Why bar owners "Don't get it " about customer service

[Guest doveman]

As a newbie(First visit to Pattaya), I must admit I thought a lot of the posts on here

about poor customer service at the bars were the result of boredom and carping at times.

 

Well I can confirm after my experience last night at a Boystown bar that this trend is truthful and predictions of the eventual closing of most of these bars is probably accurate.

 

I had ventured into one of the bars- lets just say the name of the bar describes a region of the USA that at one point in time was "Lawless and unsettled." I met two very charming boys that I was sharing a bottle with. Well like flies to honey 3 yes that is right THREE

employees -(Not boys), immediately began helping themselves to the bottle and one of these was the Mamasan. Not wanting to cause a stir I was all smiles and allowed the first three drinks to be dispensed but was firm after that, that the bottle was for myself and the two boys.

 

Thereafter I had reason to contest an error in the check bin and it was finally resolved but with a bit of a struggle. After that someone had the audacity to place a ticket in my check bin for a 150 baht Mamasan drink. Well I have to tell you gentlemen

I operate on principle and this was a game changer. I now fully see the reason for the complaints and commentary in here about the decline of the bars and I have an explanation of why it is happening.

 

Just like most western residents and visitors that are true to themselves that they will never truly understand the Thai psyche, the bars in decline have employees and management that can't comprehend the MEANING of customer service or appreciation. They CAN'T change quite simply. So you have the successful bars like Funny boys and a handful of others for a very good reason- they care. It won't be long before there is one more empty shop house in Boystown. Little wonder they can't afford to fix their sign.

[Gaybutton]

That's outrageous, even for Pattaya. That's one bar I would never be in again. Even if you didn't mind that others were helping themselves to the bottle you bought, I think it takes a hell of a nerve for them to have even tried when they were neither invited nor offered.

 

And then to get a bill for a mama-san's drink when the drink came out of the bottle you had purchased and the mama-san was never invited to take a drink from it in the first place? I wonder how they expected to justify that.

[Guest paulg]

 

 

I had ventured into one of the bars- lets just say the name of the bar describes a region of the USA that at one point in time was "Lawless and unsettled." I met two very charming boys that I was sharing a bottle with. Well like flies to honey 3 yes that is right THREE

employees -(Not boys),

 

 

Not being a yank I cannot even guess which bar you are referring to. Which one please.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

A bit off the topic, but not too far off.

 

We were at a Thai birthday party at a restaurant the other night. A buffet was laid out on the terrace. After awhile a youngish farang, 40 or so, came in and smiling pointing to the buffet. Everyone looked at him strangely. The guy whose birthday it was had his back to the buffet, so he didn't see what was going on. The farang filled his plate and walked out to a bar across the way. Those of us who saw it were dumbfounded. There are some really crass, rude people running around.

[Guest voldemar]

A bit off the topic, but not too far off.

 

There are some really crass, rude people running around.

Not that Pattaya ever attracted a lot of angels (both farang and Thai).

[Guest doveman]

I agree that rudeness occurs everywhere but this is a business. With the baht as strong as it is it seems like suicide for a bar to treat a customer poorly. People are going to be more and more selective.

[Guest doveman]

That's outrageous, even for Pattaya. That's one bar I would never be in again. Even if you didn't mind that others were helping themselves to the bottle you bought, I think it takes a hell of a nerve for them to have even tried when they were neither invited nor offered.

 

And then to get a bill for a mama-san's drink when the drink came out of the bottle you had purchased and the mama-san was never invited to take a drink from it in the first place? I wonder how they expected to justify that.

 

 

I think times are hard and they see an opportunity and think they have nothing to lose- they don't give a damn. I'll be telling EVERYONE about the bar and not to patronize it. In keeping with a civil tone on a public board I am going to give a lot better than I got from the bar staff in my commentary.

[Gaybutton]

I'll be telling EVERYONE

I would start with the bar owner. The owner may not even be aware of the actions of his employees.

[Guest doveman]

I would start with the bar owner. The owner may not even be aware of the actions of his employees.

 

If he/she isn't on the spot and minding the store they don't deserve to be in business.

There are ways of finding out these things..it is called communication. They should be AT the bar regularly or have "Plants" looking for such things. In other words the "Secret shopper" that you see very often employed by service organizations in the west. In retrospect I think comments on this board about bar service problems have been very generous. With all that said I don't mean to imply your thoughts aren't valid..in fact I appreciate your efforts with this board;-) I don't have any sympathy with business owners that aren't vigilant.

[aussie_]

I think times are hard and they see an opportunity and think they have nothing to lose- they don't give a damn. I'll be telling EVERYONE about the bar and not to patronize it. In keeping with a civil tone on a public board I am going to give a lot better than I got from the bar staff in my commentary.

 

I was at Boytown last night. Visited three go go bars away from the main soi with approx eight dancers on stage in each, there must have been a lot of early offs or the rest have gone back to the village before high season comes. We then sat at a hotel bar near Panorama and my friend commented on the waiter out front reading the newspaper and yelling loudly. "No way this guy would ever be employed if I was running the place". Many of the staff at most bars look bored and disinterested and I have rarely had any interaction with management that I know of in any of these bars. The only exception is Funny Boys which always seems to get positive reports and is very well run.

