A few weeks ago I asked where all of the good customer service guys had gone? I lamented the lack of a customer-service oriented mentality in south Italy and wondered how businesses could remain open with the attitude they have towards their customers.

Well today, I have that answer.

photo credit: Gudlyf

But before we get to that … I have a back story.

There is a steak house in Beaumont my family frequents as often as possible. They have great steaks, great sides and according to my cousin, Angelique, great fajitas-although I leave my Tex-Mex to the professionals.

One day seven or eight of my family members met there for lunch. Since my husband and I had a lunch date a few hours later with friends, we skipped the meal. We didn’t, however, skip the company and we joined them towards the end of their meal for a chat.

It was about that time my mother noticed a hair (eek!) in her plate. She didn’t complain, just pushed it back and continued talking. The ever-attentive server noticed, asked her about it and immediately apologized and offered to bring her a replacement dish.

She was finished anyway, she said, and insisted she wasn’t upset.

A few minutes later, the manager appeared.

“I’m so sorry, Ma’am (we are in Texas, remember!),” he said.

“Are you sure you don’t want a replacement?”

When she refused, he made another offer.

“We’d like to offer you all desserts-on the house!”

Well my family never met a dessert they didn’t like and they were thrilled with this customer service gesture.

“And what kind would you like?’ He asked, looking at my husband and me.

“Oh no. We didn’t even eat here,” I said apologetically. “We just came in to see them for a few minutes.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You are here now. What can I bring you?”

—

And that dining moment-at The Cattle Company restaurant in Beaumont, Texas-became the standard by which we measured all other customer service experiences.

And no one has ever matched them.

Until now.

Fast-forward three or four years and 6,000 miles to last Tuesday, November 17-the night of our 2nd anniversary.

We chose Carn & Vino in Catanzaro Lido-and if that name sounds familiar to you, it is because I’ve written of them before.

The restaurant has more elegance and class than any restaurant I’ve been to in southern Italy and the chef is among the most creative I’ve seen-anywhere.

But Tuesday night, I did not choose wisely.

Among the list of primi plates was a cocoa pasta dish, made with Gorgonzola cheese and topped with shredded black truffles.

Although I wasn’t sure if I liked truffles, with their strong, earthy scent and matching flavor, I thought I’d give it a try.

Now I know.

I don’t like truffles.

I picked at the plate and with the antipasto we’d shared and the quickly-diminishing bottle of wine, I was fine.

The owner stopped by the table.

“You didn’t like it?” He asked me.

My husband jumped in to help. “It was really just the truffles. They are too strong for her. She just didn’t choose well.”

Thanks, honey … .

The owner took my plate.

A few minutes later he returned.

“The chef is making you something else,” he told me.

“Oh no,” I insisted. “I’m ok. I’m not even hungry anymore.”

About that time, my husband asked him about the dessert options.

He chose homemade tiramisu. I chose panna cotta with frutti di bosco topping.

We finished our desserts and proceeded to the front of the restaurant.

“The desserts were compliments of the chef,” the owner told us.

We chatted briefly with the chef, thanked him profusely and left.

In the car my husband looked at the receipt and noticed that not only had the chef offered dessert, but the owner had removed my plate from the bill.

We were shocked.

We had finally found a restaurant whose customer service rivals our favorite steak house back home in Texas, and we found it in the most unusual place.

In another favorite steak house … in our new backyard.

Have you had any good customer service stories lately? Please share!

 

photo credit: Pudpuduk

 
I have to admit, it can be a little intimidating to walk into a new restaurant, in a new city, in a foreign country. You may or may not speak the language and although it is probably your overactive imagination- you are sure half of the room just turned to stare as you walked through the door.
 
Your foreign status is stamped on your forehead and you’d give anything to know what to expect.
 
I know. I’ve been there.
 
Last week we discussed Eating Out in Southern Italy-Who Pays What and When and we had some fun comments. This week we are tackling the menu.
 
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you have already gotten the scoop on the four basic types of restaurants you’ll find in Italy-but you might not know exactly what is expected of you once you are there.
 
So, here is the deal.
 
