Around 8:00 tonight, I get a call on the radio to come to the host stand. 

Yes, I have a radio.  Between inside, outside, and three different areas of the indoor restaurant, I’m constantly on the move. 

I get to the host stand. 

Table 37 has been sat, but they are NOT happy.  They are telling the host that they requested a table on the patio and we have sat them inside. 

I go the I-pad and look up the reservation. 

AHHHHH. 

Yes.  This reservation. 

I remember it well. 

A woman from a neighboring resort called to make the reservation. 

She asked for a table for 5 at 7:30  I told her I only had 8:00 and that I could seat them then. 

She said she’d call back. 

She did and made the reservation.  I asked for a credit card to hold the reservation and she did not have one.  I ALWAYS ask for credit cards from hotels because they are forever making reservations for people who don’t show up. 

I told her that I would make the reservation, but to make sure her guests know when and where to be. 

We hang up.

10 minutes later the phone rings and woman tries to make a reservation for 5 at 8:00.  I start the reservation, I get the phone number and it pulls up the name of the person, who I just made a reservation for. 

I ask for clarification.  And for about 4 minutes everyone is confused as to what is happening.  I think it’s a case of 2 reservations of 5 for a 10 top.  The woman on the phone thinks there is no reservation at all. 

Turns out the hotel person, paid no attention to what I said, and told the guest they had to call to make their own reservation. 

We figure it all out. 

We hang up.

Here’s the thing.  I never told anyone they could have the patio.  In fact.  I didn’t make any patio reservations today because I knew we’d be short a bartender and I knew we needed to control the chaos. 

So they definitely did not make a patio reservation. 

However, per my new mantra of not being an asshole because I can be.  I looked at the book, found a way to make it work, went to table #37 and filled them in.  I told them that if they could wait about 15 minutes we could get them seated on the patio.  We chatted for about 3 or 4 minutes. I explained that I didn’t make any patio reservations today, and why.  And that it was the hotel concierge who made the mistake and that I fielded the phone call and that five minutes later someone called back to book it again.  She said it was her assistant and I think to myself, I want an assistant.  I ask them to give me 10 minutes and we’d get them seated. 

 And I head to the patio to make it all work.

They party of 5 arrived at the patio about 15 minutes later.   They were ecstatic over the beauty of it.  The woman was taking all sorts of photos and wanted to know if we hosted weddings.  I told her we did but the tricky part is we don’t’ really have a backup if it rains.  I chatted with them for about 10 minutes before they sat. 

I leave.  End of story.

However, I’m sitting at the chef’s table tonight when a patio server comes in to check out.  She hands me her cash out and receipts and says we had celebrities on the patio tonight!

I ask who and turns out, table #37 who moved outside are famous.  She’s a talk show host.  Her husband is a rapper.  Both were beautiful.  I had no idea who they were until I looked them up.  They were so nice and so kind and understanding.  And they tipped well. 

I’m so glad I was nice to them. 

I continue to say, I’ve met more celebrities here than I ever did in NYC.