LIVE WIRE FILTERS OUT THEIR GOOGLE REVIEWS, SO YOU CAN NOT LEAVE AN HONEST REVIEW THERE…read more
We are writing to express our profound disappointment with the event coordination for our 20-year reunion. The experience was incredibly unprofessional, and the Class of '04 Reunion Committee felt disrespected after having paid for your services.
Initially, we selected Live Wire based on the positive reviews on your social media platforms. However, after checking other review sites like Yelp, it became clear that our negative experience was not unique. We encountered significant issues with conflicting information about the services provided by your staff. Despite multiple attempts to contact our event coordinator, Erika, we did not receive clear or consistent answers to our questions. During our visit on June 25th, we were given conflicting information yet again, but your general manager, Algy, and other staff were the most pleasant and spoke with us with the level of customer service a paying client expects.
Attempts to visit the venue during stated hours of operation were fruitless, as the venue was closed each time. Given the high cost of renting this venue, we expected a much higher level of service and professionalism. After speaking with the owner, Erin, we were told that we were "wasting her time" because she and other members of management had to be involved when our event coordinator, Erika, went unresponsive and we weren't getting our questions answered. Erin also mentioned that she shouldn't be communicating with one of the committee members because they weren't the point of contact, yet she was willing to take an additional $350 from our classmate for an extra hour to set up. This inconsistency was unacceptable. This business is in the hospitality and customer service industry, and Live Wire's conduct was severely lacking.
We have never heard of an event coordinator not assisting with coordination. When our class representative was told Erika was not an event planner, we were already aware. However, when we expressed our concerns to Erin and Algy, their responses were contradictory. Live Wire can certainly learn from Algy, who communicated professionally while being informative and addressing our issues. If your event coordinator was unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the role, then it raises questions about the standard of service provided. If this venue could not handle event coordination, it should not have taken on the responsibility. Here's the link to UGA's Event Planning and Meeting Management Certificate. Given that this is a college town, as Erin pointed out, perhaps Live Wire could benefit from this training to better reflect professionalism in its operations.
On July 4th, we received an email stating changes to our contract and confirmation that the $350 was received for the additional setup hour. Yet, they weren't the point of contact, but the money was taken. As of July 7th, Erin responded to a message indicating that yet again, misinformation was provided. Erin, you stated in your email that you said the same thing as Erika to our class representative, which you certainly did not do. Our class representative even confirmed with you multiple times prior to leaving regarding the timeline for dropping off tablecloths at 2 pm. It's a good thing that in the state of Georgia, you have the right to record conversations as long as one person is aware, and when they spoke with you, the committee was also on the phone and heard the entire conversation. You also forgot to mention that you said if your staff shared the information regarding tablecloths or any items being dropped off and set up before our arrival, you would have to speak with your team. Sounds like a lack of communication amongst your staff that had nothing to do with the client. The fact that you blatantly lied about your conversation in an email truly shows this venue for what it is. Neither you nor Erika owned up to any customer service lapses, which was mind-blowing.
On July 8th, Erika finally reached out to our point of contact by phone and provided direct contact information, less than four days before our event. The simple fact that there was a thread going back and forth between your event coordinator and our point of contact prior to July 8th and your event coordinator went unresponsive is what warranted the call for clarity yet again. And it seems that both you and your event coordinator are on the same page when it comes to telling the customer to make sure we have a great time at the event and not to worry about logistics leading up to it. So, you wanted us to put trust in the fact that everything would work itself out, but your business has made that impossibly hard to do.
