Reading a manager

Reading a manager

Last month a colleague personally invited me to inspect a restaurant with its manager. I hadn’t met him before, but my colleague had been raving to everyone about his brilliant, calm and welcoming manner. Clearly he had completely (1) ________ customers off their feet. It didn’t take long for me to see through this veneer. On arriving for service, he stood beside the service counter without so (2) ________ as an acknowledgement of our booking. He (3) ________ to continue his conversation with the chef as if I didn’t exist, and then (4) ________ at the junior waiter for accidentally dropping several glasses near the entrance. I was eventually (5) ________ worthy of his attention only when it came to reviewing the accounts; I had offered to recommend their new restaurant to celebrate its recent design award. He was evidently someone who could turn professional courtesy on, but only when it (6) ________ his purpose. In my opinion, (7) ________ brilliant, calm and welcoming managers do not blow hot and cold in their behaviour towards customers (8) ________ on what they believe they can gain directly from them.