My Favorite Work Perk!

For the last 9 years of working in advertising, specifically media planning, I have enjoyed many "work perks." The typical perks are: sporting event tickets (hence my awesome Father's Day gift), spa treatments, t-shirts, desk crap (Coach business card holder, various picture frames, Tiffany paperweight), books, keychains, pens, open bar parties, theater tickets, cooking classes, wine tastings, knitting classes, movie tickets, special screenings, DVDs, CDs, digital photoframes, BBQ/grilling sets, picnic baskets, fruit baskets, wine, vodka, etc. etc. etc. These perks get more and more ridiculous the longer you are in the business. My bosses are going on a golfing trip to Utah or Idaho or someplace like that. But with all of these "bonuses" my favorite work perk is the "rep lunch" or "rep dinner." Yes I am a lucky girl indeed. (see footnote.)

A "rep lunch" or "rep dinner" is a business meal that you go on with a salesperson at a particular media company. You dine at the restaurant of your choice usually and its all expenses paid. The only real difference between a lunch and a dinner is that you are probably drinking booze at dinner time, unless you are a hardcore old school advertising executive who needs to get slammed at noon. You usually indulge in three courses, and on average you go to about one a week. Here are some of the dirty details about my experiences at rep lunches/dinners:

Conversations
You talk business for about 2 minutes, or you skip it all together. Which is preferred. Conversation at rep lunches actually crack me up, not because they are funny, but because they always revolve around the same questions: (in this order, to everyone at the lunch)
1. How long have you been working at X? (5 minutes)
2. Where do you live? (15-45 minutes depending on whether or not you live in the same place as the rep)
3. Are you married/attached? (5-20 minutes depending on whether or not you have an interesting story about how you met you significant other)
3a. Are you engaged? (30 minutes, wedding planning talk can take a while)
3b. Are you married with kids? (15 minutes, unless you have twins, then its 60 minutes)
4. Any vacation plans? (10 minutes for winter plans, 15 minutes for summer plans)
5. Gossip about common people known in the business (4-25 minutes depending on the gossip, 30minutes+ for husbands leaving wives for other men stories)
6. Anyone watching American Idol? (Unfortunately this conversation can last 2 minutes or 45 minutes and usually ends the lunch)
7. And as we are leaving the restaurant you do the 2 minute business brief.... if you remember.
Something to note about rep lunches, I can answer and have a full discussion about all of my co-workers answers. We all repeat the same facts over and over again to different sales people. Sometimes they have a look in their eye that says, "Oh God, I am so sorry you have to hear this story again." But its all good, its part of the deal. I heard of one team that used to make crazy lies about each other. The rep would ask, "So any plans for the summer?" And someone would say, "No plans for me, but Bob here is going to climb Mt. Everest barefoot. He is really into adventure and being barefoot. Tell him about it Bob."

Ordering Rules
It is business for goodness sake, so you can't just go to town on the menu. There are many variables/rules to ordering, for example:

* If you are giving the publication business feel free to order the most expensive thing on the menu. No current business, no lobster.
* If everyone who has ordered before you doesn't order and appetizer, you don't order an appetizer. (Usually everyone orders an appetizer.)
* Let the rep decide on whether or not the table should order sides in addition to meals, and let them decide whether or not to double the order.
* If your boss doesn't want dessert, then there is no dessert.
Women order first. (This should apply to all meals, not just business ones.)
* When ordering family style let the sales rep or boss make most of the decisions.
* Sales reps always order the house salad for appetizer and 7 times out of 10 they get fish for a main course, oh and female reps never eat the bread. never.
* Alcohol ordering should be reserved to wine with dinner, unless its a "celebratory" lunch or dinner, in that case party on.

Pick the Place
Since it is usually up to us to pick the restaurant its good to know your co-workers likes and dislikes. And I am not just talking about food tastes. You got to know how far your co-workers want to go, how long they can spend there, if they are sick of the place, etc. For me I am not picky, and I love love love to use the rep lunch to get to places that I have not been. I like to go to other neighborhoods if time allows. And I really like to go for sushi. Its my personal favorite rep lunch. I believe my adventurous outlook on sushi is born out of my opportunity to pick and try things on someone else's dime. Its the perk of the perk. Here is a short list some of my favorite rep lunch spots:
* Koi, The Bryant Park Hotel - I love any place where I can order sushi, but others don't have to. They have this outrageous spicy tuna appetizer over krisy rice. Amazing
* Tropica, Grand Central - Fast service, diverse menu that has sushi on it
* Salute, 40th/Madison - Its right across the street from the office, enough said
* Chemist Club, 41st/Madison - Its around the corner from the office and its a quiet space
* DB Bistro Moderne, City Club Hotel - Yes there is a $35 burger, and yes it is worth it
* Asia de Cuba, 37th/Madison - Wonderful fusion place, only good to go to with non-picky coworkers since its family style
* Bryant Park Grill, 40th/5th - Lovely place for outside dining
* Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Grand Central - Pass the sides please!

In general we tend not to wander to far from the office. That way the most time can be spent eating the food. Yummo.

I am definitely a lucky girl. I wouldn't go as far as to say its the best part of my job. But as mentioned, it is my favorite work perk. (and very helpful to my food blogs.)

Note: Yes I have lots of perks. And I am VERY grateful. But I also work 60 hours a week, work on excel documents all day, get abused by clients, and harassed by sales people for PESOS. So yes, I do feel I deserve it all.