Bad Service Strikes Again
I'm back to that old chestnut - hospitality. To me, it's an evergreen concern and always worthy of another think piece - okay a rant.
Bad service slipped back into my life last week, when my friend Pam and I decided to try out the new haute fish shack in Chelsea, BLT Fish. It all seemed to start out fine with two seats at the bar and free salt-n-vinegar potato chips. It didn't take long for a table to open up and we thought we'd be on our way to a fine fish dinner with all the trimmings. But, looking to our neighboring table, we realized that we might be in trouble. The ladies to our left were clearly disconcerted, as they tried to explain to their waiter that they had ordered a Caesar salad as an appetizer and that it hadn't made an appearance within the last hour and a half. The waiter just shrugged. We soon learned that that was only one of many service mishaps that occured that evening.
Oy!
I will admit that the waiter was a little bit better with us, but waiting over a half-hour for a drink order to be filled just isn't acceptable. Also, asking us to round up our silverware on the table and hand it to him for clearing dinner just isn't acceptable either. And, when the ladies to the left decided to complain about their problems to the manager, they apparently were offered another one of BLT Fish's famous shrugs - thankfully on the house.
Clearly, BLT Fish isn't in the hospitality business. Besides, after eating their food, I don't really think they are in the fine fish dinners business either.
Once again - Oy!
But, my fish tale was nothing in comparison to my friend Mo's recent tale of hospitality woe. You think I had problems with fish? Mo's got it all over me when it comes to bovine.
Just a few days back, not long after our sojourn to the East Village to see "Hamburger America," Mo had an urge for a top flight burger. After hearing about the Old Homestead Steakhouse's (pictured above) $41 Kobe beef hamburger, she was hooked. What burger could be worth that much moo-lah? She couldn't wait to find out.
She decided to make an event of it and invited a friend to join in, and they promptly ordered two medium-rare burgers and a fine bottle of red to go alongside their bovine gluttony. The waiter insisted that Mo actually order the burger rare if she wanted to see some ruby in the middle of her oversized patty and she acquiesed, thinking that she was being steered in the right direction.
Oh, what folly.
She should have known that things would go awry (if not apumpernickel), as soon as the wine glasses arrived for their vino. There, on her glass was dried blood. Bovine blood? Perhaps. But, really - Who cares? It's a health violation either way!
She brought it to the attention of their waiter. No apology. Instead, he matter-of-factly insisted that it was simply dried, old red wine. Would she like another glass, instead?
Huh?!? Why, yes, that would be nice. Jeez!
He brought another glass. And, then the burgers arrived - Well-done. They called the waiter over again to complain. He shrugged. (Is it possible that he was originally trained at BLT Fish?)
That was it. Mo had enough. She went straight over the manager. Happily, the manager hadn't been trained at BLT Fish, and immediately comped them their meal - which Mo and guest didn't even begin let alone finish.
But, it was too late at that point. They won't be returning to the Old Homestead any time soon.
So, have I made my point? Hospitality matters. Good service is vital in this dog eat dog, human do not want to be served dog food world.