What is a special request?
Its a momentary fork in the road, something that jumps up unpredicted, and can catch any of us off guard. That can scare, vex, and distract you, which is precisely why so many react with a negative emotion that is best indicated by a single two letter word. NO.
That’s the temptation which envelops and holds back so many, the magnetism of the ability to say no.
Let’s teach them a lesson. Who do they think they are? Who would want it that way?
Chefs do you recognize this emotion? Who else literally works in front of fire, dealing with randomly placed and unpredictable orders, some of which have at best half-witted requests on them?
Sell Yes.
That’s right, if you can say yes, just say yes. Then turn someone else’s weird taste, relative ignorance about flavors and combinations, or just boring preference into a profit for you and your co-workers.
It is literally just as hard if you say no, in fact, the tension it creates actually makes it worse when you refuse.
Now, I get it, sometimes it comes at the worst most stressful time. Here is what the best Chef’s I know do, they laugh at the absurdity, or post it on the wall with a collection of absurd requests, etc.
We open the door, we don’t control who walks through it.
When we sell yes, we enjoy our lives more, and make someone’s weird cravings go away.
Win. Win. Win.