Alan Parry

Service is our industry!!

alanparry — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:40:55 +0000

Some days I just have to get out of the restaurant to do some work. That might sound strange for a restauranteur but I always get distracted at work, staff need to ask questions, tills need to be fixed and customers need to chat. This last point brings me to my story.

On Tuesday I decide that the distraction is too much for me, being that it’s the busiest time of year for function bookings and I am the only person who deals with this, means I have to get away from the restaurant to answer all the email enquiries. I decide to take my laptop, phone (for Internet access) and me to a cafe where I know I won’t be disturbed by any regular customers.

I arrive, at said cafe, to find only 3 tables occupied and a display of cakes to make the mouth water. One of the tables has a lady tapping away at a calculator and jotting down notes on a pad. Bliss. No disturbance here and I can stuff myself to my hearts content.

I look around to find a wait person to serve me. The only person on the floor is clearing the remnants of a table of 4, who had obviously had a an abundance of coffee and cake by the state the table was left in. A young lady in the kitchen, behind the counter area, spots me, gives me a smile and pops out of the kitchen to take my order. ‘how lovely’ I think to myself, that’s service. (by the way, if my business partner had seen her he would have run out the door quicker than you could shout boo. She had more hoops pierced in her face than an A3 ringbinder and an apron dirtier than a kids face after eating icecream with chocolate sauce)
She happily takes my order. ‘a double flat white in a tulip cup (that’s half and half to all you Coffee with The Falls fans)…. And a chocolate mud cake please’. ‘no problem’ she replies. scribbles a note down on the coffee pad and proceeds to put my order in the till.

The waitperson, who was clearing the table, slopes behind the counter, with a posture that can only be matched by the huntchback of Notre Dame, looks at the note on the pad and, with a look of utter bemusement, mutters to her colleague ‘what’s that?’. Ringbinder, looks at me out of the corner of her eye with an apologetic smile, and says ‘a double flat white in a tulip cup’. Huntchback groans ‘isn’t that the way we serve it anyway’ ringbinder tries to ignore the last comment and proceed to take my money.

I really feel for Ringbinder in this situation because, obviously, huntchback is not meant to be in this profession and the owner of said cafe just doesn’t know how to a) get rid of this rotten apple, or b) improve this persons ability to read situations and deal with them in the correct manner.

A later situation only confirms this for me. Huntchback is on it’s break, sitting at a table reading a paper with (in my opinion) an unearned coffee. The counter becomes really busy with an influx of hungry customers. Huntchback looks up at its colleagues struggling with the sudden rush of patronism and proceeds to finish reading the sports section.

This infuriates me. Every industry has an element of service, whether it be IT or cleaning the streets, if you can’t do your job with a smile or even a pretend smile then you are in the wrong job. Get out and find something else because all you are doing is 1) Making yourself unhappy by trudging through your daily tasks to earn a dollar. 2) Making everyone else around you (colleagues and workmates) unhappy too, because they have to cover for you and 3) ruining the business and the industry that I love and strive to improve in my everyday life.

To Ringbinder. Thank you for understanding the point of the industry you are in (customer’s happiness) and keep doing what you are doing. (maybe get rid of the piercings and clean the uniform)

To Huntchback, either, get another job or correct your posture, learn how to speak properly and start to understand that the ‘customer comes first’.

Great coffee experience

alanparry — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:33:01 +0000

Wow! Two days out of work and I have already been inspired to write about work. This is worth it though.

Boxing Day morning I went out with my triathlon club for our annual boxing day swim followed by breakfast and coffee in Mission Bay.

The place we tried this year was Bar Comida

and what a pleasant surprise.

First I noticed that they served Vittoria coffee (same as us at The Falls) before spotting the rest of my group gathered around a table in the corner. (18 of us in total)

Before I carry on, I need to let you know that a table of 18 people walking in off the street is massive for a restaurant to deal with. First you need to get the tables together, put water down, make menus available (which are normally spread around the rest of your customers in the restaurant) take the order for 18 people which sends the kitchen into a frenzy and then get 18 coffees to the table in a reasonable amount of time whilst still trying to keep the rest of your customers happy. The point is, it is not easy to deal with that many people without a booking.

Soon after I arrived the food started to arrive at the table, which could only have been 8-10minutes after the order was taken, all hot and eggs all cooked beautifully, runny but not raw. After seeing this I placed my order really quickly or I would have been drinking by myself at the speed everything came out.

“double shot flat white in a Tulip Cup” I asked with strange looks from the rest of the table.

The waiter needed clarification and a minute later showed me 2 cups to choose from. After choosing the tulip cup he quickly went to sorting my coffee out.

My coffee arrived shortly after ordering (before most others, much to the annoyance of my friends J) and what a beautiful full flavoured coffee it was. Not too bitter but enough bite to tell me it was a double shot, smooth crema still intact on top and warm enough to sit on for a few minutes but not so hot it burns your lips when you try to take a sip.

At this point I decided to have the big breakfast (to refuel after a hard swim…… Yeah right!) A few minutes later a full plate with poached eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom and toast arrived much to my delight. Another coffee was in order “same again please?” Another coffee arrived a few minutes later with that same great full flavour and crema to die for.

The breakfast was great and cleared a few minutes later.

The only complaint from the day was that the larger coffees took a quite some time to arrive at the table and this I can understand as it can be hard when everyone in the group orders bowl latte.

