Sayda S.
Yelp
Extremely Disappointing Customer Service by General Manager, Lauren
We had a deeply disappointing experience due to the behavior of the general manager, Lauren. We were waiting patiently at a full bar, expecting that she would eventually take our order. However, after being skipped over multiple times, even as she served guests who arrived after us, I finally called for her attention.
I said, "Excuse me, can we order some drinks?" She responded with a sharp, unfriendly look, which immediately set a negative tone. I calmly explained that we had been waiting for quite a while and had been passed over more than once. Instead of acknowledging this or offering a quick apology, she responded curtly, dramatically gesturing to the crowd and saying, "Can't you see I have all these people and there's only two of us?" I want to be clear, I only spoke up after waiting extensively and being repeatedly overlooked. As someone who has worked in customer service for nearly a decade, I fully understand the challenges of being short-staffed. But a simple, "I'll be right with you," would have gone a long way. Her tone and attitude were unnecessary and dismissive.
When she finally came over to take our order, she stared me down and asked what we wanted. We ordered two drinks, including the house punch. She informed me it wasn't ready. Given her hostile attitude up to that point, I couldn't help but feel she was being deliberately difficult. I pointed out that I could see the punch right in front of me, and she snapped back, "I'm telling you it's not ready," continuing to hold eye contact in a confrontational way.
Again, a professional approach would have been to let us know when it might be available, or recommend a suitable alternative. Anything, really, to demonstrate basic hospitality, which she clearly had no interest in offering.
At that point, I'd had enough of her power trip and told her, "I don't like your attitude." She said, "Okay," and walked away to make the other drink. I looked over at my partner and we were both incredulous. He asked if I wanted to leave, and I said no, but I also didn't want to spend a cent there either.
I can't say for certain, but it genuinely felt like we were being intentionally ignored, and her interactions with us only reinforced that feeling. When she returned to bring the drink, she said -- in a forced, insincere tone, "I know it's right there, but it's not ready yet." At that point, there was no recovering the experience. I told her we no longer wanted the drinks.
I refuse to give my business to someone who shows such blatant disregard for customer experience. To learn that she is the general manager was incredibly disappointing, leadership should set the tone for the rest of the team, and this tone was completely unprofessional.
We didn't leave because we weren't going to let her ruin our night, but we didn't order anything else, either. Truly a disappointing encounter, and we won't be returning anytime soon.