The other night at work I was asked a question that I evidently had an unacceptable answer for. It's a question that I've been asked several times, by men and women. Doesn't matter who asks, my answer is exactly the same. Here's the question - you can figure out the gender flop on your own:
Q: What nights are the best nights to come here and meet eligible men?
Really? Yes. Really. I thought that I was answering this question honestly and politely. Really? Yes. Really. Here's my answer - you can figure out the gender flop on your own:
A: Actually we get a nice range of people/ages pretty much all the time here - there isn't really one night that's heavier on gender than any other night...
I said that because I find it to be true. The person asking the question seemed to take offense to my answer and remarked to the effect of, if I was answering as non-specifically as that, they weren't likely to return. As if I were working in some privately stocked pond and knew what the fish were biting on any given day, when in fact...I don't and I don't.
There might be such a pond, with an employee who knows exactly what the fish are biting on at any given moment. I mean, there has to be right? Shouldn't someone take the mystery out of it in the new millennium? I dunno - I mean, what's in your tackle box? If you're coming to fish, I'd think you'd want to be prepared for all kinds of things. If the guy working the counter at the bait shop says the fish are hitting night crawlers, then by all means - get you some night crawlers. The fellas are hittin' the low cut tops tonight ma'am, which is kinda odd since short skirts and slurred speech was working really well earlier in the week. Tonight the ladies seem to be taking chivalry and good listening skills, yesterday it was all brawn and gold chains...excessive cologne? Nope, they're not hitting that today.
I didn't think my answer was anything but honest - and it just so happens that I like the nice mix of people who come into where I work. I'm not really offering advice, but if I were, I'd say come for the food, the drink, the atmosphere we have - let the rest take care of itself. I can tell you what nights of the week we have great deals on things like pizza, beer and wine - and I can be very specific.
The notion of coming into any place for something other than what the place does with food, drink and atmosphere is a bit foreign to me. To me, my outlook is that if I go in looking to try the food and drink, who knows...I could meet a nice lady...or I could be with a friend or two and leave with all of us having had a pleasant experience.
The person who asked this question told me I was assuming they were there to pick up someone. Not at all. I thought I was doing my best to answer honestly - and I would hope that my honest answer wouldn't be a disappointment to anyone. We're just not a place where one night favors eligible ladies or men. Nor do we have kids eat free night. "I'm ten and this here's my sister - she's 16 and she just got her driver's license. We'd like a table for two please...what's that you say? Kids eat for FREE tonight? That's awesome, because neither one of us has any money on us!"
In my job, I play a part in what I hope is a very favorable dining experience. That's what I hope people return for, tell their friends about and leave feeling good about. Was I supposed to answer a question like that in the following manner:
A: Well if you'll just take a minute to fill out this questionnaire that we've compiled, I'll tell you the exact night you need to come here - with or without your appetite and/or friends, and I can seat you by those who would be a compatible match for you...
You want I should post Twitter alerts when we're filled up with single ladies or dudes? It's not really that kind of party. Don't get me wrong, on any given night the ratio could be swayed heavily in either direction, sometimes even both. It's not like I look at those nights when they end thinking, "well, whaddya know, everyone left happy tonight, paired off just like they're supposed to." What we do is our best to make sure that everyone leaving is leaving with the best possible experience we could give them by way of these kinds of things: Drink, food, hospitality and service. We strive to do that regardless of what the ratio is.
If I had an answer that specifically addressed the question of eligible men or women, I'd certainly give it up. I don't have an answer to that question. It could've been last night...or the night before. Then again, it could be tomorrow night...or the night after. In my line of work people often say that you can't make everyone happy. While that's true, it's also true that in my business we give everyone the same chance to be happy. I shared this experience with my superiors that night, because I was genuinely shocked that an answer as honest and polite - and the only answer I have any time I'm asked this kind of question, would be taken with the offense that it seemed to be taken. I like what I do when I'm at work. I like the very notion of giving everyone the chance to be happy. Cheers.
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