Review of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa 4*

South Coast Winery is a perfect example of what happens to businesses when they expand so much and are not managed properly causing organizational dysfunction. Let me start out with this review by saying I paid close to $700 for a two night stay at this hotel and I say hotel because its far from being a resort. The reason I share the price I paid is to shed some perspective into the experience one is to reasonably expect when paying so much. The juicy part of the review is at the end. Customer Service Overall: EPIC FAIL! So I get up in the morning and walk around the grounds. I run into a tasting room. I walk in as the hours are posted and its not busy at all. Pretty much dead. I approach the bar and it takes 5-10 minutes to have a gentlemen who was pouring approach me. He asks, "Are you here to pick up a shipment? " I tell him no that I was staying at the property and just wanted to do a tasting. He responds that the tasting room I was in was for club members only and that I would have to walk around to the front of the property (a long walk I will say) in order to taste. Now the problem I have is this… I get it I was in the wine club members only tasting room my bad. However, from a customer service stand point, the club members tasting room was dead, you weren't doing anything and you knew I was an overnight guest so why wouldn't you just pour me a darn tasting and maybe convince me to join the club as I probably would have if I liked the wines. No instead you make me go around to the "regular tasting room". So I was pretty irritated due to the lack of customer service displayed here. Next I make it to the regular tasting room. I pass a cashier to my left who greeted me but did not say I had to pay her for the tasting if I was going to taste. She then tells me the tasting room is straight to the right. I walk up and the tasting room is pretty busy. I was able to get a spot at the bar and waited approximately 20 minutes until the gentlemen pouring approached me. I told him I wanted to do a tasting. He then tells me I have to go to the cashier and pay the cashier for the tasting and bring my coupon back to him. At this point all I wanted was just a darn tasting and this turned into a huge mission I was tired of dealing with. I go towards the cashier and a Bus filled with tasters had just arrived and they were all in line to buy their tastings and I was at the end of the line. As I look back I notice that my spot has already been taken by someone at the bar. I then leave with such irritation at their lack of service. Now why would the gentleman pouring not just pour me a tasting and figure the payment after? Maybe I would have liked the wines I would have become a member and my tasting would have been comped or maybe I would have bought so many bottles that the tasting would be comped or better yet… IM STAYING IN THE HOTEL PAYING $700 FOR TWO NIGHTS WHY WOULDN'T THAT RATE A FREE TASTING!? As I begin to walk back to my room pretty pissed off I call the front desk and ask to speak to the manager. I notice on the phone, by voice alone, that the manager (Austin) is extremely young and lacked the confidence I would have expected when speaking to a manager. He did try though and my hats off to him for his effort. I told him I would meet him in person at the front desk. When I met him I told him I had a bad experience at the tasting room and immediately he responded that the tasting room has a different manager from the hotel and the club tasting room is also a different manager. He told me there was nobody currently hired that oversees all operations. I told him the story of my experience and he genuinely showed concern and just apologized for my experience and gave me 4 free tasting tickets! LOL Free tastings to the very rooms I hated and despised the most. He did try and for that I appreciate his efforts but still has lots to learn.