Sat, 20 March 2010
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Gwendolyn Alston wonders if good and personalised service in Spanish restaurants is a thing of the past and attempts to explain the diverse service culture in Spain.One would think that in these difficult economic times, more attention would be paid to ensuring that restaurant and bar customers be coddled and cared for—no one can afford to lose a customer.
However, in my recent experience, this is not the case.
What I have seen lately in my incursions, even to some of my favorite places, is a downturn in customer attention. And in Spain, where the service ethic, compared to what we understand as service in the United States, is more often than not slipshod or even outright rude, this is saying something.
Don’t get me wrong. This is not an across-the-board statement.
In the time I have spent visiting and living in Spain, my experience of service in restaurants and bars has been quite diverse. From the classic Spanish waiter, cloth napkin hanging over his arm, who started working at the age of 17 and may continue in the same place, or neighborhood until he retires, to the wait staff on the coasts who are doing you a favor when they take your order. In between, I have enjoyed plenty of excellent service, especially in Madrid bars.
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