The Hostess/Bartender/Server Snub

Another thread got me to thinking about this. And because it has happened to me a couple times (whether alone or with other diners), I wonder has it happened to others on the VMB - The Snub.

You know, you walk into or up to a restaurant, stand at the hostess stand or podium and wait to be acknowledged by the 20-something. But she is looking elsewhere, picking at her nails or talking to someone totally ignoring you.

Or you get the bartender who you know sees you out the corner of his/her eye when you sat down. But those shot glasses have to have that spit-shine on them so you wait until they wipe away and then they decide to saunter to you and take your order - uninterested.

How about the server who is exasperated by your mere request for a round of water to start.

Anyone have a Vegas snub story? Are there any places that snub on a consistent basis. Ever written off a place because of the snub?

 

I was "snubbed" and "snubbed" right back via the tip. This is an excerpt from my trip report last week..." Around 1am we were hungry and stopped in the Grand Luxe. Although our food was pretty descent the service was the absolute worst I have ever had in Vegas, Cleveland, or any other city. We ordered 2 apps to split and each an iced tea. Total was around $30.00., We tipped him $2.25. Thats low...super low. I rarely tip below 18% however.... he takes our order (beef sliders/mashed potato eggs rolls w bacon, chives, sour cream), brings it, and then disappears like a ghost into the night while continuously waiting on the table next to us. We are probably the most sociable, respectful, and easy going people you could wait on. Never refilled drinks (each only had one iced tea), never brought condiments for our sliders, and passed us a few times before I stopped him and asked for the check. F this guy."

I wont write it off because Ive been here so many times and service was always excellent.

 

I usually just write it off as a "bad day" or something. I can only imagine having to be nice at my job all of the time. But if it continues through my meal then her tip will reflect his or her attitude.

 

I dont get snubbed but almost every single time I eat i get the server who is just leaving for the day, they take the order then go home and then we are left in a no mans land.

 

The last time (Feb 2016) DW and I stayed at Encore, we both were getting snubbed by the CWs. They would take drink orders on our slot island and walk away before asking us. This was not all the CW, but just a couple. My wife spilled a drink, so she told the CW, she grunted and walked away.
Now to be fair, when we checked out, they asked us to fill out an online survey, so my wife rated the cocktail service very low. She received a response, asking when would be a good time to call her, and then followed through and talked to her, telling us to contact her the next time we are there. Not sure what is going to happen, but DW is emailing her this week, telling her we will be there next month.

 

Ours was at the bar in the Fremont Hotel. Son went up to order beer, bartender saw him but was serving someone else. Fine, he waits and waits while a whole group of gangbangers walk up to the end of the bar. The bartender walks away from my Son to go take their order. After 15 minutes with more and more gangbanger types walking up and being served my husband walks up and asks the bartender if we're ever going to get served. He finally gives us our beer, we don't tip and he yells at us. We told him every time he snubbed us his tip got smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared!

 

We had an issue at our local Cracker Barrel. Waited and waited for our order while our server was constantly attending to a hard to please table next to us. Others came in, sat down, ordered, ate, and left while we were still waiting on our food. Finally, I had enough and chased down our server and told him we were leaving and asked to speak with the manager. He went and told her. She brought out our food from the kitchen, walked past me, and put the food on our table and ran away.

 

LOL only once did this happen and it was hilarious. I am good friends with the chef at Bardot, helping him with training his first bird dog, going hunting with him and such to start with. We had reservations for there in December and had actually changed the date as Josh was going to be out the day we originally scheduled so as to be able to see him and shoot the shit for a bit. So we get there and it had been a busy day at the tables and slots and we had lost track of time and had not changed clothes. me in my regular cammies (Duck Dynasty copped me LOL) and DW in just regular street clothes, not exactly dressed to kill but not the first time either. We arrive and I tell the little 20 something our name and she looks us up and down with a bit of a scowl, she had just had another group dressed to the hilt they would have to wait before I got to the hostess desk as well. Well she goes on to look at her little computer and says we have no reservation under that name, which I know is BS as I had received a confirmation call from them earlier, and goes on to say we would just have to wait with others without. I was nce and told her she might want to check again as we had received that call earlier and she proceeds to tell me " sir we are a very popular and high level restaurant and we would have your reservation had we called you and you must be mistaken. Now comes the good part, Brooke the bartender sees us and comes out to see us and we tell her whats going on and tell us to get our butts to the bar for a moment, which we do. Next thing I know here comes Josh, and he is NOT happy when I tell him the story. He takes us to the hostess desk and asks the hostess if she indeed told us we did not have a reservation and then goes on to ask her "If they dont' have a res then who the F*(K is that on the list", immediately she changes her tune. Josh goes on to tell her in no uncertain terms is she to EVER judge a book by its cover and if she does she will be gone before he can close the res book. Nice to have friends in low places.

 

I've had this happen to me, unfortunately, several times at Aria. Maybe it's just bad luck, but I've had inattentive, borderline rude service at a couple times at Alibi, and one other time at a bar that no longer exists. Maybe it's due to the way I dress (I'm a jeans and t-shirt guy, sorry, I just don't put on airs regardless of how "posh" a resort is), or, again, maybe it's just bad luck, but 3 times is enough for me to more or less swear off the place.

