The £10,000 piece of toast

Les Jones from Winning Moves told a story at the workshops last year. We can’t do the story full justice in writing as various hand gestures and sound effects were used to deliver the story but here is a precis of the events leading up to the £10,000 piece of toast!

Les and his team were in a hotel (a well known brand) setting up for an event they were running. They fancied a cup of tea so Les went to the reception to order one. He also fancied a piece of toast, so duly asked for one. The receptionist looked a little bemused that Les should ask for a piece and told him that breakfast had finished (it was just after 9.30!) but she could provide a plate of biscuits. Les, in his own inimitable fashion, replied that he didn’t want biscuits, but toast – what was the issue? Do they have bread, butter and a toaster? She replied yes to it all, so Les questioned again, to which she said breakfast had finished. The piece of toast was now becoming a matter of life or death! He asked the receptionist to go into the kitchen and ask the chef if he could have a piece of toast. After much huffing, puffing and rolling of eyes, she agreed to venture into the kitchen to ask the chef if a customer could have a piece of toast. She soon came back, with the unsurprising response of ‘NO!’. Again, Les asked why, and she replied, ‘because its half past nine and breakfast has finished!’

Needless to say, Les did not use the hotel again, even though he has been back to that town many times to run events and as a result of this the hotel has lost over £10,000 in potential revenue – all over a piece of toast!