A China Experience

I went to lunch with a group of 4 other people today at the Japanese restaurant in Times Square today and had one of those funny `China Experinces'.

A China Experience is something that you really don't believe would possibly happen (and wouldn't in most parts of the world) until you see it in person.

We all ordered and as usual the tea flowed quickly and as usual the food started to arrive in a trickle (the Chinese restaurant business do not understand the concept of serving all meals at the same time).

Fairly soon everyone had their food except for me. After a few more minutes Johnathon asked the waitress (in his excellent Manadarin) where my meal was. After she left (saying that she would check) Johnathon told us a funny story about once he waited a long time for his meal and asked the waiter to check on it. By chance where he was sitting Johnathon could watch where the waiter went. Apparantly he walked in the general direction of the kitchen and then stood behind a column. After standing there for a minute, he walked back to the table to tell Johnathon the food was coming.

After hearing this Henning thought it would be a laugh to test it out. Since the waitress we asked never returned we asked a waiter where my food was, he said to wait a minute and he will check. Henning got up and basically followed him. Henning returned in a few seconds and said that this waiter walked to the center of the restaurant and then stood next to a pole!

He returned a minute later and said that it was on its way! We all had a laugh and then had to ask the manager to find the food! She returned with the food, so I finally got to eat (and as usual the food was excellent).

We discussed the physchology of why these wait staff would tell you they will check and then come back and simply lie to your face that the food was coming when they didn't have a clue that the order was even in the kitchen. No one seemed to know the real reason, but the general concensus (from the longer term expats) was they are simply lazy. They don't get paid enough to really care if my food was delivered or not. They will do what they need to do, but no more.

I think it also boils down to the fact that in China no one wants to accept responsibility. Possibly by being asked to check in the kitchen where my food was, that person would have been forced to take resbonsibility for fixing the situation - that was either finding where my food was or finding the order that the chefs hadn't prepared (and face their wrath) and then having to report back to me (and potentially face my wrath). Thats a lot of hassle when he could pretend to care, go stand next to the pole and come back later (hopefully after my food has been delivered). Does any 25 year old guy getting paid 2000RMB ($US250) a month care if the laowei gets his food or not? Not likely.

Tags: Shanghai China Restaurant Service