The Details of Dining Out

外出吃飯的禮節

陳豪在北京的ABC美國公司工作。他在上班路上遇到了美國同事Amy。

(Office ambience)

A: How was dinner last night? Didn't you go out with upper management to entertain some new clients?

C: 沒錯，我跟老板一起請新客戶到街對面新開的餐館去吃飯，飯菜很棒，但是安排上出了一些小問題。

A: What happened?

C: 老板Mr. Brown讓我去安排。我通知了所有人，但是沒跟餐館預約，結果等了很久。

A: I'm sure that didn't go over well.

C: 能看出來，Mr. Brown很不高興。

A: Anytime you invite people to a business meal, whether the group is large or small, call the restaurant and make reservations.

C: 其實我打電話了，但是他們因為新開張，還沒有訂座的服務。

A: Did they know how many people you were bringing?

C: 我說了，一共有12個人。

A: You should have asked Mr. Brown if he wanted to choose another restaurant.

C: 我就是沒想到要換餐館。等大家到齊了，所有人都已經饑腸轆轆了。

A: When that happens, you end up with a group of cranky people. That's not good for business.

C: 是啊，下次你得好好給我講講請客吃飯時需要注意些什么。

當天下班后，陳豪和Amy有見面了。

A: What did you do while you waited for your table last night?

C: 開始的時候，服務員讓我們在門口的大廳里等。

A: Did you ask if you could wait in the bar and order everyone a drink and some hors d'oeuvres?

C: Mr. Brown很懂行，他提議先到酒吧去，還問服務員能不能給我們每人一杯免費的酒水。

A: That was the thing to do since the restaurant made a mistake in not taking a reservation for the large group. Even with reservations, if your group has to wait long time, you should politely ask for some sort of compensation.

C: 最后我們可以上桌的時候，酒還沒喝完，大多數人都自己把酒拿到了桌上。

A: You should have requested the bartender or his staff to carry the drinks, considering the kind of restaurant it was. At a casual place, you are expected to take your own.

C: 除了免費的酒水以外，不少人還點了第二杯第三杯，大家走后，我只好留在吧臺結帳。

A: Next time ask the bartender to add the bar bill to your dinner tab.

C: Amy, 你能不能最后總結一下，請客戶吃飯有哪些注意事項呢？

A: Whenever you entertain people over meals, insist on reservations. If your table is not ready, offer your guests a drink at the bar. Ask the bar staff to carry your unfinished drinks to the table and to add the bar bill to your final tab.