JFK Travesty, Part 6: The Fax

I've photocopied the receipt and faxed it to Mike at Anton Airfood.

Along with the receipt, I sent the following cover sheet:

Re: Greenwich Village Bistro at JFK Terminal 1

Contents: 3 pages (This cover page plus 2 others)

Comments:

Hi Mike,

Following please find two copies (original size and enlarged) of my receipt from the Greenwich Village Bistro. I had walk-up bar service, for which I waited several minutes to be recognized at the empty bar, was treated as an imposition on the bartender’s afternoon, received a glass that was slathered with juice around the outside, had to ask for napkins, and sat at a table covered in something sticky.

Although there were no prices on the drinks list, posted anywhere in the bar, or itemized on the receipt, I watched my bill being rung up on the register. The charges were $6.49 for a glass of white wine and $2.80 for a glass of grapefruit juice. The total therefore should have been $9.29, and New York’s restaurant tax would bring the total to $10.06. The additional amount is $1.67, which is exactly 18% of $9.29 – meaning that I was assessed a service charge although I most certainly did not have table service.

I believe that the surly service I received was a direct result of the fact that the bartender was assured of his tip regardless of the level of service provided. I suspect that the restaurant is run with the knowledge that most patrons are under time pressure en route to international destinations and will not notice billing discrepancies or have any way of contacting management to discuss issues with the service. I therefore feel that, although the dollar amount under discussion here is small, the circumstances suggest underlying management issues that your company should address.

I look forward to hearing what steps you will be taking to resolve this issue and improve service at your JFK concession.