Write it Down!

Robby
Last week, my wife and I went out for a drink here in Broad Ripple Village. There was almost no one in the establishment, and the server came up to take our orders. Since we were just getting one drink each, he didn’t bother to write it down on his pad. He returned from the kitchen a few minutes later, with the wrong order.
It’s easy to dismiss everyday procedures like writing down orders. How hard is to remember the names of a couple of drinks? Probably, however, our server became distracted with something else and the request slipped his mind. It’s easy to make mistakes, and the writing-it-down system of most restaurants helps to minimize the chances of error.
Has something similar happened to you at work? Was there something someone should have written down, but didn’t?
About the Blogger: Robby Slaughter is a productivity speaker and expert. He is a principal with a AccelaWork, an Indianapolis consulting firm.
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Robby,
This post is very interesting simply because I'm always baffled at how waiters and waitresses can perform their job without errors in such a way.
I've noticed that fancier restaurants seem to require their waiters NOT utilize the writing down method. I've often wondered why that is the case, but have decided that the four star restaurants of the world perhaps want to provide its diners with a more regal treatment. As though our orders are the absolute top priority in the restaurant. I must admit, for whatever reason, this does create a sense of importance.
Could this be one reason why people think memorizing information at work is better? As if it proves they are more involved in the process?