Critical Perspective on Management and Leadership

buy custom Kolb’s Learning Theory essay

buy custom Kolb’s Learning Theory essay Kolbs learning theory refers to a holistic perspective, which combines perception, experience, behaviors, and cognition. Martin (2006) defines learning as the process of creating knowledge by transforming experience. The components of Kolb learning theory involve observations and reflections, concrete experience, application in new situations, and formation of generalizations. These four components form the learning cycle of Kolb, which shows how experience undergoes transformation to guide people on active experimentation as well as how to choose new experiences (Swanson Holton, 2001). This discussion will consider observations and reflections, concrete experience, application in new situations, and formation of generalizations as the four components of Kolbs learning theory. Concrete experience (CE) is a stage of Kolbs learning cycle in which the learner experiences activities such as field work or lab session in an active manner (Martin, 2006). Direct experimental data are inevitable for the concrete experience. The experimental data enable people to solve various problems that they face. This stage provides a basis for reflective observations. Observations and reflections refer to the stage of learning in which learners reflect back on their earlier experiences in a conscious manner. Under this stage of learning, a person takes what he or she has concluded and watch to check if it is functional. Observations and reflections undergo assimilation and distillation into abstract conceptions, which produce new deductions for actions to create new experiences (Martin, 2006). Formation of generalization component refers to a stage of learning in which learners attempt to conceptualize a model or theory of what they observe (Martin, 2006). In this stage, people look at things as ideas and concepts after processing, which convert raw details into abstract concepts. Internal processing leads to the creation of meaning. The final component of Kolbs learning cycle is the application in new situations. In this component, learners are making attempts in planning to test models or theories or planning for forthcoming experiences (Martin, 2006). Under this stage of learning, an individual takes what he or she has concluded and do an experiment on it to check if it is functional. Buy custom Kolb’s Learning Theory essay

The French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The French Revolution - Essay Example They also cancelled all the special privileges of the many nobles and clergymen they felt were clogging up the system. They then looked at what the Americans had done with their Declaration of Independence from the U.K. in which they had tried to give equal rights to everyone. The French basically copies a lot of this and the Assembly published the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This didn’t have any legal effect, but it was supposed to guide the government in making a new constitution. In the new document, all citizens are supposed to be guaranteed the rights of â€Å"liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.† The Declaration argues that the peoples’ need for laws comes from the fact that â€Å"...the exercise of the natural rights of each man has only those borders which assure other members of the society the enjoyment of these same rights.† So the declaration sees law as a kind of â€Å"expression of the general will,† intending to promote equality of rights and to stop â€Å"actions harmful to society.† This was popular with many groups of people who had been disenfranchised under the old system and were looking for a big change which would give them more political power and reduce their tax rate. Previously the nobles had all the power and all the money; people were fed up and wanted things to be more equal. They felt they were a group that could no longer be trampled on by the upper classes, and that they h ad individual rights and should be able to be active French citizens. Two branches of politics can be seen to come out of this period. In the first—the American model—we can see people respecting individual rights and power devolved from government. In the second model we can see a sort of radicalism that destroys the old order and replaces it with a new radical order that wants everyone to be completely equal. This is the basis and foundation of Communism—many of whose

Job Description Posting for Fritzas Childrens Clothing Research Paper

Job Description Posting for Fritzas Childrens Clothing - Research Paper Example All job descriptions should be clear and concise and should answer all the questions for the employees (Management, Web). The small business chosen for this assignment is Fritza’s Children’s Clothing. The need for creating a job description is determined when the need for an additional job is felt by the management. It can also be determined if the employee responsible for this particular job did not carry out his duties well and therefore, a replacement is needed. The duties of a clothing store employee include keeping all the retail areas in an orderly way. Te duties could also include folding and hanging the items neatly, vacuuming, cleaning the dressing rooms and all other duties related to the maintenance of the store. The employee would also be responsible for providing superior customer service. The employees should communicate in an effective way and assist the customers in every way possible. The employee should also have good persuading skills to persuade the customers to buy the clothing items they like. The employee will be required to be friendly and customer oriented. The main focus should be on customers as they are really important for a clothing store. The employ ees are also required to be clean and have a professional appearance. Other requirements include punctuality as well as basic skills including mathematical to count the money and other related tasks. In order to apply for this job at the Fritza’s Children’s Clothing store the employee also need to have some preexisting knowledge or skills required for the position. These jobs normally have an entry level requirement and employees should be currently enrolled in high school or should have completed high school. The employees should have the basic knowledge and know-how related to customer interaction. In all, the employees should basically know how to interact with customers effectively