 

Most of the Sunee Bars are better run, good value food and drinks with friendly management and staff and you don't feel like your being ripped off. Boytown could be so much better and a good alternative but there's not much incentive to go there.

 

We then went on the Dave Man Club near Pattaya Klang at 1.30am, not a coyote boy on stage for the next hour before the show, they spend most of their time out with customers scrounging drinks. We had a bottle of whiskey but one friend got a shock when his Heineken was 200 baht a small bottle. This place used to be good but it's off my list now, I will only go to NAB occasionally, at least the coyote boys are on stage dancing most of the time.

 

Sorry if this all sounds a bit negative but some work needs to be done by the bar and also disco owners. A survey of customers would be a good start to see what they want. It seems a "if you don't like it......." attitude is how many places are run.

[payless]

Just a coincidence that Dave and Wild West Bar are owned by the same people.

 

Just a thought about the exchange rate:

 

I assume that some of you guys who exchange dollars here adjust tips in line with the exchange rate. Likewise with most other occidental currencies.

 

According to Wikipedia:

 

From 1956 until 1973, the baht was pegged to the U.S. dollar at an exchange rate of 20.8 baht = one dollar and at 20 baht = 1 dollar until 1978. A strengthening US economy caused Thailand to re-peg its currency at 25 to the dollar from 1984 until July 2, 1997, when the country was stung by the Asian financial crisis. The baht was floated and halved in value, reaching its lowest rate of 56 to the dollar in January 1998. It has since risen to about 31 per dollar.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I assume that some of you guys who exchange dollars here adjust tips in line with the exchange rate. Likewise with most other occidental currencies.

Why would anyone do that? 1000 baht is still 1000 baht to a boy, regardless how much it would cost us.

[Moses]

I forgot about BoysTown few years ago - there are nothing to do coz business in this area in generally speaking now just "uses" famous of this place and not adds any value in... Seems they think "area is famous so we can sit and earn money"...

 

My directions in Pattaya for past 3 years are targeted to Sunee coz business there works hard to make this place more attractive and they have success on this way.

 

I left BoysTown to japanese and chinnese hetero tourist groups. IMHO: BoysTown isn't place for relaxations anymore - it is zoo or amusement pak for straight tourists and I don't want to be "animal" or "clown" for shots of their cameras...

[Guest]

IMHO: BoysTown isn't place for relaxations anymore - it is zoo or amusement pak for straight tourists and I don't want to be "animal" or "clown" for shots of their cameras...

 

That is the way I feel about Soi Twilight in Bangkok. And, while I will still go there it is not as a regular as I once was years ago.

[Gaybutton]

If he/she isn't on the spot and minding the store they don't deserve to be in business.

I agree, but in your posts you haven't said whether the owner was there or whether you tried to speak with the owner.

[atri1666]

I forgot about BoysTown few years ago - "...

 

My directions in Pattaya for past 3 years are targeted to Sunee

 

 

I already forgot Boystown long time ago ( shortly after Adam&Eve in soi 2 was changing the place). Since Peter was starting with Crazy Pub i was regular in Sunee Plaza and there i feel at home

[Guest]

1 Anyone who tries to charge me for something I haven't had just does not ever get away with it either. Good on you for challenging it.

 

2 Maybe the owner doesn't know what's going on. Maybe the customers don't know where to find the owner. That's why if I was running this type of business, there would be customer feedback slips and one of those locked feedback boxes with a slot in the top at the entrance to the building. You don't take much action if there's one p*ssed off customer, but if they start to mount up then something needs to be done.

[Guest Astrrro]

What's the best interest of the barowner is different than what is in the best interest of the mamasan which is different from the best interest of the staff.

 

The best interest of the owner is the maximization of longterm profit.

 

Some owners realize that excellent customer service is an integral part of that oblective. A good example of that is Corner Bar, where Michael and Thomas are always looking for new ways to make things even better for the customer.

[Moses]

A good example of that is Corner Bar, where Michael and Thomas are always looking for new ways to make things even better for the customer.

 

May be they do good work, but I prefer opposite side of the Soi (Come In or Yaya) coz Corner don't looks cozy...

[Guest beachlover]

Thereafter I had reason to contest an error in the check bin and it was finally resolved but with a bit of a struggle.

Yeah, that's just flipping atrocious. I hope you left zero tip.

 

And for employees to help themselves to your bottle without an invitation at all is enormously rude. It goes against any sort of drinking etiquette.

 

We then went on the Dave Man Club near Pattaya Klang at 1.30am, not a coyote boy on stage for the next hour before the show, they spend most of their time out with customers scrounging drinks. We had a bottle of whiskey but one friend got a shock when his Heineken was 200 baht a small bottle. This place used to be good but it's off my list now, I will only go to NAB occasionally, at least the coyote boys are on stage dancing most of the time.

Out of curiosity, what time do NAB and Dave Man get going?

 

I assume that some of you guys who exchange dollars here adjust tips in line with the exchange rate. Likewise with most other occidental currencies.

