Talk of The Villages Florida - Two day experience of a couple on the lifestyle preview couple and myself.

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Folks are knocking this post. They received bad service, and they are letting us know. Give them a break

I appreciate the comments about the bad service but I'm not convinced this should color a lifetime visit. Fortunately, TV is so much more than its restaurants. Hopefully, nitehawk and guests found much else to enjoy.

So how was the lobster?
Sitting outside is preferable to some specially as nice as last night.
4 of us sat at the open bar at Eaton Grille then were fortunate to get a table outside of the garage doors.
It was packed with Villagers (lots wearing CC logo'd shirts).
Way more to do here than just Codys and Lopez.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitehawk (Post 824128)

Two day experience of a couple on the lifestyle preview couple and myself.
Monday I suggested dinner at Nancy Lopez for dinner � forgetting it was lobster night
Which is fine as we did not mind waiting � it was a pleasant evening and sitting outside was fine with us � well-- after 1hour and 15 minutes the buzzer starts beeping and we go inside to the desk to be seated. �Follow me� is announced by one of the two or three expediters � so off we go in single line through the seating area � then she opens the rear door (to the patio) and there are about 10 tables (about half taken) and tells us this is our table here in the corner. I said � I do not think so� and tell her we would like to be seated inside an not on the patio where lunch is served. As we are making an about-face I see the expediter put up the menu (she was carrying) up in front of her mouth and say something to the waiter who was waiting to serve us � then a shug of the shoulder � as to say � well we tried� I asked to speak the so called manager name �August� and asked if that was normal procedure to seat people outside on the patio without asking. I told Mr. August ( what ever is name is) that I did not think that was a way to run a (so called upscale) restaurant. It was just the attitude of the staff that bothered me .,. So much for the lifestyle preview impression. So lets forget it - and move on.
Next day Tuesday � after golf we went to Cody�s for some lunch�Table for three outside and waited ( not very long) for waitress . Round of drinks and menu give � fine
Order taken . I had ordered off the bar menu and the others regular lunch. Again after about 15 minutes � no problem � Two lunches come out and nothing said about the third being prepared or will be out soon. Five minutes later is see waitress fly by the table to a group of golfer who were seated near us � with something on the plate that looked like what I had ordered � thinking she will be back with my order, when she finds out it is not there order. But no she comes back empty handed and goes right by the table. Now we do not see the waitress for quite awhile. I am thinking � it�s a small order � onion rings a bar hamburger �maybe just put the order in and it will only be a minute - but no site of the waitress. Now as everyone is done with there lunch and mine has not arrived yet � along comes the manager (bill) who does not stop at he table and as he literally flies by asking is everything �ok� and keeps going --- woo woo � no everything is not OK - what is the problem he asks � I never got my order --- his answer is �oh� I know all about it - your order was given to someone else by mistake, Now I ask him did he not think it would be nice to come to the table and explain to us the problem and not just fly by and say �everything Ok� and keep going.. Not very professional � he now says he will not charge me for the meal I did not get --- I told him that was nice of him--- I don�t want any free food or drinks and I will not pay for anything I did not get�. He said sorry � and we left
Again nice experience for a couple on lifestyle preview --- Is good help that hard to find or is it just �I don�t really care attitude�
I am sending an email to the sales rep. that had the couple and maybe have him send a apology and say this is not really a true reflection of the villages Or is it ---- thing have changed in the ten years I have been here and it is not for the better --- too large ---- build �build---build � more homes � more homes ---over crowded no more the friendliest town

Did they like other things about the Villages ? Are they going to buy ?
Two negative experiences at non-Villages owned restaurants wouldn't change my mind about the wonderful lifestyle we have here. I hope that they enjoyed the rest of their stay here and will be back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buggyone (Post 824166)

The OP did not mention what time they arrived at Lopez for dinner on Monday. Being the best place AND lobster night, just EXPECT a long wait. Sitting on the patio is nice but you can specify indoor seating when you check in. If the OP has lived in The Villages for 10 years, he should have known.

At Codys, the OP was in the outdoor bar area. He could have gotten up and asked the bartender where his food was instead of sitting.

