Any ideas on how to describe a busy scene at a restaurant?
How about this: The four gentlemen that were dressed warmly instantly took off their coats when they entered the warm restaurant. The air smelled of pepper and the hostess glared at them like they were the reason why she had to be there. One man arched a brow and smiled at his brother beside him. His brother was not paying attention, but he did snort at the hostess's rude behavior. The third man did not really care about his surroundings, because he was debating with himself. He tended to look angry when he was thinking. "Hey, you are upsetting the hostess," the fourth man said. His eyes were extremely blue, like a bright summer day, but the third man did not hear him. Instead, his face became darker. "Hey, what do you want," the hostess said defensively. "Well, aren't we unhappy today. Three tables." The first man ordered. "I don't think we should go here now. Look what Steve has done," the second man snarled. The first, second, and fourth man turned towards Steve. Still looking angry, the third man suddenly noticed four angry pairs of eyes observing him, including the hostess. "What?" Steve demanded. The first man decided to dawn his coat in response, even though they just entered the poorly lit and poorly hired workplace where all happiness goes to die. Steve was in a better place for once.
How would you describe a scene at a BUS STOP?
A bus stop hums with life and activity. At peak hours there is a mad rush. The school and college students, the office goers and the vie with each other to get into the buses. All sort of people can be seen at a bus stop. Some are impatient and look at their watches at every other second, other are worried and fret. But there are some who wait patiently. They even give smiles to others. Students stand in groups and talk. It presents an opportunity to study human nature. At most of the stops people try to stand in queues but as soon as a bus is visible, the queue is broken. Everyone just pushes and jostles. There is a lot of confusion then. At peak hours people try to board a bus whether there is any space in it or not. Traveling on footboards is very common. It is very dangerous. But it does not deter any one. Pick-pockets have their day at such hours. Few lines that came to mind. I hope it helps :)
How do some Chinese restaurants stay in business when there are hardly any customers?
I worked at a Chinese restaurant. All the answers hit various parts of why they last when they don't seem busy.We were in a small shopping center with very little walk in traffic. If you came there for the most part, it was your destination. The best part of where we were is that we were on the road in to town, and there was a lot of grab dinner on the way home. The next part was the delivery which I did. So a lot of traffic you didn't see and very little eat in.The employees were the husband and wife, their sisters and families. I was the only one not related. I worked 5 days a week, 4 or 5 hours a day and got $5 an hour cash plus tips. Got a free meal, half the time from the special menu, half the time what they went eating, which was served family style, each person with a bowl of rice.Everything was made from scratch, as was said food costs are low. Very little waste. They made money on everything.This one rented, the rental cost was higher than some but not outrageous. All the supplies came from an "uncle" in the city.The one point made about not trying to make a lot of money is true, but making enough to live day to day with a few perks. As they usually are family, they cut both personal and business costs. They all lived in the same house, between the small group they worked most of the hours, shared a car, ate together usually at the restaurant, and didn't have a lot of what Americans call essentials. It's like a mom and pop store where they own the place, and live upstairs. The true American dream.
What do high-end restaurants do if a credit card is declined at the end of a meal?
Had this happen a few weeks ago. The bank sent me a new card to extend things past the 03/15 expiration date. They require that I hit their ATM and use the new card to ask for an account balance, but only indicated that a new PIN would be coming eventually. So, I handed the gal the old card, figuring it was still valid (still in March).Youngster comes back (my wife and I know most of the staff there) and sheepishly told us that the card had been declined.I gave her a quick synopsis, and then handed her another card. End of problem. (I activated the new card a day or two later.) Still haven't seen the new PIN....Wouldn't call this place "High End", but it's not McD's....Maybe 25 years ago, I used to be a regular lunch patron at another restaurant in town. To the point that I often babysat the owner's grandchildren while their mom was in the kitchen bagging up some of "today's special" to take home.I had a buddy from Cleveland who used to join me for lunch often. One evening he was in town with his wife and some friends, and they stopped there for supper. That's when he found out that he was short on pocket cash. The Owner took his personal check (they don't like to do that anyway), and then called me the next morning: "Stu, is this guy good for $60?" I got a bit of a laugh: "Paul, he could probably have written a check big enough to buy your place if he wanted to."In short, a good restaurant will almost always try to quietly resolve the situation. A regular customer, or someone who's been (and remains) very polite likely will be blessed with a good result.These days, it's a very good idea to carry at least two major credit cards. If you check into a hotel, they may freeze your entire credit limit to cover your "tab", and, well, don't try to use that one elsewhere. But you can always use the other one....
