Slipstream - September 2003

The Importance of an RSVP
by Mimi Spreen
You may have noticed that crashing your car at a PCA event,
whether it is a Club Race, a Drivers Ed event, or a Time Trial,
is generally frowned upon. We’d like to add one more to that
list of events where crashing is a no-no.
According to Encarta, World English Dictionary, RSVP is
defined as “used on an invitation to request a response to it.
Abbreviation for ‘please reply’.” (French, repondez s’il vous plait.)
So, with the definition of RSVP in mind, we’d like to walk
you through the process of guaranteeing a dinner at a restaurant
for a large group of people. I know the process because I’ve been
doing this for 3 years for the Porsche club. I also work in a restaurant
and know how these things work, including the chaos that ensues
when changes are made at the last minute.
When the restaurant and the menu have been chosen,
invitations are sent out, via Slipstream, requesting a reply, always
by a specific date prior to the actual date of the dinner. When all
the RSVPs have been received, we make a phone call to the
restaurant and give them the head count. They take this number,
called the guarantee, and use it to (a) schedule the proper number
of employees, (b) order the proper quantity of food and (c) set up
the room with the correct number of tables and chairs. The
restaurant uses the “guarantee” and prepares 5% to 6% more
than the guaranteed number. This includes buffet-style meals; a
buffet doesn’t mean the supply of food is endless.
That’s the process. Pretty simple, right? Well, it is, but what
makes it a problem is when we receive phone calls or emails after
that deadline date. You might think, well, just bump up the
number given to the restaurant and that should solve that
problem. We do try to “pad” the guarantee to accommodate
those who call after the deadline, but lately, that number of late
RSVPers has grown excessively large. To make matters worse, we
get folks who just show up without RSVPing at all. Besides being
inconsiderate, this activity throws the numbers off to the extent
that, at some past events, we have run out of food early. In an
attempt to discourage this behavior, we have had to resort to
charging more for late RSVPs, or by giving out meal tickets only
to those who did RSVP on time, making those without a ticket
wait until everyone else has gotten their food. However, even
these restrictions don’t always work. We almost always get calls
the day of the event (sometimes less than an hour before it
starts!) from people wanting to RSVP, and people still “just show
up” and don’t seem to think anything about it.
Slipstream has a lot of information every month and very
often there isn’t time to read every article. Because of this reality,
we try to put only the information you will need to have a good
time at the event: what will be happening, when and where it will
be held, how much it will cost, and how to RSVP. Because the club
pays for the meal or function as a single bill, we ask that you pay
with cash or a check made out to MR-PCA (Maverick Region –
PCA). The club does not have the ability to accept credit cards.
Generally an ad or article describing an event appears in
Slipstream at least two months prior to the event, and we try to
send out emails to the MRPCA group list advising of the
upcoming RSVP deadline as it approaches. The event is also discussed
and approved at Board meetings and is noted in the minutes,
which is again published in Slipstream. There is also a list of
monthly activities on the website.
Your RSVP is not just a formality or convenience for us, but
an essential part of the planning process. Please keep that in mind
when planning to attend your next Maverick Region outing.
11