Violation Of Code Of Ethics Construction Essay

Violation Of Code Of Ethics Construction Essay Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 route 28 was built by Malaysian Public Works Department to connect neighborhoods near the boundary of Kuala Lumpur. The entire highway system consists of Federal Route 28, from Sri Damansara to Sunway Interchange and from Sunway Interchange to Sri Petaling Interchange. MRR2 is generally referred to Route 28 since Route 28 occupies about two-thirds of the system. Construction on this ring road would divided on 3 phase. These sections include Kepong-Gombak, Gombak-Ampang and Ampang-Sri Petaling. The contract period is 36 months and was completed in 34 months (May 1999 to March 2002). CONTROVERSAL ISSUE First closure The Kepong Flyover was reported to be faulty because 31 of 33 pillars supporting the flyover were reported to have obvious cracks. Public concern about the safety issues at Kepong Flyover was due to the risks faced by at least 4,300 motorists using the flyover at a time. Investigations were held by the government and as a result, Kepong Flyover was closed to traffic and then Initial findings by PWD suggested that the temporary hoisting crane mounted on the permanent RC structural piers to launch the precast beams to the bridge decks could have exerted pressure on the concrete crossbeams and caused the cracks. It is found that the structure at the 11th package of the MRR II was found to be unstable because of the strain and caused the beams to split at three sections. The PWD, which carried out its own probe, revealed that the MRR IIs Kepong Bridge, was not stable due to internal redistribution of forces and alternative load paths due to yielding of reinforcement caused by excessive hot temperature there was no homogenous drying, externally and internally, because of differential (uneven) drying of concrete. British Halcrow Consultancy Ltd said the cracks that have appeared on 31 of the 32 crossbeams since 2000 nothing to do with the design. Halcrow has found a rare phenomenonthe expansion of a chemical compound, ettringite, had caused serious cracks. The compound contains calcium, aluminium, oxygen, sulphate, and water. Halcrow recommended to JKR to waterproof the bridge immediately, so that the delayed ettringite formation (DEF) would not result in further cracks. Ettringite is found in cement. Usually, it does no harm. But, under rare conditions such as during concrete hardening, temperature reaching over 70 degree Centigrade in the presence of sulphate and plenty of water, ettringite is formed, expanding dangerously. If all the cracks are not waterproofed, more water seeps into them, aggravating the situation. The Sun Daily  reported that the MRR2 cracks due to design flaw and improper anchorage of crossbeams that was supposed to be the verdict of Halcrow. The design also did not indicate the proper anchorage of the beams and the columns. Halcrows report was prepared by its bridge engineering director Roger J.Buckby and submitted to the Works Ministry. The main cause of excessive cracking in the crosshead to the T-shaped pier is a deficiency in the design and the anchorage of the columns reinforced into the crosshead. There is also a deficiency in the design of the transverse reinforcement in the top of the crossheads to resist splitting forces between bearings. The horizontal cracking in the crosshead directly above the columns is a direct result of the inadequate anchorage of the column bars into the crosshead. Second closure On 4 February 2006, the Kepong Flyover was closed to traffic from 10:30 a.m. after serious damages on the flyover was confirmed. Traffic jam also has rose due to the incompletion of the MRR2 on 8 December 2006; the Kepong Flyover was reopened to all traffic. Third closure On 3 August 2008, Kepong flyover was closed to all traffic after three of the eighteen carbon fibre panels on pillar 28 had peeled off. Pillar 28 is where the German consultant Leonhardt Andrà ¤ und Partner (LAP) did the repair works as a sample for Malaysian contractor to follow. ACCIDENT ANALYSIS Violation of Code of Ethics Section II (2)(a) Engineers shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical fields involved. The Kepong Flyover was reported to be faulty because 31 of 33 pillars supporting the flyover were reported to have obvious cracks. The engineers and contractors were responsible in this case. The main cause of excessive cracking in the crosshead to the T-shaped pier is a deficiency in the design and the anchorage of the columns reinforced in the crosshead. There is also a deficiency in the design of the transverse reinforcement in the top of the crosshead to resist splitting forces between bearings. The horizontal cracking in the crosshead directly above the columns is a direct result of the inadequate anchorage of the column bars into the crosshead. Section II(1)(a)- If engineers judgment is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or property, they shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate. In this case, public concern about the safety issues at Kepong flyover was due to the risks faced by at least 4,300 motorists using the flyover at a time. Despite numerous repairs and much of taxpayers money spent, people are questioning the safety and condition of the bridge despite the assurances by the relevant authorities. Users or clients were deprived of usage of the bridge causing them to use other congested roads, waking up early to travel and returning home