The Good Customer

~The Gates of Ramen Heaven~

As you saunter pass the red curtains outside entrance…. you can’t help but wonder, why are all these people standing on the street? What is it? Why are they waiting?. It’s ramen! Throughout the years there have been a number of Japanese noodle places popping up all over the city of Vancouver. But Kintaro has stood the test of time… being one of the older establishments, it still boasts a line up during the meal hours every day.

Waiting for food usually deters me from visiting a food establishment. But unable to shake my intense craving for ramen, I gave in and made my way down to this institution during lunch hour, on a weekend, no less…. Yikes!

While waiting in line, one of the servers came out and started passing out menus to the customers. As you progress in the line, the server then comes to take your order. When you get a table and sit down, your food arrives shortly thereafter. Excellent! I love efficiency!

I applaud Kintaro for making the “line-up” process as painless as possible. Getting in the orders of the customers waiting in line speeds up the turnover in tables. Customers spend less time at the tables therefore customers waiting spend less time in line. What more can we ask for?

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Cubana Torta~

~Choriqueso Torta~

 

Ok Ok …. sorry, no tequila here… I just wanted your attention. But boy, do we have tortas!  A fairly new establishment in Vancouver… new kid on the the block in Cambie Village. It had been on my list of places to try… and yesterday was that day – my inaugural visit to Las Tortas. This rather small establishment caters to both take-out and dine-in customers with 5 small tables. Upon entering we were greeted by the friendly counter person. She asked if we had been there before. When we told her “no”, she explained to us the ordering procedure.

Step 1: Take a paper bag and marker

Step 2: Write your name on the top of the bag; indicate if this order is for take-out or dine-in; mark your food choice(s)

Step 3: Hand over paper bag to counter staff; pay for order

Step 4: Wait for name to be called; collect order (in your paper bag) from counter

I noticed that almost every customer that walked in proceeded to the counter to make an order. Couldn’t help but think how tiresome it is for the staff to repeat the ordering process over and over again. Although a cute and novel idea, I question it’s feasibility.

Things I considered….. What are we trying to save here?  We ate in the restaurant. The restaurant requests that you use 1 paper bag per person. The bag itself is of substantial size (I guess it’s size is dictated by the size of the menu).  After receiving my torta in my paper bag I found my sandwich wrapped in wax butcher paper. Lots of paper was discarded.  Does it expedite the customer line? If you have any questions about the menu, you would have to inquire at the counter. Time at counter does not seem to be minimized.

Advantages: Great idea for take-out orders. DIY ordering is a unique idea. Errors with meal orders are reduced as they are prepared according to YOUR order bag.

Disadvantages: Lots of paper for dine-in customers. Time consuming. Direct ordering makes it easier to ask questions.

Order Station

Popularity: 10% [?]

~OOODLES of people love noodles!~

I’m not usually one to wait in line for food…. but in order to satisfy a ramen craving… we headed over to Richmond to try our luck at getting a table at none other than Gyoza King’s G-Men Ramen Shop. Because we arrived 20 minutes after it opened, we only had to wait 15 minutes for a table. Excellent! Staff are efficient as usual. I had a question about the item I wanted to order. When I asked the server about it, she informed me that it was not offered during lunch hours. I was satisfied with that answer but she still proceeded to answer my question and describe the dish. I appreciated the extra minute she took to explain the dish to me, even though it was not available. My customer experience level went from “satisfied” to “great”. This establishment is crazy busy, but from what I have observed… the staff seemed to be calm, collective, and courteous.

Cute interior!

Popularity: 52% [?]

 

This was my second visit to Stella’s on Cambie in Vancouver.  http://stellasbeer.com/cambie/

We did not have reservations but the hostess was very pleasant and offered us a seat in their lounge while we waited. The wait staff at the bar were super friendly. As we were sitting there enjoying our cocktails, I couldn’t help but notice that almost every staff member that walked by us tried to make eye contact and smile. Nice! So often when I visit a busy restaurant, I feel invisible because all the servers are rushing around. It was obvious that almost every one of Stella’s staff try to make an effort to acknowledge their customers and anticipate their needs. Also noticed that there was no shortage of personnel working for the size of restaurant. Nothing more frustrating than trying to flag down restaurant staff with no avail or to wonder… hmmm, where is our server? are they on a break? or have they gone home for the day?  Did not encounter any of these issues here. Our server offered EXCELLENT service from beginning to end. 

Kudos to Stella’s!                                                                                                                 

 

Conclusion: More staff = Better Customer Service?                                           

Popularity: 1% [?]

~The sum of "all good"~

Such great Chinese restaurants in Greater Vancouver. I often wish that the food quality was on par with their service. I have seriously stopped pining for good service in these types of restaurants. Recently I made a visit to EMPIRE CHINESE RESTAURANT in Richmond, BC. First, not having to wait for a table is like having the gates of heaven open up. We were seated, served tea, and proceeded to order. Nothing exciting in terms of service. However there is not much service that can be offered after the food is brought to the table. Or is there? Maybe after visiting countless Chinese restaurants I have been conditioned to expect less? I found myself looking around to the other tables; the other customers… everyone looked happy enough. No disgruntled customers to be seen. Although I did witness some unpleasant customer behaviour. It’s a challenge to be a “good customer” in a restaurant with a constant cacophony of clanging dishes and chatter. In this situation it is sometimes necessary to be a “loud customer”. Perhaps the personnel have been conditioned to the behaviours of their customers and have adopted an attitude of indifference? I was on my way out the door feeling yet again unmoved with the customer service when not one, but TWO of the personnel looked me in the eye and said “thank you”. And I think I may have caught a glimpse of a smile. Wow! It’s amazing how 2 little words can change one’s experience. From being unmoved I now felt good… felt good about visiting the restaurant, felt good about spending my money there, and felt good enough to write about my experience. Low expectations or good experience? You decide.

Dim sum goodness + “thank you” = the sum of “all good”

Popularity: 1% [?]