The Story of Serge and Spin the Bottle Service
How a Chance Encounter with a Server Became the Title of our Book.
This newsletter has been published weekly since February 2023 so it is about time to reintroduce myself. Less than a week after graduating high school in Canada, I embarked on a gap year in Europe. I returned to Canada four decades later following a basement to boardroom career in a hotel company that had grown from 25 - 1500 hotels. Living in different countries, experiencing other cultures and learning new languages was an education far more valuable than university.
In the hotel world, my job was risk, security, and crisis management. If that interests you, please have a look at
, which is published by my colleagues at Risk Resiliency.With the aid of a faded memory spiced up with dreams and imagination, this newsletter shares stories of hospitality and lessons learned at the “University of Life”.
Please help grow the community by liking, sharing, and commenting on the content!
Now let’s get this week’s newsletter started. It’s the story of how meeting a server in a simple brasserie inspired us and helped us understand that hospitality is all about the people that deliver it.
In 2007, a move to Brussels, Belgium, introduced us to a quaint brasserie named Le Deauville and an unforgettable server named Serge. Little did we know, this encounter would mark the beginning of a culinary journey filled with warmth, surprises, and cherished memories.
Initially, like many newcomers, we stuck to familiar places, indulging in pizzas and tourist-friendly eateries.
We were feeling brave one evening and entered Le Deauville on a whim. That’s when Serge entered our lives.
Everything Serge did was done with a relaxed, yet faultless, perfectionism. Beers were perfectly poured into clean glasses and instead of clunking the bottle down on the table beside the glass, Serge effortlessly rotated the bottles so the label faced us.
It wasn't just about serving drinks; it was a gesture of care and attention to detail.
We came to call it “Spin the Bottle Service” and it set the standard for how we judged Belgian brasseries.
It wasn’t stuffy and pretentious like when a server brings a bottle of wine with a screw top, pretends it’s a Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and asks if you’d like to sample it before they pour. (I’ve yet to experience corked wine from a bottle with a screw top - please enlighten me if that’s a possibility.)
There was a natural, friendly flow to Serge’s service.
His presence made Le Deauville feel like home, and we soon became regulars. However, when Serge moved on, many regulars faded away and so did we, exploring other establishments in search of that same connection. Yet, none could quite match the warmth we’d felt at Le Deauville with Serge at the helm.
One rainy evening, we were reunited. It was pouring rain when we emerged from Merode metro station. To escape the rain, we ducked into the brasserie La Terrasse. Serge’s familiar face was behind the bar. When we asked where he had been, he said,
“Right here, waiting for you!”
Once again, we found ourselves enveloped in his hospitality.
Serge's simple yet effective service strategies showcased his dedication to customer satisfaction. Under his care, La Terrace flourished
Through Serge and "Spin the Bottle Service," we learned that dining isn't just about food, hotels aren’t just about Instagram views, and travel isn’t just about getting from place to place —the true value of hospitality is found in the connections we forge and the memories we create.
The pandemic was especially hard on hospitality businesses. Many didn’t survive. Even more are still struggling.
When we were stuck at home with no place to go, we were inspired to share stories of how, even in an age of automation and A.I., hospitality is all about the people.
How2Conquer published the book. When the draft was ready and we needed a title, it didn’t take long before we thought of Serge.
“Spin the Bottle Service - Hospitality in the Age of A.I.” is available online and can be ordered in leading bookstores worldwide.
Unboxing the first copies of “Spin the Bottle Service in 2021 was a proud, almost surreal, experience for us. The stories it contains are positive, personal experiences of service excellence and how people will always be at the heart of hospitality!
Stay safe, Always Care
Thanks for reading our newsletter! It means a lot to me. I’m grateful and hope you’ll consider hitting the “like” and “share” buttons or adding a comment if you enjoyed this article.
In addition to sharing stories, I love to tell them.
As a multi-award-winning corporate leader in hospitality and global security, captivating keynotes, compelling coaching sessions, and edutaining, motivational workshops are all part of my repertoire.
Email me at paul@alwayscare.ca.
If you’re an owner or manager of a business that takes pride in quality and customer service, let’s chat about how Ditch the Script workshops can help you introduce Spin the Bottle Service to your business. It will make jobs more meaningful and guest experiences more memorable by unleashing the power of the biggest business differentiator you have available - your people!
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