Service

Having eaten out quite a bit the last couple of weeks I've been thinking about the kind of service you get and how it varies.  Often I find that the quirky service is far more interesting than what I've eaten.
Take my recent experience at a wedding reception.  Being a restaurant of some note they were apparently reluctant to leave water jugs on the tables, choosing rather to roam the room replenishing peoples rapidly diminishing glasses.  Nothing wrong with this in theory, as who knows what disaster could befall guest left to their own refilling devices.  What did intrigue me however was the insistence of my waitress.  If I declined a top up she cast an incredulous look and said "Are you sure?".  The first time I just politely declined again and thought nothing of it.  By the third time I was concerned.  Why was this girl so darn worried?  Did I look parched?  Does she think I haven't thought this through? Its not like I'm running a marathon here.  It doesn't take much effort to digest salmon and figure out a way to steal your neighbours dinner chocolate.
My brother James also had an encounter with diligent service.  He and I were attending a cricket game with a few mates and James volunteered to go to the canteen for pies, a job that required a few trips.  Now James is a big fella, and our concerned service lady thought that he had just consumed 9 pies and was coming back for more.  "Don't you think you've had enough?" she volunteered disapprovingly.  "Its not all for me," he protested but I don't think Jenny Craig bought it.
Perhaps the funniest service incidents occur when you try something new.  Renae and I tried Yum Cha with a friend recently and were shocked to see our custard tart divided with a pair of stationery scissors.  Ok then.  If you don't mind can you also cut this thread off my shirt its driving me crazy.
Theory time.  For you budding restaurateurs out there, forget the food.  Well, not completely of course, you need to serve something, but focus on the service.  Make your service people interesting.  Put them in Zippy hats and give them a pair of scissors and you'll never look back.