I very rarely write bad reviews because most places who give poor customer service will be out of business soon enough. I was staying at the Biltmore for a conference and the the weather was bad so I had to take most of my meals at this place. My experiences with M&S took place over a weekend.
One evening I stopped by the bar to have a drink and something small. I sat at the bar for 6 minutes (I actually timed this) and although three people worked behind the bar, no one even acknowledged I was there. The bartender had no issues fawning over the two ladies sitting next to me, but he literally treated me like I was invisible. I am not exaggerating when I say that no one even said a single word to me. This visit was on 3 March about 5pm. I got so annoyed I finally left.
The next morning I had breakfast there and while there were no issues with the food at any time during my visit, something was very wrong with the coffee. The waiter, to his credit, actually brought me a new cup, but although I now spent my entire meal without coffee, I still was charged for it. I've worked in a restaurant before and the norm would be to at least remove the coffee from the bill. It is such a small thing, but is something people notice and remember.
There were several instances where I waited for things like a new beer or more coffee which I should not have been waiting anywhere near that long. Even times when waitstaff and a manager walked by my table and could have easily seen I was out of coffee.
Had it not been for being at a conference, I would easily have eaten somewhere else. M&S may have a reputation, but they need to tread lightly, they are going to lose that reputation if this is how they treat customers. Remember the old saying, it takes a lifetime to build a customer base and only moments to lose it.
