How not to treat a frequent guest

Jay teaches us that "marketing is everything that you do."

That lesson was driven home to me Saturday night, when I took my wife to our favorite Italian local restaurant for a pre-Easter supper. The restaurant was crowded--evidently I wasn't the only one who needed tomato sauce and pasta in anticipation of Easter's turkey, ham, and lamb.

While waiting for a table, a regular customer came in, was greeted with extra friendliness, and asked: "How many tonight?"

The frequent diner responded: "14."

The hostess's immediately retort: "Oh no!"

What an awful thing to say.

Regardless of whether or not it was intended as a joke, it was at least subcsconiously tremendously unfriendly.

If I were them....I would have turned my back and said: "Oh yes!" and left. Forever.