posted
Last week we took some friends out to a new restaurant, >>> > > and >>> > > noticed that the waiter who took our >>> > > order carried a spoon >>> > > in his shirt pocket. It seemed a >>> > > little strange, but I ignored it. >>> > > However, when the busboy brought out >>> > > water and utensils, I >>> > > noticed he also had a spoon in his >>> > > shirt pocket. >>> > > >>> > > I then looked around the room and saw >>> > > that all the staff >>> > > had spoons in their pocket. When the >>> > > waiter came back to >>> > > serve our soup I asked: "Why the >>> > > spoon?" >>> > > >>> > > "Well," he explained, "the >>> > > restaurant's owners hired Anderson >>> > > consulting, experts in efficiency, in >>> > > order to revamp all our processes. >>> > > After several months of statistical >>> > > analysis, they concluded that >>> > > customers drop their spoons 73.84 >>> > > percent more often than any >>> > > other utensil. This represents a drop >>> > > frequency of approximately >>> > > 3 spoons per table per hour. If our >>> > > personnel is prepared to deal >>> > > with that contingency, we can reduce >>> > > the number of trips back to >>> > > the kitchen and save 1.5 man-hours per >>> > > shift." >>> > > >>> > > As luck would have it I dropped my >>> > > spoon and he was able to >>> > > replace it with his spare spoon. >>> > > "I'll get another spoon next time I >>> > > go to the kitchen instead of making an >>> > > extra trip to get it right now." >>> > > I was rather impressed. >>> > > >>> > > The waiter served our main course and >>> > > I continued to look around. >>> > > I then noticed that there was a very >>> > > thin string hanging out of the >>> > > waiter's fly. Looking around, I >>> > > noticed that all the waiters had the >>> > > same string hanging from their flys. >>> > > >>> > > My curiosity got the better of me and >>> > > before he walked off, I asked the >>> > > waiter "Excuse me, but can you tell me >>> > > why you have that string right >>> > > there?" >>> > > >>> > > "Oh, certainly!" he answered, lowering >>> > > his voice. "Not everyone is as >>> > > observant as you. That consulting firm >>> > > I mentioned, also found out that >>> > > we can save time in the restroom." >>> > > >>> > > "How so?" >>> > > >>> > > "See," he continued, "by tying this >>> > > string to the tip of you know . . . we >>> > > can pull it out over the urinal >>> > > without touching it and that way eliminate >>> > > the need to wash the hands, shortening >>> > > the time spent in the restroom >>> > > by 76.39 percent." >>> > > >>> > > "Okay, that makes sense, but . . . if >>> > > the string helps you get it out, how >>> > > do you put it back in?" >>> > > >>> > > "Well," he whispered, lowering his >>> > > voice even further, "I don't know about >>> > > the others, but I use the spoon." >>> > > > > Posts: 3134 | From: Ramsey, MN
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