How do you escape a restaurant after a meal without paying?
During my work, I once ran into a guy who claimed to be a dine & dash thief for years and proud of it!I was a contract corporate trainer for many years as was he. We would travel around the country, usually alone, training whatever for large corporations. Spending our lives on planes and in hotels in strange cities was a big part of the job.Most people would think we were well paid at over $100,000-$150,000 a year.This guy claimed his secret was to always have enough money in cash to pay the bill if caught. On average he claimed he was caught one out of every ten attempts.So he is in a strange city and getting ready to dine alone. Here was his plan.Step #1- He would target a large, busy, fine-dining steakhouse.Step #2- He would make sure to dress like any other successful business person in a nice suit and tie.Step 3- He would enjoy a nice meal and do absolutely nothing surreptitious. He would chat with his server and in all ways just be another businessman enjoying a fine steak and an adult libation or two.Step #4. Order dessert.Step #5- Here we go! He would pull out his cell phone and pretend to take a call. Clearly there were problems at home. He would be just a little bit loud and a little bit animated. Just enough to make a nearby table and hopefully the server glance at him.Step #6- When those glances occurred, he would make a sheepish smile, mouth “I’m sorry” and head out to the lobby.Step #7- Remember I said busy steakhouse so there are very likely several patrons there along with the hostess. So now repeat Step #5 and get get a couple of folks and the hostess to glance at him.Step #8- Repeat Step #6 but this time head out to the sidewalk and continue to talk on the phone.Step #9- Gone!!!!!!!!So what about the 10% of the time he was caught? According to him it was not a big deal. He would apologize profusely and say his problems at home distracted him. Often the waitress or hostess would nod sympathetically because they overheard him on the phone! He would pull out his wad of cash and pay the bill along with a generous tip. Occasionally he would get a small lecture from the manager but at this point no one really cared because the restaurant and the waitress were whole.Over the years he claimed to have stolen tens of thousands of dollars worth of meals using this method.I think this guy was a despicable human being but I admire his planning!
Does any one know the job description of a busse at Panera Bread?
Table Busser Customer Service Part Time Description enjoy it in. As a Table Busser in our Caf, you will... items in the Caf or escort them to their tables Wiping down tables, chairs, counters and other surfaces and Assists in the maintenance i.e. bathrooms, etc.... If you've ever been to a mid- to upscale restaurant you have probably seen a busser in action. This person is very important to the smooth operation of a busy eatery. A busser is someone who works behind the scenes in a restaurant and they’re often referred to as busboys or server assistants. All restaurants need bussers in order to keep things organized and clean so everything will run more efficiently. One of the main duties of a busser is to keep an eye on the customers so they can remove the dishes as they become empty. This gives the customers more room to enjoy desert and keeps things looking neat and clean on the tables so it will be a more pleasant experience for the guests. Taking the dishes to the dishwasher immediately after use ensures that the restaurant will not run out of dishes during a rush as well as making the final cleaning much easier. When the customers have finished eating their meal and get up to leave the restaurant, the busser duties will then be to finish removing the rest of the dishes and to clean any spilled food or beverages from the table and the surrounding area. The busser will then reset the table and get it ready for the next customers that visit the restaurant. This process is repeated continuously throughout their shift. Busser duties also include preparing tables for the customers before they arrive. This includes filling condiments and napkins so the guests don’t run out. In some of the more elegant restaurants, it can include setting tablecloths, polishing and laying silverware and folding napkins. Emptying trash is also one of the duties that bussers fulfill in-between cleaning and preparing dishes. Part of the busser duties involves opening the restaurant by preparing it for the customers and closing it down at the end of the night. This includes everything from setting up the tables to cleaning restrooms and lobbies. It also involves cleaning and stocking along with setting up the workstations for the servers.
How would I describe a busy airport terminal?
A busy terminal will have lots of passengers arriving from flights or going to their gate to catch a flight. There will a number of people at the restaurants inside the terminal or at the stores. You will hear gate agents telling people that they are boarding to get to their destination city. You will see people standing in line at the ticket counter checking in their luggage or see people standing at baggage claim waiting to retrieve their luggage. There may be a lot of people standing outside waiting for a taxi.