Mark: “Nate, you were telling me the other day about going out to dine with your wife, what happened?”
Nate: “We were going out on one of our dates that don’t happen very often. We went to a restaurant and had a great experience with a waiter. It was so memorable for us because it was a different experience than what we’re used to.”
Mark: “What made it different?”
Nate: “It was different because the waiter was really personable. He gave us our menus and you know how sometimes when you go to a restaurant you feel like they are having to upsell you constantly, but this gentleman was so laid back. He didn’t do any of that. After we had put in our first request, he said he wasn’t going to let us order our meals quite yet. We had put in appetizers and he knew how big they were. So, he told us the appetizers were quite large and suggested we just wait a while. So, he brings out our appetizers, and we see these huge plates of food. My wife and I are wondering how are we even going to eat these.”
“Well, we finished off most of it. He then asked us if we still wanted something to eat from the menu, which felt good. Sometimes you feel like the tip is based on the meal so they’re trying to get you to order more, but he didn’t make it feel like that at all. He wanted to be sure if we really wanted something more to eat. We asked if we could just share a meal because he was right and those appetizers were quite large. He said yes, that made sense. So, we ended up sharing a meal and we did have some leftovers going home, which was great. He then asked if we wanted dessert even though we had had a lot. We said yes, we wanted the dessert to go.”
“This gentleman provided the best experience. There was no rush involved. There was no disappointment that you can feel when you don’t order enough. It was the classiest experience that we have had in a long time.”
Mark: “Do you think the restaurant was always that way, or was it because of the experience that he brought to the table?”
Nate: “I think it was definitely the experience that he brought to the table. He made it an experience that is different than anywhere else that I’ve been.”
Mark: “So, what did that teach you? I’m sure that your brain was just chugging away about the experience, the level of service, and your service to others. What were the things that you learned from this experience?”
Nate: “I do like to look at experiences that I’m in and evaluate how I can learn and use them in my life and in what we do. The thing I learned was it’s really what’s more important to the individual as a person. I felt like that’s where he was going. He had no other agenda but for us to have a great evening and to enjoy some great food. Whatever that looked like, he was there to facilitate that.”
Mark: “That right there is something that we try to do every single day at our office.”
