Well, it seems like another year has just slipped by. So much has gone on in the world over the last year that sometimes it just seems overwhelming, at least that is how I feel. Sometimes I just want to shake someone by their shoulders and say to them….Are you kidding me? It is at times like these that I remember all the coaching I have gotten from family, friends and professionals….I can only be responsible for what I do, say and think. Seems simple…but not always. I still want to extend my gratitude to all of those who have worked with me over this past year and the many before.

During the past few weeks I have heard so many people complain that customer service is gone, that people are not polite (ever drive the streets of Los Angeles…this might be an understatement here). I even had one patient tell me that over the last 10 years he has lived in Los Angeles he feels like the people have just gotten downright ANGRY.

Well, I certainly hope that the patients at our dental office don’t feel that way. In fact, we encourage our patients to give us reviews after their visits via a multiple of different avenues. But what I want to write about is probably the last customer experience that I will be having this year at Dan Tana’s restaurant in West Hollywood.

I don’t know why I have never been there before; certainly I have had many people tell me about it. My family and my mother went there for what would have been her 58th wedding anniversary, but her first without my father. We had an early dinner reservation, at 6:30, so it was somewhat empty when we arrived. What I noticed when we walked in was that it was not as big as I thought it was, in fact, it was cozy. The Maître De, Christian, took us to our table and then all the fun started.

The waiter had a sense of humor that I have not had the chance to experience in a restaurant in a long time, something that made us feel he had been employed there for a long time. My wife asked him if they had any blue cheese stuffed olives and he told us no. But when the drinks arrived he told us he had taken matters into his own hand and viola…there were the blue cheese stuffed olives.

The banter between the waiter and us got to a point that he was calling my son sweetheart and my son, with his own sense of humor, was calling him honey. All the while excellent service with our waiter bringing us more than we asked for at every turn. And the food was just as good.

By the end of the dinner the place was packed, full of life and character that the likes we have not experienced at all lately. All of us were in agreement that it was just a great experience…..one that we wanted to have again. And we will.

But what I took out of our dinner at Dan Tana’s was…..service is not dead in Los Angeles, and when you find it…that’s where you want to be.

Happy New Year to one and all.