late, using more petrol and diesel, more time wasted on roads and making users more tired. The cost here is political cost. Section II (3)(b) Engineers may express publicly technical opinions that are founded upon knowledge of the facts and competence in the subject matter. According to British Halcrow Consultancy Ltd that has sought the service of Glascow University, ettringite is found in cement. Usually, it does not harm. But, under rare conditions such as during concrete hardening, temperature reaching over 70 degree Centigrade in the presence of sulphate and plenty of water, ettringite is formed, expanding dangerously. If all the cracks are not waterproofed, more water seeps into them, aggravating the situation. Section II (3)(a) Engineers shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or testimony. They shall include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements or testimony which should bear the date indicating when it was current. Works Minister Datuk S.Samy Vellu imposed a gag order on his officers saying that he alone will handle any queries on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) Kepong flyover repairs. But he was reluctant to answer question on the flyover which had been closed for repairs to cracks on 30 pillars which had attracted the Anti-Corruption Agencys attention. Prevention Safety Guidance The engineering society codes of ethics, NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers) has provided guidance in handling or preventing the event from happening, as discussed below. Section III (9)(e) Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and should keep current in their specialty fields by engaging in professional practice, participating in continuing education courses, reading in the technical literature and attending meeting and seminars. Based on a statement by the Public Work Departments consultant, Kohler Seitz, they have indicated that faulty design had caused the pillars of MRR2 flyover to crack. This means that the crack might be caused by faulty design by the engineers. Referring to the code of ethic above, the MRR2 engineers should be up to dated towards the latest design. The word of faulty design should have not occurred at all because the MRR2 is cost up to RM 238.8 million. So, the MRR2 design engineers should improve their design skill so that their design will not have serious problem in the future. Section III (1)(a) Engineers shall acknowledge their errors and shall not distort or alter the facts. The engineers shall accept the truth regarding their faulty work on the MRR2. Consultant Company, Kohler Seitz have indicated that faulty design had caused the pillars of MRR2 flyover to crack. In this case, they with the help of government were denying that statement. Then, government had to appoint British Halcrow Consultancy Ltd to study the cracks that have appeared on 31 of the 32 crossbeams since 2000. This was a huge waste of money and times. They should be responsible if the cracks occurred is because of their mistakes. Section II (1) Engineer shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. In designing and construction process of MRR2, the engineers should hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. They must obey the standard approved by the authorities in choosing the material used. This is because, if they use cheap and low quality materials to gain maximum profit, they might endanger public that will use the highway in the future. Section III (1) (f) Engineers having knowledge of any alleged violation of this Code shall report thereon to appropriate professional bodies and, when relevant, also to public authorities, and cooperate with the proper authorities in furnishing such information or assistance as may be required. For the sake of publics safety, health and welfare, engineers should do whistle blowing. Whistle blowing is an act by an employee of informing the public or higher management of unethical or illegal behavior by an employer or supervisor. In MRR2 case, if they have qualified all the 4 conditions to do whistle blowing, they are obligated to do this. It is acceptable to blow the whistle to protect the public interest. ETHICAL THEORIES PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUE Utilitarianism Definition of utilitarianism is balance between good and bad consequences of an action The good thing is MRR2 brought travel within easy reach The bad thing is the controversial Issues. Right Ethics Definition of right ethics is the people have the fundamental rights that other people have a duty to respect The right to use the flyover safely Do not want to keep stuck in traffic jam as a result from the closure of the MRR2 Do not want to see the few well-connected companies or individuals profit at the public expense Duty Ethics Definition of duty ethics is people have duties to protect the rights of others Fidelity : the duty to keep promises Contractors and engineers have failed to design and build the flyover in compliance with the contract Justice : the duty to recognize merit work minister does not take any action against the irresponsible contractors and consultant Beneficence : the duty to improve the conditions Repairs cost RM40 mil to RM70mil Cause by improper planning and poor cost estimation and poor administrative of the Work Minister This expenses could be reduced if he appointed a reliable contractor to build the flyover Virtue Ethics Irresponsibility Engineers did not fully supervise the project Minister did not give