Let me first start by saying I have visited the Glasgow Airport Lounge on a number of occasions previously and have enjoyed all of my visits until the most recent. I booked the lounge for me and my partner, as a way to relax and unwind from the stresses of travelling the Glasgow from our hometown, dropping kids off to babysitters and catching buses and trains. Within five minutes of arriving at the lounge, my optimistic mood had been rained on. A female member of staff, whom I have seen during previous visits and assumed to be someone who wasn't particularly happy in her job, was storming around the lounge collecting glasses with nothing short of abject disdain for her patrons.
I noticed that the 'self-service' area of the past was now decorated with a large barrier cornering off the alcohol and a sign defying anyone to help themselves; so I waited at the blockade for some time before the aforementioned unhappy lady humphed over and asked what I wanted. To save having to queue again and further inconvenience the lady I ordered a double vodka and diet coke in a tall glass with ice, apparently very foolishly. No doubles? For what reason? None that I could intelligibly muster up, maybe foolish of me but I do work in the bar trade and couldn't think of a justifiable reason. No ice. I queried if there were to be any ice in the near future, or if they had now entered into a permanent state of ice-less service provision to which the lady scathingly retorted that there "was none, and I can't get any more 'cause I'm too busy." Charming.
Each subsequent time my partner or I approached the self-service area for either the food or the alcohol for which we had paid to avail of, we both reported feeling policed by this member of staff. It was as if each time we helped ourselves to the complimentary refreshments, a tiny piece of her heart died.
We also witnessed her completely berate another male member of staff in view of all other patrons, specifically those in the alcoholic-rations queue; her rationale was that a customer had asked for a single measure + mixer then returned immediately after for another single measure, which he then added to his first order. A clever way of working the system, although I don't feel that a paying, fully adult, customer felt too clever at having to resort to schoolboy tactics to enjoy his tipple of choice. Anyway, unhappy ice-heart lady took issue with this and proceeded to loudly question her teammates competence and threateningly inform him that "the police were right there!", where the police were, I have no idea as I couldn't see them but then again maybe they have a secret spy hole behind the optics to monitor any illegal double-measure drinking within the airport grounds. Of course, the poor guy couldn't control what the man did with his alcohol after ordering it so it obviously wasn't his fault, but why the unnecessary rule anyway? Why are you forbidden for daring to double up on your measure? Nowhere else in the airport upholds this rule, if anything it only encouraged me to drink my single unit measures more quickly.
To be truthful, I have recommended the Glasgow Airport Lounge to several friends and colleagues in the past but after that experience I have had to be truthful about my feelings towards the service we received. Even Wetherspoons make you feel like a more worthwhile member of society.
10 years ago
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