I have a question for you, dear readers.  I want to know who is crazy here.  There are big changes afoot at the pizza place.  We’ve hired a guy to come in and, well, basically “fix” everything.  Technically he is there for marketing, but he has also firmly established himself in all areas of the restaurant, including the kitchen.

Last evening, he came into the kitchen while we were making food, and he told me to go out and chat up the customers while they were eating.  To ask how their food was, if they had any suggestions or ideas, and to smile a lot and, in my opinion, bug the heck out of them.

I didn’t flat out refuse, but I did call another worker over, told him to go talk to customers, and then went in the back to do dishes, avoiding the situation as much as possible.  A few moments later, my co-worker returned and informed us that he had not spoken to the customer because the guy had just started eating his food and was reading a newspaper and didn’t look like he wanted to be disturbed.  Exactly.

When I go out to eat, I am quite happy for my waiter or waitress to come over and ask how things are.  That is their job.  However, on those occasions when some other random person comes over to talk to me, I get super annoyed.  The waitress has just come to check on you, you are taking a bite of food, or talking to your friends or date or whatever, and some smiley obnoxious manager comes over and asks how everything is.  I usually say “fine,” and then ignore them as hard as I can, hoping they will leave, because it’s just uncomfortable.  I have nothing to say to this person, and they are interrupting my meal.  In fact, if I know it is a place where the manager frequently comes over to chat up customers, I will probably avoid it if I can.

I said all of this last night, and I was told that I was in the extreme minority, and that almost everyone loves it when the manager comes over and starts a conversation with them in the middle of their meal, because it shows a personal touch and they feel welcomed, or whatever.  I will admit that I don’t know what the general public thinks of this, because it is not something I have ever discussed.

So am I crazy?  What do you think?

Do You:

I really would like to know.  I don’t want to go around bothering folks, but if people really do love it when random strangers start quizzing them mid-chew, then by golly I will give the public what it wants!  Let me know.  Thanks!