Footnote: George’s attention to detail and interpreting client needs was nurtured in part by his experiences as a waiter in a busy NYC restaurant, while he was a young student at NYU. Among the keys to surviving in the very hectic and demanding NYC restaurant environment is the attention a waiter gives to particular customer requests – and his ability to deliver accordingly. George prided himself on his ability to deliver exactly what the customer ordered. His principles were challenged one evening, though, when he picked up his customer’s order at the food station.  Noticing that the expensive Prime Rib the chef prepared was well-done and that the food order specifically indicated medium-rare, George refused to serve the steak, as prepared, to the customer. He asked the chef to cook a new steak, medium-rare this time.  The chef refused.  Then the maître d’ intervened and he demanded that George serve the steak to the customer; and said that if the customer complained, he would order the chef to cook another steak.  George was disappointed, and he thought that this was just plain wrong. So he stood on his principles and would not budge, and he suggested that the maître d’, himself, serve the steak to the customer. George thought, as the tension grew, that his waiting career was finished. But suddenly the maître d’ relented.  He realized that George was placing the interests of his customer first, which ultimately was good for the restaurant. The maître d’ then instructed the chef to cook a new steak, medium-rare this time.