| "And what would you like to drink?" the perky | | | | and nodded, knowingly. |
| server asks. | | | | What are the results of these errors? |
| "I'll have a Diet Coke, no ice, and a slice of lime, | | | | (1) I send back the defective cola. This wastes |
| please." | | | | everybody's time, preventing the server from |
| About five minutes later, our drinks arrive. | | | | promptly assisting everyone at her station. |
| Mine has ice, and there's no lime. | | | | (2) I don't have time for dessert, nor the desire |
| I may as well take a sip anyway; I'm parched. | | | | to reinforce a server whose skills are lacking, by |
| Hey, that's too sweet to be a Diet Coke. I'll bet | | | | ordering more. |
| she gave me the regular brew. | | | | (3) The server's tips suffer. My rule of thumb is |
| It's amazing that a restaurant's server can make | | | | it's a buck-an-error, if I'm having dinner. Some |
| three errors when handling a simple soft drink | | | | waiters have lost five-spots this way. They earn |
| order, but it happens to me all the time. | | | | less, quit more, restaurants have to recruit and |
| Before you blame me for my misfortunes, | | | | train replacements, and more productivity and |
| thinking I mumble or something, I must tell you | | | | money are lost. |
| I've tried everything to help servers to get it | | | | (4) They don't just blow it with Cokes. When my |
| right, from speaking S-L-O-W-L-Y to repeating | | | | medium-rare steak is delivered, burnt, it goes |
| the phrase before they scurry away: | | | | back, and that is a pure loss for the |
| "Again, that's a Diet Coke, no ice, and a slice of | | | | establishment. Plus avoidable costs like these are |
| lime, please." | | | | reflected in higher prices for customers. We eat |
| Still, more than 50% of the time I get either ice | | | | out less often. |
| or a bright yellow LEMON, instead of the lime. | | | | (5) Everyone grows irritated. Servers blame |
| I'll even resort to redundancy: "I'll have a Diet | | | | customers for their own errors, becoming visibly |
| Coke, no ice, and a slice of GREEN lime, please." | | | | defensive. If I'm going to encounter an upset |
| Once, a savvy waiter caught this and replied: "I | | | | waiter in the future, I'll take my business |
| thought limes only come in green!" | | | | elsewhere. Again, more losses for everyone. |
| Then, I regaled him with the back story about | | | | The amount of money these listening errors |
| how often his colleagues get it wrong, thinking | | | | costs cannot be known, down to the penny, but |
| lemons and limes are interchangeable. He smiled | | | | it has to amount to billions of dollars each year. |