explanation of the RM70 million bill No actions taken towards original contractors Dishonestly Denied cracks were due to design flaw Did not build according to right specifications and designs Case Analysis Problem Solving Factual issue: For the first closure, 31 of 33 pillars supporting the flyover were reported to have obvious cracks. At some pillars and tiers, there were more than 7000 cracks detected Investigations were carried out by 4 different parties, namely Maunsell, Sharma Zakaria (the designer), Kà ¶hler Seitz Engineering Services (appointed by the contractor), Halcrow Consultants Ltd. (appointed by JKR) and  Leondhardt Andrà ¤ und Partner (LAP) Kepong Flyover was closed to traffic and then reopened with only 4 out of 6 lanes Works Minister reminded the public that the cracks were not due to design flaw Halcrow Consultants Ltd. suggested the design did not comply with the requirement of BS5400, the improper anchoring of the column rebar to the crossbeams and the formation of ettringite  (Delayed Ettringite Formation were responsible for the cracks Ettringite is found in cement, the expansion of a chemical compound, had caused serious cracks For the second closure 4 February 2006, the Kepong Flyover was closed to traffic from 10:30 am after serious damages on the flyover  and reopened on December 8, 2006. For the third closure, on 3 August 2008, Kepong flyover was closed to all traffic after three of the eighteen carbon fibre panels on pillar 28 had peeled off Pillar 28 is where the German consultant Leonhardt Andrà © und Partner (LAP) did the repair works as a sample for Malaysian contractor to follow. Conceptual issue: The crack on the pillars that support the flyover resulting the MRR2 cannot be opened for traffic and huge jam was occurred. Although investigation had been carried out, the crack on the pillar still occur. Based on the investigation, main problem is because of the MRR2 design did not follow the BS5400 requirement. Moral issue: The accident make us to be more aware of the safety of people that used the flyover Designer of the MRR2 unable to make a design that follow the specification of flyover that leads to crack on the pillars. The lack of communication skills between the team makes the accident repeated and cannot be fixed faster. Government should find the company that are capable enough to build the bridge and make troubleshooting properly. To find a solution for the case, the flow charting technique is used because it is easy to understand and it is able to show the chain of event happens by following the step-by-step approach. Fig. 2 Flowchart for MRR2 accident From the flowchart drawn, it is obvious that problem occurs because of the design and material used did not follow the specification. Although there were teams that assemble to investigate the problem, they cannot find the exact solution on how the problem occurs. Different teams come out with different problem and solution. To prevent it from happening again, designer should follow the rules and make sure material used are correctly picked What Should Have Done by People Involved? All the people involved in the accident should have done differently in avoiding the accident from happen to the flyover, as described below: Engineers Design Engineer should have designed the flyover intelligently and professionally to avoid design flaws. Besides, the engineers should have tested the flyover for its lifespan and capability to support the busy traffic so that the flyover can function without cracking. Management Should have monitored the whole project by itself to ensure everything is done accordingly and no design flaws should occur. The quality of the flyover should have been examined by the management team. Government Should have assigned the construction project to reliable constructor so that the extra millions of ringgit will not be spent to repair the flyover. After the incident happened, the Ministry should inform the public about the causes of the cracked pillars and admit the mistakes done by the ministry. Local authority should put more concern on the project by monitoring the construction and getting report of the construction progress from time to time. In addition, local government/authority should have evaluated the whole project and the contractors capability before approving the project. IV.CONCLUSION All in all, huge sum of public tax-payers money, amounting to a few hundred million ringgit, were used to carry out all these repairs. There were talks of litigation, but somehow, as time went by, things just fizzled out. Even though this major bridge was closed to the public three times, and millions of public ringgit had been spent on repair work, yet there was no public enquiry in order to find out as to what had actually gone wrong, so that everyone including civil and structural engineers could learn from the mistakes. In closing, this bridge is still being carefully monitored by the Malaysian government. V.REFERENCES Maverick, SM., Project Report Middle Ring Road 2, February 2006 Maverick, SM., Risk, Health Safety, February 2006 Charles B. Fleddermann., Engineering Ethics (3rd Edition), Pearson Practice Hall , University of New Mexico, 2008 Main Portal for Kementerian Kerja Raya Fuel prices likely to drop The Star Online August 4, 2008 Monday New Straits Times,2006,MRR2 Cracks, 3rd Jan, Malaysia Berita Harian,2006,PM: MRR2 ditutup lindungi keselamtan pengguna, 5th Mac, Malaysia Ismail E,2006.Seminar Paper: Industrialization of Malaysian Construction

