I was recently reminded of the beauty of second chances.
There is a restaurant that my husband and I love and we have a server who we adore. Every time we arrive, she immediately brings over the wine we always order and confirms that we want our usual appetizer.
A few months ago, I went for dinner and my favourite was off, I was seated with someone new—someone who didn’t have the same level of care or attention. I even witnessed him blow his nose in the kitchen and not wash his hands…Read… Click To Tweet
A few months ago, when we went for dinner, she was off and we were seated with someone new. This individual didn’t have the same level of care or attention, and I even witnessed him blow his nose in the kitchen and not wash his hands… I was mortified and vowed that next time, I’d ask to be seated elsewhere.
Thankfully, the next few times we went to the restaurant, our usual server was there. We found out what nights she works and have only booked our reservations on the evenings we know she is working.
She is a great server; she is friendly, she remembers us, she pays attention to details and always goes above and beyond. And, she is one of the reasons we love this restaurant.
The last time we went for dinner, however, we were advised that she was no longer working there. As we sat down at our table, my husband said, “We’re going to be seated in his section.”
Dread. Certainty. This was not going to go well.
As we sat down at our table, my husband realized, we were going to be seated in his section. Dread. Certainty. This was not going to go well. Find out what happened next: Click To Tweet
He came to the table and took our order for wine. I could see him searching for the wine, unable to find it. I watched him ask a manager for help and finally, together they found the bottle.
He then walked away to the bar and I watched him grab two beautiful Pinot Noir glasses, polish them and bring our wine to the table. He apologized for the delay and explained that he couldn’t initially find the bottle we wanted, but managed to locate it!
My husband took the first sip and said something about the temperature. The server immediately asked if the wine was too chilled. We replied no, it was perfect—that’s how we like it.
He took our order and brought our food to us. One of the dishes, which is normally gluten-free, had crispy breaded fried onions on top. I asked if it was made with gluten and explained I couldn’t eat it, and he immediately took it away and got us a new dish.
Finally, when it came time to pack up our leftovers, he made sure we had extra rice to go with the food we took home.
The entire experience was great. But, the story I told myself at the outset was that it wouldn’t be.
The Beauty Of Second Chances
It was good for me to give him a second chance. It reminded me that when individuals on my team make mistakes, what we most want our clients to do is give us a second chance—an opportunity to do better.
When I make mistakes, I appreciate the people who respond with kindness and give me second chances.
None of us are perfect—we all make #mistakes and sometimes the first impression we make is not great. #SecondChances are an opportunity for both parties to see the good in each other. Read more: Click To Tweet
None of us are perfect—we all make mistakes and sometimes the first impression we make is not great. Second chances are an opportunity for both parties to see the good in each other.
Can you think of a time someone gave you a second chance and it paid off for both parties in the end? Let me know in the comments, below!
