Viva Las Vegas ! My girlfriend and I just recently went to Las Vegas for a much needed vacation and of course, we had a blast. The bright lights, the ringing of the slot machines, the cheers of people hitting it big, the long faces of the ones who just lost it all, the extravagant shopping, the lavish night clubs and the fine restaurants everywhere, the awesome weather, all combined for a memorable trip. I have been to Vegas several times over the years but this is the first time I really observed everything around me. I wanted to bring back an experience that I could share at Mercy and one thing really impressed me !
The one thing that really stood out for me was the quality of service I received. No matter where I went, it seemed that it was the same, whether I was at a patio bar or a five star restaurant. We went to a couple of fine hotel restaurants for dinner and it’s sad to say, that I was overall disappointed with the service that we received, especially considering we were dropping $200-$400 for the two of us. My girlfriend thought I was overreacting with my disappointment. Granted, I am picky because I expect the same service that I provide, but it really made me realize how exceptional our service is at Mercy!
I did however take one of our guest's recommendations and visited a restaurant and wine bar on the outskirts of town called Ferraro’s. I had made reservations for dinner. I was already not happy with my dining service experiences in Vegas so I walked in as merely a novice putting my 16 years industry experience aside and approached it as if I was a guest at Mercy. We simply sat down and I told our server to save his opening speech and placed everything from the water to the desserts in his hands. As a result of us letting the waiter have control of our evening, it was by far the best experience I have every had at any restaurant. Everything was to the tee of what I expect our staff to provide at Mercy. The things that impressed me the most: the bus boy, the waiter, the sommelier, and even the executive chef, came by our table and without being bothersome, to make sure everything was great. After the evening was over I introduced myself and raved about my experience. We even had a picture taken with our waiter and sommelier.
I learned a lot from both the great and the not so great service we received in Las Vegas and that experience provided me with a few ideas to fine tune our already awesome service that we provide at Mercy!
Craig Brazeal
Bar Manager
