I'm Just the Messenger

It only takes a couple of minutes to fully ruin someone's night. And watching it happen can be just as upsetting.


That's what I discovered last night on a trip to the theatre.


We arrived early. Time for a pre-theatre drink and a natter.


But within seconds of arriving in the bar, we knew something was amiss. Staff were thin on the ground, those that were there were playing an admirable game of avoiding eye contact (you know: when they deliberately look everywhere, appear alert, but yet somehow never manage to scan the room in your direction?).


And then it happened. They arrived.


At first they waited to be noticed. And waited. And waited.


Then there was the kerfuffle with whether they had booked or not. We know there was a kerfuffle because we heard the manager ask the waiter loudly, and in a tone of voice that could only be regarded as irritated, "Have they booked?"


And it would appear they had.


So they were kept waiting. And waiting.


Then the manager announced (again loudly enough for us to hear, and therefore their waiting guests) that they "were late".


The unfortunate waiter was despatched to deliver the news to the couple.


They weren't happy. But they didn't go away (as I suspect had been hoped) but waited to be seated. And waited. So the waiter deferred to the manager to "have a word" with them.


The manager, possibly understanding the difficulty of the situation, left the room. And the couple waited. And waited.


After a while, the manager came back and explained to them, forcefully, that they were late. That they couldn't have their dinner (note this is 50 minutes before the performance begins) and that she was "just the messenger".


And I wondered: who's in charge here anyway?


Have restaurants lost the ability to feed people in a 50 minute window?


After being reluctantly seated, and pushed to hurry their order (and yes, I was now watching proceedings with great attention). The couple got up and walked out.


With a flourish they stood up, whipped on their coats and loudly dragged their chairs back.


Regrettably. The manager didn't seem to care.


The couple's night was undoubtedly ruined. But more so the theatre restaurant's reputation.


We were, as you can imagine, not the only witnesses.


So, in future, if you're "just the messenger", make sure you know what message you're sending. And to whom.