Restaurant Service: No Hurry

Restaurant diners who have felt the cold breath of a waiter trying to hurry them along may take comfort from a new study from Cornell University. Breffni Noone and Sheryl Kimes, professors at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, conclude in the study that service can be so fast that it backfires on restaurant owners. Customers who feel rushed during the middle of a meal may be less likely to return or recommend the restaurant to others, Kimes says. The study asked 270 participants to recall a recent restaurant experience at which they felt rushed. What some found irritating: the main course coming during or quickly after the appetizer course, hovering servers, dishes being removed too early, water glasses not being refilled or the check coming too early. It's a difficult balancing act for restaurant owners in a highly competitive business. "The more tables they turn, the more checks they can write and the more tips for the server," says Bonnie Knutson, professor of marketing at Michigan State University's School of Hospitality Business. Customer dissatisfaction with being rushed depends on the type of restaurant and the amount of money spent, says John Fischer, assistant professor at the Culinary Institute of America. Customers want to relax at fine-dining establishments but often may prefer quick service at a casual restaurant, says Fischer, whose book, At Your Service, is published in August. Gus DiMillo, a partner in three Washington, D.C., restaurants, says they aim to turn a table over at least twice between 5:30 and 11:30 p.m. He says two-person tables usually take about 1 1/2 hours, and larger parties two hours. But, he says, his restaurants don't rush customers because, "You can't develop loyalty when you do that." Speeding up one phase of a meal can pay off, says Cornell's Kimes. "Once a customer asks for a check, do it as quickly as possible."