ELV note: Just what is going on here? The patron describes relentless unsympathetic treatment (and a bill!); the management says they did everything they could. Who is right? Does it matter? Some people (diners especially) often go out with a chip on their shoulder. Restaurant management can sometimes be way too defensive. We are reminded of the sociological exercise when a staged event happens suddenly in front of people (lasting less than a minute), and they’re then asked to re-create/re-tell what they observed — always with severe divergence from the facts. (Lesson: perception is reality, even when it’s the wrong perception.) Without taking sides, ELV will say that he’s always found Gallagher’s to be a top drawer operation…more in keeping with the management’s version of these events. You make the call!
Hello –
Thank you all for the comments and thoughts regarding this guest experience.
As the Marketing Director for Ark Vegas, which operates Gallagher’s Steakhouse, please allow me to clarify a few things regarding this particular situation.
The letter is an eye opener to read as there are many inaccuracies that unfairly misrepresent our management team at Gallagher’s, especially as being apathetic. We take all concerns very seriously and treat all guests with the utmost respect.
As the above letter has now come to public light, I feel that it’s necessary to clarify and expound on a few, important things:
• The guests first spoke with our General Manager to let them know of their issues. He immediately apologized and noticed they had eaten only one clam and their drinks remained untouched; he informed them that they would owe nothing.
• Our General Manager offered to call the front desk and get help for their sudden, onset illness; the guests declined.
• The entire experience did not take place in a short span of time all at once. The couple left Gallagher’s and returned to the host stand several times over the course of the evening. During one such visit, they requested their bill and were mistakenly given one by a manager who was unaware of the situation earlier in the evening. That was immediately rectified by the General Manager and server who returned their credit card to tell them, again, that they owed nothing and to, again, apologize for their experience.
• A phone conversation did take place later that night, during which our General Manager again apologized and asked what else he could do to help. Requests by the manager to refrain from obscene language and to extend the same respect he was receiving were disregarded, unfortunately prompting an end to communications at that time.
To Waylon, if you’re reading: We have already reached out to you via email, but have not heard back to date. If you’d care to further discuss your issues, please respond to the previous email sent from Brisa, or you may get in touch with me directly.
Finally, is guest experience important to us? Absolutely. No one is “just a number” as surmised in the above letter. We don’t serve food and drinks to “numbers”, we strive to enhance a guest’s overall Las Vegas experience and to provide stories and build memories about that great time they had at Gallagher’s with their server Paulie.
Regards,
Matt Holsinger
Marketing Director | ARK Vegas
matth@arkvegas.com
It is easy to tell when a restaurant is being genuine or on their heels covering their tracks (at least in the eyes of a hospitality professional). The detail in managements story make it clear that they did everything not just “right” but in the best interest of the patron. When a restaurant puts the patron first is a sign of a company that cares about relationships and not just numbers. Also there are to many facts in Managements story like, Not charging the bill originally that if they were lies would be instantly brought to light and show the truth. There are 3 sides to every story and anyone with a mother knows what those are. But in this instance it seems clear to be management acted professionally and some people just can not be satisfied or have ulterior motives for their actions.
So, was it food poisoning or alcohol poisoning? A sober person would never return multiple times and offer to pay a check they were told was taken care of. Typical Vegas tourist.
I have great admiration for Mr. Holsinger stepping forward to respond. Too often today, individuals have seized the slogan “the customer is always right” to mean “the customer needs no accountability”!
I will be sure to pay Gallagher’s a visit on my next trip. We need more businesses run like this.
People are really just numbers. get used to that concept.
That said, Gallaghers does serve a mighty tasty cowboy steak and a killer martini.
Ill back them over some puking loser anyday.
Sorry Vegas Dave, but I can’t agree with you on the point that “people are really just numbers, get used to that concept.” It’s obvious that Gallagher’s doesn’t adhere to that premise, and nor does the company I work for. We serve up to 30,000 customers on a daily basis, and while each customer is assigned a “number” as it were, that is merely for accounting purposes. Each day every single one of those 30,000 customers is seen as an individual with individual needs. If we only treated them as “numbers” as you suggest, we wouldn’t have upwards of $3 billion in cash in the bank and we wouldn’t be one of the few businesses in our industry that is profitable. True customer service is about individuals, not numbers.
DR
Thats good PR, dr, and I commend you for it.
But true customer service is about increasing the bottom line not kumbaya altruism.
Do you really give two shits about the pain in the ass who wants lemon, no ice in his water or are you thinking about how much you are going to make off the table?
this is a numbers game, whether you are Guy Savoy or Bob Eglet.
Sorry Vegas Dave, you still haven’t swayed me. I see Customer Emails, Texts, and Comment Cards every day that do in fact tell us that they appreciate the little touches that made their experience different. And they also consistently tell us they choose us over the competition because of the service. It’s reflected in our bottom line, i.e. profits. And yes, while it’s sometimes a pain, I reserve my frustrations internally and gladly serve a slice of fresh lemon in still water.