Ra SHAWN-DA-PROFESSOR

Ra SHAWN-DA-PROFESSOR

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

ESCULITA'S NEED TO GIVE STAFF TRAINING IN CLASS, PROFESSIONALISM AND RESPECT.

From 2002, I have attended Esculita's several times, and I've always had a great time listening to the various genres of music, as well as watching performances by Harmonica Sunbeam, and the various exotic dancers, who have made my feel good and shown me respect. Esculita's have had a great rep, but it's also gotten several bad reps from party goers, and unfortantely, I'm one of them, who received a bad taste of the staff's lack of professionalism, so I'm about to go into my Millie Jackson mode, and express how I felt about the staff's shadiness.
On Saturday, July 25, me and my Gay son had arrived at Escos (the nickname for the club) at 11:12 PM, and waited on line along with other party goers, who had arrived early to get in for free. After waiting on line for 28 minutes, security outside the club checked our ID's, and said we could go downstairs, and when we got downstaris, the guy sitting at the cashier had checked my ID and text, said I was cool, and gave me a wrist band. Great for me, but not for my son. The cashier had told my son that he couldn't get in the club, because his ID and text was not legit and that he would have to pay an admission fee of $ 20.00. He explained to the guy that his ID was legit, but the shady guy didn't believe him and insisted that he pay $20.00. Outraged, he stormed out the club, upset and with good reason. He had a legit ID and text that had the address and invite that said free b-4 12. I called my best friend Author/Blogger Donald Peebles, who gave me Esco's number to contact the manager to get the issue resolved. I called and left a message. My son suggested that we go back and speak to the secutity outside about the situation. I spoke to one Afro-Latin guard about the situation. He then called an Black African American guard over for us to explain, and he asked my son did he had another form of ID on him. My son explained to him that he had gotten his new ID in him homestate, and that it expires the following year. After looking at his ID and seeing it was legit, he and the Latin guard wanted to know was the guy who gave my son false information large or slim. I told him slim, and they both said Fernado in unison, which meant that other party goers have had issues with his lack of professional attitude. The Black American guard told us to let the cashier know that we could enter the club and if he had any problems or questions was to send for him. We returned downstaris and that's when the drama began. The guy was trying to rush me into paying quickly by asking for ID and after showing him he told me I had to pay the admission fee. I had to ask him let me finish to speak to him because he was cutting me off and cross talking me. I explained how my son was mistreated earlier, and that security said we could go in. The kid checked the ID and after seeing it was legit, he insisted my son pay. Me and my son were like we shouldn't have to pay. The kid was saying it's a few pass 12 and that he had to pay. I explained to him that he shouldn't have to pay due to their error, and he kept on saying we don't have no more wrist bands and that it was after 12. I told him that despite that, my son shouldn't have to pay being that he came with me the time that my ID was checked and being that I got a wrist band and they made a mistake. We went back and forth, and then the kid went into shady diva mode by doing the neck twirl and raised his voice a few octaves high. I felt threatned because he looked like he was going to attack us, and it's rare that I go off, but after that, I went into Millie Jackson mode and said 'you know what Bitch, I got ties with media! Not only am I gonna write you up, I'm gonna put you on blast!!. He had a attitude like whatever. Me and my son left the club pissed and upset at the mistreatment, and I felt bad because he was in town to celebrate his birthday, and for that shady bitch to act the way he did was more that upsetting. I called Donald, my son's Godfather and he was even more outraged; he actually expressed how he felt on Facebook, and gave us comfort and support. The next day at pride, we were watching the parade, and a guy was passing out flyers from Escos, and when Donald spoke to the guy about the way we were mistreated, the guy revealed that he knew what happened and that he took my son's ID and that his name was Tee-Tee. Both Donald and I try to explain to him about the situation and instead of apologizing, and listening, he constatnly cutted us off saying that it was past midnight, and that we could come to Escos as his guest that night Things got hotter when Donald told him about how he tried to attack me. The guy got silent and stiff, and when I reminded him of how I felt threatned, he quickly walked away.
How do I feel about the mistreatment of the staff? It don't see what the fuck the problem was in the first place! If the first security guard saw that my son's ID was valid and legit, then why did the cashier down stairs couldn't see it was legit? And why after being told that it was legit and it was OK for us to enter, why didn't the shady bitch listen to the situation and tried to resolve the issue by allowing my son free admission to the club. Especially since they were the ones who were at fault in the first place? Why did the kid feel the need to try to cross talk me? To brag to his friends? Was he having a bad day/Night? Was he upset that he had to work instead of shaking his ass at the club?
Well my thing is that had the staff in the basement were being professional and mature, I wouldn't be writing this blog and putting people of blog, but as Millie Jackson said in her 1981 hit "I Had To Say It!"
The purpose of owning a club is to make money and to make customers happy to the point of them spreading the word and coming back bring you more revenue. We could have been investors who were looking for clubs to invest in. The staff didn't think about that. All they thought about was getting money by being shady and unprofessional, which makes me wonder do they do this to avoid letting people get in for free before the midnight? Was that kid being selective? Well all I got to say is that regardless of what job you have, everybody deserves to be treated with respect, the way that you would want somebody to treat you and your family and friends and I would like for the owner and manger of Escos to give their staff some training in hospitality, listening and anger management, because word of mouth can help boost and end your career, and what I've heard recently heard about the way the club is, many people will avoid going, so my advice is for you to use some of that money and give the staff,(especially Tee-Tee-if that's his real name) some lessons on how to listen, and know when to leave the (so-called) Diva attitude outside the club because one day he may come across the one patron, who may hurt more than his feelings, and that would be a good look for the club, the staff and the Gay community, who despite recently having Gay Marriage legal in New York, is still fighting for equality, respect and justice. How can we get respect from the mainstream people, when there are many Gays still throwing shade at each other? Most of the times for unnecessary reasons?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am glad you finally putting Esculelita (Escos) on blast for the unprofessionalism and poor customer service. Good for you, Ra Shawn!