These two minor experiences do not even deserve to be mentioned on a forum.

I disagree that these experiences don't deserve to be mentioned on TOTV. I think that the OP has every right to start a thread and write a long post on this forum. But we also have the right to make comments on his post. And I do agree with Buggy that these were two very minor annoyances.

Many people would consider themselves fortunate to be seated on the patio during this hot weather. I'd be delighted to sit outside. I think it's "normal" to specify either indoor or outdoor when you register at the front desk, if you have a strong preference. So I don't think this was a "wrong move" by Lopez.

At Cody's, ... that was definitely a wrong move by the waitress. But easy to fix. It's probably happened to all of us at one time or another. If it's obvious to me that my meal has been overlooked, I ask the next passing waiter to send over my waitress. Should that be necessary, no. Is it something that happens, yes. To me it's no big deal.

Hopefully, the OP's friends had many positive experiences while they were on their lifestyle preview. The Villages is a big city now, with a lot of gridlock at this time of year. But still a fabulous Retirement Community.

I sure don't think the Sales Rep should be asked to apologize for any of the experiences of this couple, other than if they had a bad experience with the agent's handling of their real estate needs.

Nitehawk: Sorry you and your guests had such a bad Experence at Lopez and Cody's. Unfortunately, similar experiences seem to happen all too often at Village restaurants and none of us really have a good answer for incompetent management and staff.

That said, from what little I know, the restaurant business is "tough" and it is difficult to get good help----everywhere these days.

Just to let you know (without details)we did not have the best of experiences on our first visit to TV either but ........ Here we are!

I'm sure you felt terrible (I would be and also embarrassed) as you were trying your best to show them a good time in TV. Hopefully, some good times were had before they had to leave. Almost "anything" beats the 52 inches of Chicago area snow so far this year!

Look at it this way:

a) You and preview guests were able to enter and dine at Nancy Lopez Legacy Country Club without filling out an application given you by three lifelong club member sponsors; without review of your application and posting it in the men's locker room for review by club members who could blackball you; and without paying initiation/stock fee of $40,000....annual dues of $7,000.....spending minimum of $800/quarter.....service charge of 20% automatically added to the dining/bar bill....etc.

b) Cody's inside stinks of old dried beer on the floors even while covered with bushels of peanut shucks and fodder.

The Villages is far more than two bar-restaurants with polar opposite ambiences.

It might be said that the Villages is not providing enough restaurants to provide for the growing number of people who live here.

I think the OP should let peers know about their experience. If it happens to you, you will know it was not an isolated incident.

Mistakes can happen. It is how the manager and staff handle the recovery that counts.

The staff and management knows what to do! Not following through, to deal with the issue, means; "I don't care about the customer!"

If I felt is was handled really poorly, I would probably contact the owner or the chain and register a complaint. You can be sure they want to know if poor management is affecting customer satisfaction.

Remember when going on the Lifestyle Preview meant being treated like royalty. Times have changed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by katerogers (Post 824380)

It might be said that the Villages is not providing enough restaurants to provide for the growing number of people who live here.

People will line up for the restaurants they like, but other restaurants end up closing for lack of business.

Quote:

Originally Posted by katerogers (Post 824380)

It might be said that the Villages is not providing enough restaurants to provide for the growing number of people who live here.

It might be said, BUT the villages doesn't provide restaurants, it builds buildings for restaurants and rents them to the people who are in the restaurant business. I am SURE they want more business. They are in business to make money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantom (Post 824383)

Remember when going on the Lifestyle Preview meant being treated like royalty. Times have changed!

Times have changed because they can't build houses fast enough.

They don't need to give away things to sell homes now.

But now that I live here. I feel more like royalty than at any time of my life.

We ALL live like the very rich used to live.

Quote:

Originally Posted by katerogers (Post 824380)

It might be said that the Villages is not providing enough restaurants to provide for the growing number of people who live here.

The Villages doesn't provide restaurants.

I have had bad experiences at restaurants all over the world not just TV. In TV I have had good and bad experiences at both places you mentioned, I don't think it has anything to do with TV it had more to do with some people are good at their jobs and some people are not very good. Some people care and take pride and some don't give a hoot!