The experience I had on Saturday was enough for me to write this review, but wait, there is more. On Sunday I left home at 9am for my bike ride into Mission Bay to meet up with the rest of the club members riding on Sunday. The others arrived in Mission bay, took a seat at Bar Comida and I joined them a few minutes later. Soon after I sat down I looked around for someone to order my coffee from and the waiter from the day before was standing beside me. “I’ll have…” “Double shot flat white in a Long Black cup” he said.

Now… not only was I shocked but the rest of the group ‘s jaws dropped as well. That is service for you.

Maybe it’s just that I have a very funny order that sticks in a waiters brain but remembering my coffee really impressed me and made me feel really special for the rest of the morning, even when I was being punished on all the hills all the way home.

Thank you Bar Comida for a very pleasurable experience and I will be back.

Great Dance from year 2011 of Bell Baxter High School

alanparry — Thu, 12 May 2011 12:21:12 +0000

Looking at this video makes me wonder how technology is advancing even more.

Looking at our old school ties and school halls involved in a YouTube hit gives me goose bumps.

http://youtu.be/k_881KKfHCY

This is great to see everyone get involved, teachers, principals and students alike.

Well done Bell Baxter for helping to produce such great relationships between my friends and I as well as all of the friendships I can see have developed in this year.

Kiwi chef runs highest restaurant in the world – Totaltravel – The Falls Restaurant#

alanparry — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:27:25 +0000

From fish n chips to caviar, a kiwi chef is running the highest restaurant in the world.

burj khalifa, dubai

In superlative-laden Dubai, At.Mosphere is now the highest restaurant in the world at 422 dizzying metres above the earth on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world.

Executive chef, Dwayne Cheer, started his illustrious career in a fish and chip shop in Waitarere beach, south of Foxton, before heading to the big smoke of Wellington. He’s worked with Peter Thornley and Rex Morgan on his 15-year culinary journey to Dubai via Sydney and London.

But as of last weekend this kiwi bloke is whipping up delicacies for the world’s rich and famous, rulers and kings who are about to frequent this the newest, tallest, and quite possibly most expensive, restaurant in the world.

At.Mosphere, is located halfway up the nearly one kilometre high skyscraper (828m to be precise) and boasts 360-degree views and cuisine to dent your wallet. Expect Wagyu beef and caviar, Maine lobster and more caviar, hopefully some New Zealand lamb (and Hokey Pokey ice cream), and expect a coffee to cost $12.50.

Yes it’s guaranteed to be a bit spendy, but you are promised to feel special, and that’s all that matters isn’t it?

via nz.totaltravel.yahoo.com

This is a great story. I love the fact he started in a fish shop;)

via thefallsnz.posterous.com

Kelly Slater Top 10 waves of 2010

alanparry — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:42:37 +0000

This just makes me want to learn to surfJ

http://www.youtube.com/v/-aBJxYxo1HU&hl=en&fs=1

Homeless man w/golden radio voice in Columbus, OH (Update-FINAL)

alanparry — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:36:57 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/v/uTysXITBCmk&hl=en&fs=1

Amazing comments afterward:)

THE GERMAN ARTISTS ARE AT IT AGAIN

alanparry — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:27:05 +0000

720 DUNK!! Best Quality…

alanparry — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:34:14 +0000

Check out this video on YouTube:

Kind regards

Alan Parry
The Falls Restaurant
09 835 0076

Message sent from handheld device.

Wisdom

alanparry — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:12:58 +0000

Thanks Suzaine for some more words of wisdom.

WISDOM FROM TRAINING MANUALS

‘If the enemy is in range, so are you.’
- Infantry Journal-

‘It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.’
- US.Air Force Manual -

‘Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword, obviously never encountered automatic weapons.’
- General MacArthur -

‘Tracers work both ways.’
- Army Ordnance Manual-

‘Five second fuses last about three seconds.’
- Infantry Journal -

‘Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once.’
- Naval Ops Manual -

‘Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.’
- Unknown Infantry Recruit-

‘If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up to him.’
- Infantry Journal-

‘Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil.  For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.’
- Sign over SR71 Wing Ops-

‘You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost at Mach 3.’
- Paul F. Crickmore (SR71 test pilot)-

‘The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.’
-Unknown Author-

‘If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage it has to be a helicopter — and therefore, unsafe.’
- Fixed Wing Pilot-

‘When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.’
-Multi-Engine Training Manual-

‘Without ammunition, the Air Force is just an expensive flying club.’
-Unknown Author-

‘If you hear me yell;”Eject, Eject, Eject!”, the last two will be echos.’
If you stop to ask “Why?”, you’ll be talking to yourself, because by then you’ll be the pilot.’
-Pre-flight Briefing from a Canadian F104 Pilot-

‘What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots?
If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; but If ATC screws up, …. the pilot dies.’
-Sign over Control Tower Door-

‘Never trade luck for skill.’
-Author Unknown-

The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in military aviation are:’Did you feel that?’ ‘What’s that noise?’ and’Oh S…!’
-Authors Unknown-

‘Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight.’
-Basic Flight Training Manual-

‘Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it..’
- Emergency Checklist-

‘The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world;  it can just barely kill you.’
- Attributed to Max Stanley ( Northrop test pilot) -

‘There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime.’
-Sign over Squadron Ops Desk at Davis-Montham AFB , AZ-

‘You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal.’ - Lead-in Fighter Training Manual -

As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives.  The rescuer sees the bloodied pilot and asks,’What happened?’
The pilot’s reply: ‘I don’t know, I just got here myself!’

Dogs have owners;

Cats have staff !!

Talk from the Animals

alanparry — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:42:37 +0000