SC - paid reservations?

[Philip & Susan Troy]

On 18 Nov 1997, Mark Harris wrote:
> 
> What is it like in other regions/kingdoms? Do you do reservations?
> Paid or unpaid? How do you handle cancelations or refunds?
> 
> Stefan li Rous

Well, Stefan, you've hit Elaina's big hot topic, and I'm going to respond
even though I still have to get mom up and to the senior center before i
go to a conference an hour and a half.

I learned cooking and most of my event management skills in the east and
atlantia. Now I live in the Outlands, where I am making a concerted effort
to teach the art of paid reservations to a largely unwilling culture.
Paid reservations seem somehow to be 'uncourteous' or 'unwelcoming'.

Bah!  she cried, Bah Humbug!

I do not understand how a cook can cook a feast without knowing how many
people to cook for.  I just can't see it.  And my parsimonious (not to say
suspicious...) soul cannot deal with the idea that the cook is given $xxx
to 'cook the feast' and expected to seat all comers.

I insist on an agreement with the group, which I put in writing in my
'bid' to cook the event, that I will receive $x -per- -head- at the feast.
And that will include any notaries to whom the group chooses to offer free
seats.  I also put cut off dates for notifying me (the cook) of how many
people I will be cooking for.

Now the kicker is that I stick to it.  If my number is 69 on the cut off
day, I will round up to 72 (tables of eight) and that's how many I cook
for.  If I get entreaties at the event, or the night before, or commands
from the 'hats' (and that -certainly- happens) - I smile with an attempt
at graciousness and tell them that I have already bought the food and
brought in the serving and cooking dishes for a certain number and that
the feast is closed at that number.  Yes, this makes me unpopular in some
circles.  We could add 'unchivalrous', 'unwelcoming', 'ungrateful', and
'mean'.

However, I will go out of my way to feed anyone military or otherwise
unable to make an advance reservation - even if I do it in the kitchen or
give up my own seat.  I always reserve and buy a seat at feast for myself
- - knowing that I will not be able to use it.  It gives me some maneuvering
room.  I will also feed willing hands in the kitchen.

It's not so much a matter of how much food is available, but how that food
is to be served.  I once allowed myself to be talked into setting an extra
table of eight by the autocrat.  They got leftovers from other tables.
There was -lots- of food, but they were served partially carved chickens,
leftover pieces of pie, dishes of cooked 'sallet' that had already made
the round of another table. One gentleman took it in stride and even went
'begging' from the 'higher' tables in a very period way.  The others were
- -not- happy.

Stefan asks the autocratting question about how does one enforce paid
reservations, and are refunds made.  As an autocrat, I simply do not pass
on the the cooks 'numbers' for anyone who has not pre-paid.  My exception
to this is that I will accept an unpaid reservation from someone for whom
I am personally willing to front the money (and them collect it
personally) - there are a limited number of such people.  If someone pays
and does not show up I will offer their seat for sale, and if I sell it
then I will refund the money to the original gentle.  If I do not sell it,
then I will not refund the money since the food was bought,prepared, and
waiting for the person who did not show up.

So to end my tirade - cooks of the Knowne World unite!  Insist on paid,
per head reservations!

Late and running,
Elaina

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