Excuse me chucking in my dime, but I find this thread interesting, especially as we are currently reworking our longhaul service product. It is very hard to know what to do for the best on night sectors. Lights on and crew clattering through the cabin are undesirable to some, but a demonstration of high service to others.
My personal preference is to get lights out as quick as possible and get the crew in the galleys. Once that is done, it is vital that crew regularly patrol the cabin and ensure that the perception exists that they are happy to cater for pax needs, either at the seat, or on visits to the galley. This can sometimes be easier to ask them to do than for them to achieve...
