Mrs. Smith calls up 45 days in advance to make the reservation. She wants the same table. She wants the same champagne. She may want, if she comes here often, the Smiths' favorite server. She has to get them.
Reservations is information.
Information helps us make the customer happy. Most of them have worked here for several years. Striped Bass is one of those restaurants where the servers, after assurances of complete anonymity, say they are treated well. Any customer can tell when that's true, even customers who don't realize what they're noticing. When servers finish their side work, which takes about half an hour, a designated server, different each day, checks the side work.