Believe it or not this was actually first doodled last week while waiting in line for Greek food at a tent on the 4th, but afterwards I thought of some very fancy places I’ve eaten where the same control-freakishness has totally wrecked the experience, and decided to toss the graph out here. There is definitely a sweet spot for every restaurant but I’d need more axes to cover the prestige of the place, whether there are other choices or not, what your fellow diners want… I’d love to see the equation that could really handle it!

For Greek food on some random Saturday at a farmers’ market I wouldn’t wait an eighth of the time we waited that day. But when my other choices were hot dogs and hamburgers which had good-sized lines of their own, and I’d been walking for six hours and a gyro sounded so good… well, in the end I did wish we’d gone for dogs, but that was a long ways into it.

Two guys on grill and assembly, for a line of close to a hundred. They had lots more staff, but wouldn’t let anyone else cook because they had some muddled idea of quality. The rest of the staff looked mainly bored. *aaaargh*

“a suggestion of meat”—ROFL. I would have gone for only a suggestion if it got me the food faster.

Regards,

Kelly

I’ve since learned to grab a “contingency” Big Mac ahead of time, just before I arrive. I won’t be hungry when I get there, but I’ll just be starting to be by the time the food gets there.

Believe me, you dont’ want to be around a grumpy hungry Friar, when he’s starving and his blood sugar has crashed. ;-

(Though it woudln’t suprise me if some techno-geek hasn’t alread done something like this, somewhere)

(Massachusetts moment: Haven’t thought of HoneyDew in a very long time. Woosh.)

You know, the DDs down here are like that, too. I wonder what it can be at the corporate level that causes them NOT to emphasize service more with their franchisees?

Alex,

Dudeshoes also has no way of reading in English or Spanish (though they have links offering each), except on their peculiar blog, and I didn’t feel like exercising my limited Italian muscles… but more, if you’re going to be named “dudeshoes,” won’t a lot of folks who speak English be trying to enjoy the site? *sigh*

I remember Spanish clerks well. And Spanish shoes… brought quite a few home. Glad you had a better experience with the service than is usual there.

At one of my fave lunch spots today the service was so good I was thinking we ought to have recessions more often.

With exceptions (!), it does seem to bring out the people-pleasers at many stores. And why not? Costs nothing, works like a charm.

Until later,

Kelly

That explanation is amazing. And sad. I learn something here every day. Yeesh!

Friar,

I thought I was in charge of really old obscure terms like “rarer than hens’ teeth”? Geewhizzacres, thanks for helping me out.

Graham,

*kelly falls off chair laughing*

Later,

Kelly

Me and bugs. Same thing—and believe me, in Delaware we have bugasauruses.

If there’s a bigger, badder bug-catcher around, I’ll fall apart. If it’s me, I shiver and shake, do what I have to, then listen to my heart pounding to break my ribs for a half hour afterwards. Turns out I really do have guts, if I know I’m where the buck stops.

(But I’d rather not!)

Until later,

Kelly

I hope the new southern cat chases Mickey and all the other mice away. Show the door to folks who won’t tell anything with transparency.

Am I taking this theory too far?

Alex,

Because you haven’t told them to hire me.

A little outside perspective…

Perhaps they consult with the bureaucrats on how their firm always gets golden handshakes for departing bureaucrats on the side. That would get them hired in a hurry.

Until later,

Kelly

heh heh.

Good question!…

Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post…Not Getting Started: Introducing (the rest of) the New Lab Rats