Reaction to Everyday Use Essay

Everyday Use is a short story written by Alice Walker about a family of three, Mama, the narrator, Maggie her youngest daughter, and Dee, her eldest daughter. Both daughters are completely different, Maggie is a simpler person and Dee is high maintenance. Dee has always the home she was brought up in and everything to do with her childhood. She always wanted more and Mama gave her the best she could. One day, years after Dee has gone off to college, she returns to visit Mama and Maggie’s new home (the other had been burnt down when Dee was still living with them), and she brings along a man, possibly her husband. When Dee returns she has changed her name and has come hoping to retrieve certain family heirlooms. Walker uses different literary tools to tell this story in a way that makes the audience think about what she is trying to tell the audience. Strategy The main literary strategy Walker uses in the writing of Everyday Use are irony and symbolism. Mama and Maggie value the quilts discussed in the story, not as folk art, instead for what they are intended to be used for, a source of warmth. Mama would rather give Maggie the quilts and let her put these quilts to use even though they may end up ruined because she knows that she is the one that will appreciate and love the quilts the most. Dee wants to in a sense save the quilts from the harm that she is sure that her sister, whom she seems to think is intelligently inferior will ruin but she does not understand the true value and worth of these quilts. Dee’s sudden interest in her heritage and want to embrace different objects from her family’s past is obviously seen by her mother as empty. In Mama’s eyes the best way to keep the quilts and the love and care that comes with them in the family is to hand them over to Maggie, even if it means them possibly being damaged or worse yet, destroyed. This is the irony in the story. Many would think that preserving the quilts is the only respectful way of keeping the spirit of their family alive, but instead Mama sees deeper than that, she sees in actuality the best way to keep the spirit of their family alive is to put them to use so that more memories can be connected to them. Using them in daily life is a way to keep the family history and spirit alive, and to even add onto it. Theme The consistent theme of Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† is appreciating the past, and one’s family. This theme was one that I found I could identify with greatly along with certain aspects of the story. The author skillfully tells us the story of two sisters, Dee, and Maggie, to prove her point. Dee comes home with a new contemporary identity tied to her African heritage, which she believes white men and women have tried to take away from her. She now embraces this African heritage and sees it as an important part of her. She scornfully asks Mama (the narrator) to not address her by the name her mother gave her, Dee, but to instead call her Wangero, assumed to be a name from her African herritage: â€Å"What happened to ‘Dee’?† I wanted to know. â€Å"She’s dead,† Wangero (Dee) said. â€Å"I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me.† Wangero (Dee) assumes and argues with her mother that she has been named after a white man or woman. Mama attempts to convince her that her name was not given to her by a white man or woman but that she was named after her grandmother. Dee resists what her mother has told her and insists that if she were to follow the line that it would go back to a white man or woman. Maggie, is unashamed of her past, she actually embraces it. She has always loved the quilts that her mother and aunt made from clothing that her grandmother had pieced. This section of the story is the prime difference between the sisters is revealed: Dee would like to use the quilts as pieces of artwork for her own home because it is something that would be stylish and argues with her mother that Maggie â€Å"would be backward enough to put them to everyday use.† Dee says this as if it were a bad thing to use the quilts as they were intended to be used but Mama believes that the everyday use, is the best way to value the past, to keep the spirit of the family going and not putting the items up for display as if they were in a museum or separating oneself from his or her family. This is something that I can identify with. When I was younger my great-grandmother had always crocheted afghans for each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My cousins had when we were little looked down at these beautiful afghans and wanted instead store bought blankets. I treasured the afghan that my great grandmother had made me and used it often. When we were older, and she had passed away, my one cousin was going through a phase similar to Dee’s, she was suddenly very interested in our family history, and she now wanted the last afghan that my great grandmother made. She ended up being the one to receive the afghan because I did not feel like fighting over it. I did not want to receive it with a fight because I knew that it would tarnish the meaning for me but I always found it interesting how she changed her mind once became, for lack of a better word, â€Å"cool† to embrace family history and to like handmade items. Active and Responsive Reading While reading Everyday Use one inference that I made was that the story was set in the early 1970s. I made this inference from the way Mamma, the narrator, described Dee in the present day. I thought that the dress, accessories, and hair style Dee was described to have seemed to match up to fashion from the early 1970s. Dee is a vain, hypocritical, and condescending individual, this was my impression from my first reading of the story and after reading it twice more, I found that my impression of Dee did not change from my first reading. Mamma did the best she could for Dee as she grew up. Dee always despised the house they lived in and never saw the house that was built after the fire until she visited. Mamma and their church raised money so that Dee could get a higher education and go off to college. Dee uses her education as a way to look down on her mother and sister. She does not understand why they will not better themselves as she has. In this visit she begins asking her mother for things that she had never wanted before and looked down at. She now wants these items not as reminders of her family but more as pieces of art. Two of these items were quilts made by Grandma Dee. In the past when offered these, she had told her mother that the quilts were â€Å"too old-fashioned, out of style†. Now she thinks that they would make beautiful pieces Alice Walker writes this story I think for every family and every person in a family. In a world where people are consumed with art, fashion, and style, I think she is reminding us that there is more to some items than art, fashion, and style. Many times we think the only way to appreciate something is to frame it or put it up for display and not put it to everyday use in fear of ruining it but Walker uses this story to show us that there is more to appreciating something than just displaying it. Sometimes to best appreciate a piece of ones heritage through an heirloom you should use it for its intended purpose. In conclusion Walker teaches us a lesson about family and keeping the spirit and story of our family alive by not merely displaying our heirlooms but putting them to use. She uses irony to help tell her story and support her theme. Walker chooses a story that people can relate to and learn from.

