Laughter Lounge - RUDE management staff!!!

Lis9

Hi, I have decided to post my experience on here in an effort to vent my frustrations.
I was at the laughter lounge last night with friend early so that we could get good seats (close enough to see what was going on but not too close to the stage to avoid being picked on!). We got to our seats at about half 7 & the show wasn’t supposed to start until half 8. Just before the show was about to start a male member of staff brusquely asked us how many were in our party. We replied just two of us, when he said ‘Right so, I’m bringing two other people over to share your table as four people can fit here’. We were a bit shocked where upon we said we wouldn’t be comfortable with that. He said ‘What?’ I’m not joking he literally bent down to my level where I was sitting, put his hands on his knees, put his face close to mine, and spoke to me like you would a bold child. He said with raised eyebrows ‘Well you can either pay an extra fiver each to sit at the two seater tables, or I’m bringing over two other people to share your table. Now what will it be?’. I was absolutely shocked and dumbfounded. I couldn’t even look at him. I had to take a sip of my drink and look away I was so uncomfortable. We didn’t answer him, I didn’t know what to say to this rude intimidating man. So he just stared at us for awhile longer and then went off in exasperation. I was so angry at being talked to like that. We are two 29yo females, who just paid €50 for admission and were looking forward to a good night and should not have been spoken to like that.
Nothing happened for awhile and then he sent over this abrupt, abrasive Spanish lady who obviously was told to put us in our place or something as she came over on the offensive straight away ready to have an argument with us. Omg I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. She brought over a couple first who were so embarrassed at the exchange that they decided to sit elsewhere (which turned out to be right behind us & they then thought the problem was with them). Then she brought over two other girls & they sat down with us. Don’t get me wrong – I actually had no problem with people sitting there once I knew what was going on. The issue I had - and still have is the manner in which we were told somebody’s going to be sitting there – or else. What has happened to customer service in Ireland nowadays? I was so mortified and angry at how we were spoken to that I had thoughts of getting my hard earned money back and walking out. I couldn’t relax for the rest of the show and felt like everybody around us thought we were the argumentative ones when we were only standing up for ourselves. Anybody would when treated like second class citizens.

Initially I was going to do the usual ‘Irish’ thing – by shutting up and getting over it. But I woke up this morning still angry and embarrassed and decided to put it out there to see what other people think.
Maybe this will get no replies and maybe people will tell me to shut up lol but at least I put it out there that the management in that place is appalling. (The waiting staff on the floor are simply lovely though!).
Verdict: LL good for a night out but €25 a bit steep for what it was.

AnonoBoy

The bouncer was rude yes but saying you weren't comfortable with someone else sitting at your table? That's basically just saying 'no' to the man.

I don't see how you thought you'd get to have the table to yourselves. Saying you were shocked that other people were going to join you? That's a bit much to be honest.

Slight embarrassment perhaps, worthy of considering walking out? Hardly.

I don't see the part of your story where the management got involved. Was the woman a manager?

Also you say you were being treated like second class citizens - how do you figure that? The guy should have been nicer when he explained that even though you didn't want other people at your table it was going to happen but beyond that I fail to see how you were treated really poorly at all. Most of your problem seems to come from how you thought others around you were perceiving you.