes with GW and stood for pics and video tape.

I asked him what they talked about, family, business, etc.

I just heard a few weeks ago GW asked the son how his father was and how his business was going.

Rather remarkable in my book. The son never got that treatment when the toon was in town.

The father still pulls the dem lever, but seems to have less and less reason for it.

[MilspecRob]

Don't think you should share any of his "Doggie Bag". LOL

[Peach]

I know you weren't trying to be argumentative, but let me just state for the record that our country club does not employ illegals. They are primarily African Americans who take care of the golf course and help players with their bags. And my husband knows all their names and in some cases their kid's names.

[barker]

I have more respect even for those who are nasty to everyone, no matter who they are!

Hey! That's me you're talking about.

[MilspecRob]

I always salt the eggs at breakfast when eating out, pepper then too!

[surrey]

So true. I can recall two occasions where the waiter/waitress was as rude as can be. Once was at the restaurant at Rockefeller C..The Sea Grille. The waiter had such a superior attitude as though he were doing US a favor.
The other was a young woman at the Ritz restaurant,Aqua, who when we told her we weren't guests treated us like trash.
Needless to say poor tips for them.

[cvq3842]

:)

[TankerKC]

Needless to say poor tips for them.

And that's how you become the subject of another "bad customer" story.

In truth, there are more bad waiters out there than bad customers.

[exile]

"I've always heard that how a date treats the wait staff is how they will treat you in 10 or 15 years."

Do I have to start tipping Mrs. Exile for dinner?

[PetroniusMaximus]

"Do I have to start tipping Mrs. Exile for dinner?"

Have you asked Mrs. Exile for her thought on this matter?

[Kaylee Frye]

Very true. I got a good understanding for my one of my college roommate's boyfriends when he was extremely rude to the waitress one time. He is also, coincidentally, a raging lib. She is also a lib, but will at least have a reasonable conversation with you. Of course, that could've changed - I haven't seen her in years.

[stig]

I always used to ask the receptionist and front office staff how they were treated when young people came in for interviews. 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.

I would fail this test I am such a salt addict that I routinely salt my food without tasting it only to find I need to add more.

[Riley]

I would fail this test I am such a salt addict that I routinely salt my food without tasting it only to find I need to add more.

(grin) Same here.

[CORedneck]

The ultimate test is how people who clean toilets are treated. I treat them with respect, it is a nasty & dirty job. In H.S. I was a bus boy which taught me a lot.It was also an incentive to do good in school so I didn't have to do it for the rest of my life.

Nice article.

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