EAT WINE

You know the place. The IT spot of the moment. The architecture is innovative and dazzling. There's usually a view. The furniture and interior design are slick (bathrooms always are the litmus test for coolness). The waiters are dressed to kill. So what's missing? Oh right, the food is mediocre. That can be forgiven. The service though is lacking. Why is this always the last on the list when it should be the first? If it sucks, you will never, ever be back.

Case in point, my husband and I headed out to celebrate our first wedding anniversary at a new darling resto in Vitacura that has been getting all these rave reviews for being "renewed" Chilean cuisine. Everything looks great. We sit down. 5, 10, 15 minutes go by. No waiter, no menus, nor a clear idea, with all the people in black and white aprons milling around, which of those guys may be "ours". When we finally sussed that out, dinner came with no problem (including the proverbial ritual of opening the wine, that night a phenomenonal Alfa Spiga 2003 from O. Fournier in Spain we had pulled from the Cav). I wasn't pysched about the food to be honest. It was okay although the flavors seemed muted (as in covered by excess oil or cream and lack of salt to flavor correctly), not as clear as they could have been. It also wasn't totally renewed old school as it had been billed--more, I-played- with-lots-of-local-foodstuffs, which is fine, just not what the expectations prepare you for. After asking for our check (3 times and counting), we get the bill and I was a little taken back that the charge for the corkage was twice that quoted over phone (A LOT for Chile!). When asked to consult, the waiter comes back and says "sorry, it's in the system and we cannot change it". I asked if he could please send the manager. He was "busy". Ok, let's pay and go. After that experience (the night itself was lovely--it was our anniversary!), I started asking myself why we repeatedly have this experience here in Chile. It doesn't happen on the other side in Argentina. Never. Not even once. What's up with the service here?

I started to quiz people on why they though service here is lackluster--Chileans, expats, high, middle, lower class. I got a variety of answers and mixed with my own personal experiences it seems to boil down to a few items.

--Waitstaff here is not only underpaid but underappreciated. The snooty upper classes and nuevos ricos (new rich) "look down" on probably one of society's most important jobs--that of being a waiter and "serving" others (they read it as "servant"). Thus, generally speaking in Chile it is not seen as a chance to humbly and nobly put someone else before yourself but more as a less-than-desirable position that you should never work in unless you have to. this obviously causes some dynamics like: not feeling like it's necessary to take pride in your job; not putting the client first; and then you actually do get these obnoxious people who feel, because you are a waiter, they can toss dirt on you and treat you like a page. Go to Argentina, or LA, and that waiter could be a medical student, an actor (starving or not), anyone looking to hussle to make some more money. And there's great respect for them and their job.

--As the waitstaff rotation fluctuates a lot, there are few establishments that really invest in training (and retaining) their people, even in basic things like what's on the menu. The best service I have consistently had in Santiago is at Akarana next to the Ritz. Now, fair enough, the owner Dell Taylor, is a gringa from New Zealand and is on site a lot of the time. In the countryside, I find that Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza does a great job too. Juan y Medio on Route 5 has hands down the fastest service with the biggest, sweet smile form those gals. It's an ex-trucker stop with amazing rustic food. Oh, darn, the last two are out of the city. Other places in Santiago with good service: Liguria, Bar Nacional, Japon (at the sushi bar) and Aguaviva.

--The overwhelming attitude also of "what do you want" vs. "how can I help you" is subtle but noticeable. It is being bothered by a client versus stopping, putting yourself and your ego/needs aside to help someone else (who is paying you). I just read a compelling book on customer service for our own business, Super Service (cheesy title, good content), and it aimed at that. Working with people; putting their needs first; anticipating their needs; attention to detail; going beyond what's expected because you want to; ultimately giving love--and taking pride not only in what you do but how you do it. It says a lot. And you know, you reap what you sow. On my errands today, I started looking around at how people are treated each other in general in downtown Santiago in social settings: at the phone company, standing in line at the bank, on the metro. More of the same me, me, me customer service (or lack there of). Maybe it's how Chilean society envisions service and itself on a larger level--but then I get out in the countryside, or to Patagonia, and it falls off. So maybe it's Santiago. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? (Yes, this is a referral to Ferris Bueller...)