Tonight, Mark and I went out to dinner on the way home from work, and experienced perhaps the most scrupulously polite service I have ever encountered. We owe this all to Tim.
Tim was our completely silent trainee waiter, assigned to follow our waitress around and not even get to hold extra plates while she passed things out. In an effort to show him a sterling example of table waiting excellence, we were “sir”-ed and “ma’am”-ed at every opportunity, had more options presented to us for the customization of our entrees than I have ever heard of at this establishment, and got to hear the phrase “Please excuse me while I reach across you” each and every time we were served a plate or had one taken away.
Despite Mark’s insistence that it would be good for Tim, I encouraged him to refrain from making somewhat shocking conversational shots at the waiters in his usual effort to knock them off script. May Tim soon take his place along side all the other fine fully-fledged waitpersons of that illustrious establishment.
Inquiring minds want to know which illustrious establishment this is. I’m hoping McDonald’s.
Sorry, Will, it was a small, family-owned, independent Italian restaurant which I will not name out of respect for Tim’s privacy.
Courtesy is such a life-affirming thing, and really requires so little effort. As someone who has been kind of evil for about a week, it’s nice for me to be reminded of this.