I don't mind it much myself, but it's too bad for those servers, because I come to Vegas more than willing to spend money and I'm a great tipper. Too bad for the resort, too, as it's a beautiful place that I'd like to spend more time at but there are plenty of places to drink w/o having to deal with an attitude. I've dated enough bartenders in my time to know that you don't make a scene or call a manager or write a review, you just vote with your wallet and go somewhere else.

Example, you step 50 yards north and get consistently amazing service at the Cosmo, in every bar you go to, regardless of the venue. It seems to be something in the culture there, if you give crappy service at the Cosmo you won't have a job long. MGM resorts, it's much more hit or miss.

 

Being snubbed is an awful experience. It can ruin a wonderful evening.

I feel terrible to leave a couple of pennies for the tip but I need to send a message. If I leave nothing they might think I forgot. This way they know I did not forget.

 

Twice at the Sams Town buffet we've run into indifferent service. First was me, mega-slow drink orders. We always have one person in our party wait at the table for the drink server. It was me this time and no server by the time I was "relieved" and went to get food. Got back with food, no drinks and they said no order taken. I was thirsty so I went right up to the soda machine, got a drink and a server came up and said to sit down and they would get drinks. I responded, and I was not Miss Mary Sunshine in my tone, that we had been waiting forever and they need to get their act together, yadda yadda. I must admit that usually the drink service there has been prompt.

Second time was worse. (to make a long story long ...)

At Sams Town, for adult beverages at the buffet, they have a window into a service bar where you step up and order. The bartender covers both the buffet customers and the servers out on the floor.

Anyway, as we were just arriving I was scoping out the buffet (I always make a full pass before I take anything) and my older brother was standing at the bar window and asked me if I wanted an adult beverage. I said I did not but I had to tell him something so I went over anyway. The bartender was doing server drinks and totally ignoring Jay. He finally asked "excuse me, can I please have a Miller Light" or whatever it was (that's what he usually drinks) and the guy replied very curtly "hold on" or something and proceeded to totally ignore him. He finally asked how much longer it would be and the bartender blurted out about 5 minutes or so. Jay responded to the effect of WTF is this and the bartender just blurted "that's the way it is, pal" or something like that!

I went off to get my Mass Quantities and when I got back to the table, I see that Jay had summoned management and was reading them the riot act. They appeared to be listening nonchalantly.

I sat down and added that I was within earshot of the whole ordeal and that the bartender was indeed a d*ck about it, or (LOL) in this case was the first one to be a d*ck about it.

I also told them that at two casinos I was familiar with, where the customer bar doubles as a service bar, the standard is to alternate, do one drink for the server and then one for the customer, rinse, repeat. The one management lady said that's what they are supposed to do here as well. Both of us then clarified that he was doing the full tray for the server and ignoring, or rather actively refusing to serve the customer.

They eventually offered a round of drinks for the table (6 of us) and they say they would have a "chat" with the bartender about it.

I must admit that these were the exceptions and not the rule at Sams Town.

 

This happened to us at RiRa in Shoppes at Mandalay. It was late like 1 or 2 in the morning, but they were full swing w/a band playing. They put us in a room separate from other people and then disappeared. We waited for 20 mins and then walked out because we couldn't find anybody to even ASK about where the server was.

 

Totally wrong for the hostess to be rude to your group... but also wrong to go into a restaurant like Bardot wearing Camo.

 

LOL yeah OK whatever you say, at least it wasn't those hideous shorts you have on in your avatar

 

It's Vegas. People wear whatever they want. Get over it, knucklehead. If what someone else is wearing in a restaurant makes or breaks your experience, you have a problem.

 

Hey ! I wear a pair of shorts like that !!!

 

When we're at a buffet or coffee shop I don't care what people wear. But, for an experience as described below by Aria I do not want to see camo.

"BARDOT Brasserie embraces the culture and feel of dining at a Parisian café with the focus and detail of a modern craft kitchen.

This classic French brasserie experience offers traditional brasserie fare for dinner and weekend brunch, including Burgundian Escargot wrapped in puff pastry shells, a French Onion Soup with Perigord truffle and more. Leading the brasserie’s inspired culinary team is Chef Joshua Smith, a Vegas favorite and longtime Mina collaborator.

Offering a subtle nod to Hemingway’s Paris, BARDOT Brasserie’s cocktail program is derived from classic cocktail recipes and incorporates eclectic French spirits with offerings such as the “Le Detroit” and the “And God Created Woman”. Also set to feature an array of new world and old world wine, BARDOT Brasserie’s wine program will focus on the regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône, Alsace and the Loire.

Designed by Bishop Pass, the Brasserie convey the mood of early film noirs with its mix of low lighting and dramatic shadows setting the stage for alluring and mysterious experiences yet to come."

Ref: http://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/las-vegas/bardot-brasserie/#experience

 

Bubba, you should share that with BARDOT.
BARDOT Brasserie, Las Vegas, Brenda Muneton 702.590.8638 [email protected]

 

Oh lord, it is snobs vs slob. Been a while since the most committed no longer post here.

 

You've been here since 2008, you're one of the most committed. (Posted in recognition of your seniority on the board.)