Does it really cost to get good service?

I was supposed to go to lunch with a couple of friends from GS the a few weeks ago and it never panned out. We were supposed to go to the Montage. Very expensive lovely hotel and spa. Seen the likes of Denise Richards and other celebrities. A stone's throw from Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear's place. One or the other's now, I guess.

Entrance

Last week another friend told me she wanted to take me to lunch at the Montage. She had a gift cert, two actually, so her hub can go next time. We went yesterday. We had such a lovely time. Hard not to in this place. It is here in town, lovely old California architecture. Not overly pretentious. Superb service. We had a nice lunch with a gorgeous ocean view on a spectacular day. This particular restaurant called The Loft over looks the enormous pool and gardens, walkways and another restaurant as well. There are three on the property. I am pretty sure I saw one of those tabloid cover skinny girls with huge sunglasses, who like to party all night. I am not sure which one she was though. I should have snapped a photo and asked Katharine. She would have known.

View from lunch on the patio

The property used to be mobile homes and a green fence kept it hidden from Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). I am sure it was wonderful to live there before this huge place took over the land. You can be sure there was a lot of arguing about whether or not it should be made into a resort. It is not like the Ritz, which is also lovely. It is more subdued. You know the room prices begin at $500 a night, but it doesn't have the feel of a "ritzy" place. All because of the architecture.

Our gorgeous coastline

I told my friend yesterday that it has something that we used to take for granted. Good service and well trained employees. Remember when people would NOT walk in front of you when you were in a store or restaurant. They would ask if you needed anything. They would say thank you when you were done being served. Now days, I say thank you and the cashier or server tells me, you're welcome! That is just bass ackwards. It takes going to a five star resort to get the kind of service that we should get every day, no matter where or who we are?

The Loft

I miss good service. I think we should have an uprising and demand good service and manners once again. Do people not teach manners to their children any more? I know I do and most people I know do as well, so where the hell are all these unmannered people coming from? Is it lack of wages that make them think they don't "have" to be helpful and well mannered to customers? Do they think the world owes them and they are above being good at giving customers service they deserve?

This is where we had coffee after lunch

If I owned a place, the first thing my employees would get, is a course in customer service. How to make the customer feel like they are appreciated. Hopefully, they would feel special and want to come back. It doesn't cost a dime to be nice or to be helpful. It is an untapped resource. It didn't used to be! Why don't companies get that? How does a business stay one these days? Because we put up with their crap, that's how. Then we pay a fortune to get good service, like it is a commodity or something. At this point, I guess it is....Rant over.

View from the water