Pizzerie
 
At pizzerias in Italy, each person orders a personal pizza and the group usually orders stuzzicherie-some type of appetizer to split among the group, usually french fries, mozzarella balls, meatballs, etc. Drinks are sometimes split, as well with the waiter bringing a few bottles of water and beer to the table for the group to share. Children’s items aren’t usually on the menu, so feel free to ask for a child-size pizza for your kiddos.
 
Paninoteche
 
Paninoteche, or restaurants that served grilled sandwiches, operate like pizzerias. Everyone chooses their own sandwich (or if you are like my husband, your own sandwich, or two, or sometimes three) and shares appetizers. I was interested to notice that if you order a sandwich and fries, they’ll bring the fries first-like an appetizer, then follow up with the sandwich.
 

photo credit: avlxyz

 
Trattorie and Ristorante
 
Trattorie are essentially low-cost restaurants that serve authentic food from their area or region, but when it comes to ordering your meal-they’re basically the same.
 
On the menu, you’ll notice sections for Antipasto, or appetizers, Primi, or first plates and Secondi, second plates. It is generally expected you will order at least two of these-like an antipasto and primo or a primo and secondo. Some Italians order all three and many waiters will encourage you to do so. But don’t feel pressured-99% of the time I go out, I only order a first plate. Depending on the restaurant’s specialty, my husband might get a first and second plate or we might share an antipasto.
 
Remember when you are planning your meals in southern Italy that lunch and dinner are served later than in the states. People don’t generally start lunch until at least 1:00, and some restaurants don’t even open their doors before 8:00 at night. Most places will add a per-person cover charge to your bill, you aren’t expected to tip and you can usually hang out after your meal as long as you want … and by all means, don’t threaten the owner.
 
What are some of the best things you have noticed about eating out in Italy? How is it different from eating out in your home country?
 

 

photo credit: tore_urnes

 
An Italian friend of mine was recently at a pizzeria in Naples and caught the following scene …
 
The restaurant owner, a stocky, slightly-above-middle-aged man from Naples took the bill to a table of about 20 Americans.
 
“Can you divide the check for us?” the American spokesman asks.
 
The owner whips out a calculator, enters the total amount and counts the heads at the table. “It is ‘X-amount’ per person,” he says.
 
“No,” the American insists. “Not like that.” He motions around the table.
 
“Each person needs his own bill.”
 
The pizzaiolo is agitated. “I can’t do that,” he says. “I don’t remember what each person ate.”
 
A heated exchange ensues between the pizzaiolo and the American tourist, with the American ending his tirade with, “Fine. I’ll call the police.”
 
The restaurant owner turns his back on the table, raises both hands above his head and swings around like a batter wildly swinging at a fast-pitched ball. “YOU CALL THE POLICE,” he screams as knocks the American tourist to the floor.
 
At this point in the story, my friend laughs and picks up his beer, clearly signaling the story’s end.
 
“But wait,” I told him. “What happened next?”
 
“The Americans paid the bill.”
 

photo credit: mararie

 
This, my fellow Americans, is a prime example of what NOT to do at a restaurant in southern Italy. These tourists made the mistake of assuming restaurants in Italy operate the same way as the restaurants they visit back home.
 
In America, people are usually presented with a bill for the food they consumed. If I have a salad and glass of wine, I’ll pay less than someone who eats steak and has three cocktails.
 
In southern Italy, the group is presented with one final bill. They divide that by the number of people at the table and each person pays an equal amount. So if I go to lunch with three of my friends and our bill is €45, we’ll each pay €15, regardless of whose meal cost more.
 
There is debate here in Calabria about which way is better. Some people think the American way is rude and insulting, while others appreciate the fact that friends aren’t excluded from a night out-just because they are counting their centesimi.
 
Regardless of what you are used to, it is important to know the dining culture for the area you are visiting so you won’t feel out of place, embarrass yourself-or as in the case of these Americans in Naples-embarrass your countrymen.
 
But what do you think? Do you prefer to get your personal bill for the food you ordered or would you rather split the bill in even numbers?
 
Be sure to come back next Monday for Eating Out in Southern Italy, Part 2.