cft

The Granny Food Thief Strikes Again

The granny food thief apparently had an unlimited supply of “official-looking” business cards of various professions that she would hand to the registration desk staff and then was allowed in. She’d work the room – but instead of networking with the other people – she was “food-working” with a pair of tongs and a plastic bag she kept in her oversized pocketbook.


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Steve DiGioia

2 years ago | 1 min read

Thinking back on some of the fun, and weird, things that have happened during my 20+ year hospitality career, I was reminded of this old lady, I’ll call her “Granny Food Thief”.

Many years ago, while I was supervising a banquet event, I came across this sweet little old lady who would constantly crash the cocktail hours for the business events. My property hosted many groups that, after their day-long meeting, would have a 1-hour farewell reception for the attendees. The attendees would network with their fellow associates and anyone else invited.

The Food Thief and the Gate Crasher

To prevent gate crashers, the organizers would have a separate registration table at the entrance where the attendees needed to present their business cards to be allowed in.

Guess what this sweet little old granny would do? You just gotta hear this…

The granny food thief apparently had an unlimited supply of “official-looking” business cards of various professions that she would hand to the registration desk staff and then was allowed in. She’d work the room – but instead of networking with the other people – she was “food-working” with a pair of tongs and a plastic bag she kept in her oversized pocketbook.

In went some bacon-wrapped scallops, mini beef wellington, and even tuna tartar. Then I saw her grab a handful of napkins from the bar and wrap up 3 pieces of cheesecake and shove them in her “thief-bag”.

I was waiting for her to ask, “Where’s the “cheesy-poofs”. I wondered if she also had a colostomy bag hiding under her coat to pour the fruit punch into. Probably…

Anyway, what was I supposed to do, throw her out?  My soft side got the best of me and I allowed her to continue raiding the buffet until she was so weighed down she had to leave, or she’d explode!

Does this fall under the heading of “WOW” customer service?


The article ”The Granny Food Thief Strikes Again” originally appeared on the author’s website and is republished here with permission.


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Steve DiGioia

With 20+ years in the hospitality industry and a lifetime of customer service experience, Steve DiGioia shares real-world tips and tactics to improve your customer service, increase employee morale, and provide the experience your customers desire. As a certified trainer, author & speaker, Steve has been recognized as a 6-time “World’s Top 30 Customer Service Professional” by Global Gurus.org and a “Top Customer Service Influencer” by multiple industry-leading sources. He is also a featured contributor to the leading hospitality and customer service websites. With a tagline of “Finding Ways to WOW Your Customer”, Steve continues his pursuit of excellence on his award-winning blog sharing his best strategies on customer service, management, and leadership. Follow Steve on Twitter @Steve DiGioia.


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