Why the hell would people adjust tips and payments according to their own country's currency exchange rate with the baht? Are you saying if the Euro tanked and fell 50% all the Europeans should pay half of what they were paying before? No one in Thailand cares what you had to pay in your own currency for each baht... they just care how much you're paying them in baht.

 

I left BoysTown to japanese and chinnese hetero tourist groups. IMHO: BoysTown isn't place for relaxations anymore - it is zoo or amusement pak for straight tourists and I don't want to be "animal" or "clown" for shots of their cameras...

Heh... Imagine if the gawking tourists started trundling through Sunee Plaza!

 

Seriously, if a savvy tour agent wanted to give their clients a real off the trail adventure that's where they'd take them!

 

What's the best interest of the barowner is different than what is in the best interest of the mamasan which is different from the best interest of the staff.

Totally true... the staff are usually just trying to maximise immediate earnings for the night. They don't care how it affects the bar's long-term (or even short/medium term) reputation. Only the business owner cares about this.

[Guest]

Why the hell would people adjust tips and payments according to their own country's currency exchange rate with the baht? Are you saying if the Euro tanked and fell 50% all the Europeans should pay half of what they were paying before? No one in Thailand cares what you had to pay in your own currency for each baht... they just care how much you're paying them in baht.

 

If the Thai baht strengthens against several of the main tourist currencies, then the Thai tourism sector will experience some downward pressure on pricing, leading at least to a reduction in inflation & possible discounting of hotel prices. Also expectations for tips may moderate slightly.

 

After all, it's easy to tip someone a day's salary when there's a massive discrepancy in incomes, however when this discrepancy gets eroded by exchange rate movements, the pain of the exchange rate movement tends to be shared.

I'll emphasise this applies only if the baht appreciates against several key currencies responsible for a significant part of the tourism market.

[Moses]

If the Thai baht strengthens against several of the main tourist currencies, then the Thai tourism sector will experience some downward pressure on pricing, leading at least to a reduction in inflation & possible discounting of hotel prices. Also expectations for tips may moderate slightly.

 

After all, it's easy to tip someone a day's salary when there's a massive discrepancy in incomes, however when this discrepancy gets eroded by exchange rate movements, the pain of the exchange rate movement tends to be shared.

I'll emphasise this applies only if the baht appreciates against several key currencies responsible for a significant part of the tourism market.

 

You are right. But main word in your post is first - IF.

For now even more quickly growing of RMB (yuan from China), rupiah from India and Yen from japan against Baht can easy substitute this growing of Baht against dollar and few more currencies. India, Malaysia, Japan and especially - China are much close to Thailand, travel from this countries is much cheaper than from USA or Europe. So I don't think if touristic market will sense any loosing.

[Guest joseph44]

Overcherging, too much charging, wrong charging.......it happens all the time and in every location.

As long as you don't notice it and pay the bill, things are ok, and possible mistakes earlier may have bene sorted out that way.

If you notice and complain, they will 'struggle' a bit (loose face), knowing that they are wrong, but finally a "sorry mister" with a big smile will settle the dispute.

 

"Uninvited guests" at your table, might not have been so uninvited. Probably they were "friends" of your boys or maybe they were even invited by them. Thais are very generous when it's from another back.

 

Another matter regarding BoyzTown: Barowners and boys think that, compared to Sunnee, they are upscale and almost niche. According to them it justifies higher prices for drinks, offs and boys' rental-fees, but let's be honest.........wherever you off a boy or invite a boy for a drink: They're just hookers, working for a living.

[Guest beachlover]

If the Thai baht strengthens against several of the main tourist currencies, then the Thai tourism sector will experience some downward pressure on pricing, leading at least to a reduction in inflation & possible discounting of hotel prices. Also expectations for tips may moderate slightly.

 

After all, it's easy to tip someone a day's salary when there's a massive discrepancy in incomes, however when this discrepancy gets eroded by exchange rate movements, the pain of the exchange rate movement tends to be shared.

I'll emphasise this applies only if the baht appreciates against several key currencies responsible for a significant part of the tourism market.

 

Yes, we're talking about a more micro/individual level where people are individually thinking "oh, my currency has tanked so this trip I'll pay half of what I used to pay - they will understand that."

 

If market forces push prices down over time, fair enough, but I'm not sure this will happen in the greater scheme of things if more Asians and Arabs are coming...

 

Have to admit, I'm glad I'm in Australia. GFC didn't put a dent in our currency at all... In fact right now it's almost neck and neck with the USD, up from 0.8 a few months ago. Wooooo!

[Guest aot87]

Yes, we're talking about a more micro/individual level where people are individually thinking "oh, my currency has tanked so this trip I'll pay half of what I used to pay - they will understand that."

 

If market forces push prices down over time, fair enough, but I'm not sure this will happen in the greater scheme of things if more Asians and Arabs are coming...

 

Have to admit, I'm glad I'm in Australia. GFC didn't put a dent in our currency at all... In fact right now it's almost neck and neck with the USD, up from 0.8 a few months ago. Wooooo!

The trouble is the asians and the arabs dont spend their money in the way we western guys do, ie mainly drink and boys