SHARE AND CARE....................4

I

                                 

The world commends the civility of those who combine fruitful effort and kind benevolence. Last Wednesday I experienced this at La Terrasse Restaurant, at The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata. In fact, I have been experiencing this for the last ten years now.... Read on…

I checked in at 5.30pm. This iconic hotel is like my second home (I have stayed here for 83 days since 24 April 2006) . It was raining. The grass at the pool area looked greener. Salubrious climate it was. I walked towards the La Terrasse Restaurant. Many a leaves drenched in rain waters at the pool area greeted me graciously.  The rain drops on the glass panel in the corridor that leads to the restaurant smiled at me gracefully. The pool area had the serenity of a temple. So blissful I felt……..

I ordered for a Rava Dosa and Sambar without tamarind, as I was not well due to food poisoning. The Dosa was promptly whipped up by Chef K. Vivek Kumar. Time was 6.30pm.  All the Operational Trainees were busy setting up the buffet counter. I was the only guest in the restaurant. Suddenly, I realised that my cloth napkin was not with me; when I was browsing around the buffet counter I might have placed it somewhere. Allow me to blame it on my old age...secondly, my memory is very poor.

Sitting on my chair, I looked to my left  and then to my right .....here comes the high impact touch point…Nazneen Sultana was standing close to me with the napkin in her hand ...it was folded right so that it can sit on my lap. 

For you, this may be a small transaction but for me it was a big thing.  It is the consistency in the so called small things which matters the most. So proactive she was. Quick footed gesture. Not over. I was about to tuck in my last piece of crisp Rava Dosa, I saw Nazneen coming with a finger bowl.  Yet another proactive move.

Story ends. Period.

Nazneen Sultana is a Senior Operational Trainee in the F&B service. Her father sells perfumes. That is the business he knows. No wonder, the daughter's service finesse has the fragrance of goodness. Real aromatic experience for me.

Moral of the story: Understand the feelings and perspective of the guests dining in the restaurants. At work, that is while serving the guests, you must know how to tap into your full empathic potential. Have an audit on your empathic skills. Understand the guest from his point of view. Climb inside the skin of the guest and walk around in it. Serve from the bottom of your heart.

Text & Picture:  R Kesava Mallia in Kolkata