the Value of A Salad

At a restaurant, you order a supper salad. The menu says that the salad costs $7.99. As usual, you expect the salad to be served to you in a few minutes.

When your order reaches the kitchen, the manager finds that the supply of tomatoes has gone too low. She sends somebody out to buy tomatoes for your salad. The errand runner breaks a sweat to get the tomatoes to the kitchen in time for your salad to be served with the rest of the meal.

Your salad is served with the rest of the meal, and it is billed at $7.99.

Q1 As you sit at your table waiting for your meal to be served (unaware of the restaurant’s tomato supply) does it matter to you if the kitchen’s supply of tomatoes has gone too low, causing the manager to send somebody out to buy more?

Q2 If you knew about the low tomato supply and the decision to send somebody out to buy tomatoes, how would that affect your expectations about the timing of the meal being served or the amount billed?

- Glenn R Harrington
Articulate Consultants Inc.
www.articulate.ca