SMART WOMEN GET CREATIVE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED
Getting a reservation at a restaurant like The French Laundry is like winning the lottery. Literally. There are 16 tables, two seatings, and dozens of unknown factors working against YOU getting in (like people lining up outside the door in Yountville, Hotels and Industry Insiders getting first dibs, and people with a network of friends dialing in at warp speed).
My boyfriend's 40th birthday is fast approaching (two months from now to be exact) and as a self-professed "foodie" wished to dine at The French Laundry (TFL from here on out). I knew the odds of getting that sacred spot but I'd done it once before and on Mother's Day no less, so I was confident I'd succeed.
After two days of dialing for dollars I was panicked. I wasn't getting through! The closest I'd come to getting a reservation was the waitlist. Today was do or die. And I got creative!
1. I employed Skype, a nifty software application that enables users to make voice calls over the Internet.
2. I downloaded "Moonlight21", an auto redial app that works alongside Skype for maximum effectiveness.
3. I called the luxury hotel that I'd booked for the evening of our adventure and asked the concierge to please help me procure a res.
4. I employed two colleagues to dial with me (I offered them $20 or a free lunch for the first person to get a ring instead of a busy signal).
Then it was just me versus the universe.
At 10:04 this morning my luck changed. The phone....RANG! And at 10:11 I was speaking with a reservationist and securing my table at TFL. Elation, jubilance and delight followed. I would have been devastated to have to tell my bf that I'd been unable to make his wish come true. And I didn't have to!
Net net: When faced with what seems like an overwhelming challenge, get creative and employ as many unique tools as needed to get what you need!
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