The Details of Dining Out

外出吃饭的礼节

陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他在上班路上遇到了美国同事Amy。

(Office ambience)

A: How was dinner last night? Didn't you go out with upper management to entertain some new clients?

C: 没错，我跟老板一起请新客户到街对面新开的餐馆去吃饭，饭菜很棒，但是安排上出了一些小问题。

A: What happened?

C: 老板Mr. Brown让我去安排。我通知了所有人，但是没跟餐馆预约，结果等了很久。

A: I'm sure that didn't go over well.

C: 能看出来，Mr. Brown很不高兴。

A: Anytime you invite people to a business meal, whether the group is large or small, call the restaurant and make reservations.

C: 其实我打电话了，但是他们因为新开张，还没有订座的服务。

A: Did they know how many people you were bringing?

C: 我说了，一共有12个人。

A: You should have asked Mr. Brown if he wanted to choose another restaurant.

C: 我就是没想到要换餐馆。等大家到齐了，所有人都已经饥肠辘辘了。

A: When that happens, you end up with a group of cranky people. That's not good for business.

C: 是啊，下次你得好好给我讲讲请客吃饭时需要注意些什么。

当天下班后，陈豪和Amy有见面了。

A: What did you do while you waited for your table last night?

C: 开始的时候，服务员让我们在门口的大厅里等。

A: Did you ask if you could wait in the bar and order everyone a drink and some hors d'oeuvres?

C: Mr. Brown很懂行，他提议先到酒吧去，还问服务员能不能给我们每人一杯免费的酒水。

A: That was the thing to do since the restaurant made a mistake in not taking a reservation for the large group. Even with reservations, if your group has to wait long time, you should politely ask for some sort of compensation.

C: 最后我们可以上桌的时候，酒还没喝完，大多数人都自己把酒拿到了桌上。

A: You should have requested the bartender or his staff to carry the drinks, considering the kind of restaurant it was. At a casual place, you are expected to take your own.

C: 除了免费的酒水以外，不少人还点了第二杯第三杯，大家走后，我只好留在吧台结帐。

A: Next time ask the bartender to add the bar bill to your dinner tab.

C: Amy, 你能不能最后总结一下，请客户吃饭有哪些注意事项呢？

A: Whenever you entertain people over meals, insist on reservations. If your table is not ready, offer your guests a drink at the bar. Ask the bar staff to carry your unfinished drinks to the table and to add the bar bill to your final tab.