Needs of Customer Essay

When customers walk into a restaurant, whether it is McDonald’s or Chez Pierre, they expect to be acknowledged. This is a small service, but it is imperative to the success of the restaurant, as customers who are not greeted may simply walk out and eat somewhere else. The type of host a restaurant has will depend on the type of restaurant it is as well as how busy it is. Some restaurants pay hosts to greet customers, call names off waiting lists and walk customers to their tables. In other restaurants, management and wait staff take over this duty. Regardless of what you can afford for your restaurant, always make sure someone has the responsibility of greeting the guests and that person knows it is her responsibility. Wait Staff When customers go to a restaurant, they expect a good wait staff, unless they are dining at a fast-food chain. Even then, customers expect the counter workers to get their orders right in an appropriate amount of time and solve problems quickly and courteously. In traditional, sit-down restaurants, customers expect the wait staff to be attentive, but not too attentive. Wait staff should not hover or interrupt, but they also should come back frequently enough to attend to their customers’ needs. In addition, they should bring food in a timely manner and handle problems, such as food that has been sent back pleasantly. Customers also expect wait staff to be friendly and personable. Environment Customers usually go to restaurants to meet with others socially in a friendly environment. Although environment is not usually considered a service, service plays a large role in creating a good environment. In addition to making sure the restaurant is clean, attractive and the decor is consistent with the food and restaurant’s image, restaurant owners need to tell their staff it’s OK to let guests linger. Wait staff should not hint that it is time for the guests to go. For example, they should not rush the food to the table unless the customer requests it. They also should not start to clean nearby tables in an obvious manner or wait for customers to get out their money to pay the check. To the contrary, wait staff should say things like, â€Å"Feel free to chat as long as you like — let me know if you’ll need some dessert or a drink refill. † Food and Drink Probably the most important service that a customer expects to receive when dining out is a good selection of delicious and well-presented food. According to London wine writer Jamie Goode, it is more important that food be simple and good tasting, made with quality ingredients, than to be fancy or pretentious. Goode also notes that customers expect a large wine selection that is not overpriced. Furthermore, customers expect food to be consistent with the image of the restaurant. Customers who are dining at a family restaurant, for example, expect sandwiches, traditional dinners and moderate prices. At a more elegant restaurant, prices can be higher but food needs to be more of the gourmet variety.