Friday, June 10 at 5:15pm.
After a satisfying rum tasting experience at Koloa Rum, my wife and I headed over to Maliki Lounge to try the Koloa Rum MaiTai (per the recommendation of a Koloa Rum). Upon entering the lounge, my wife and I decided to sit in the teal couch located near the back of the lounge (in direct view of the bar area). Since Happy Hour had just ended, the large crowd at the bar left leaving a somewhat empty lounge. Equipped with my signature smile (my close friends always comment on the fact that I have an infectious smile), I greeted the bartender and ordered a MaiTai for myself and a margarita for my wife.
After leaving my card at the bar(we were prepared to indulge in quite a few beverages), I presented my wife with her drink as we engaged in conversation on the comfortable couch. As we consumed our beverages, we noticed that a small crowd of folks began making their way into the lounge (I have to add that these individuals were not seated at the bar). As we arrived to the sad conclusion of our delicious drinks, I began to wonder when an employee would stop by and ask if we were ready for another (or simply just provide the bare minimum of customer service by checking in with us). Initially I assumed that staff only provided service to patrons that were seated at the bar. However, I observed that some of the individuals seated in close proximity to us were receiving service.
I looked at my watch and observed that a whopping 20 minutes had passed since we finished our drinks. During that 20 minutes I observed patrons receiving additional drinks and receiving food. During this time, I also began questioning my sanity. As each patron was checked on by an employee, I began to wonder if my wife and I had gone on to the afterlife and were invisible.
The final straw was when an employee walked past us after checking in with another couple. I'm not one to pull the race card; however, I couldn't help but think that race played a factor because the other patrons were Caucasian (White). At this point I was ready to remove myself and my wife from this disgusting environment, and made my way to the bartender to close out my tab. If I were the stereotype that you see on Fox News (and if my card was not on file), we probably could have walked out of this bar unnoticed (without paying).
When I calmly and quietly expressed my concern to the bartender (please note that I led with the fact that she makes delicious drinks), she told me that staff were busy tending to both lounge and restaurant patrons. However, we observed staff chatting casually amongst each other and moving with absolutely no sense of urgency. After delivering an uninspired apology (basically telling me to hurry up and close out the tab), she stated that she probably should have checked in on us herself. At this point she was better of telling me the real reason why we did not receive any customer service.
I loved the cozy environment and the delicious drinks. However, that means nothing when you're a willing and able paying customer who is not acknowledged. My wife and I had a great time at the Koloa Rum Tasting Room. However, the lack of customer service at this establishment was an alarming reminder that we are indeed on a plantation. I understand that the pandemic is impacting everyone to some extent (especially the work ethic of staff); however, management needs to address this issue (there are multiple Yelp reviews expressing similar experiences. read more