Elaine's Cape May

Review: I am the 25 year old daughter of [redacted] (whom had filed a prior complaint and received response). If anyone understands show business, it is myself, and I can sympathize with an "off" performance - I am a ballet instructor of over 250 children, and recently had a student accepted to [redacted]. The presentation I endured at Elaine's was embarrassing in comparison to Cape May's usual elite entertainment. I reviewed the response from the business, to my mothers email, and was appalled at the defense mechanisms the writer was using. Elaine's is a business, and the consumer (i.e. myself and family members) were dissatisfied with the service. Elaine's is not a theatre or playhouse, therefore we are viewing our purchase of a tour there as an extension of a business. The writer of the email was acting as though we are following normal theatre rules with the "no refunds". Say, in fact, we are adopting those guidelines - I have never been to a production where the actors are wearing Hollister sweatshirts, jeans, and flip flops attempting to entertain an audience member with a ghost story. Furthermore, enunciation and amplification of ones voice is key when addressing a large group of people, one is paying to hear stories - it would be the same situation, if a musical production had no music. The content of the script was not bone chilling in the least. I believe one of the stories (writer please correct me if I am wrong...I couldn't hear the tale very well) was that a man was walking out of a bar and saw a lady on a rocking chair, and there was only one occurrence, ever. When a consumer reads "Ghost Tour" one isn't lead to believe it will be more jokes than story, and nowhere does it read that the tours are strictly informational/educational. The writer can state that the businesses mentioned enjoyed the one-liners, but the jabs were distasteful. The tour was low-budget and disappointing for $50.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome would be, naturally, a refund for myself and my family members. Also, I would like this tour revamped. I am a huge supporter of the performing arts and have participated in ghost tours. I think this tour could be very cool, if it was reworked/re-scripted. I would like to state that I adore the trolley rides and the mansion tours Cape May has to offer, but this "attraction" was remarkably bad. I think, right now, it is tarnishing Cape May's sparkling reputation for entertainment, and, quite frankly, robbing unknowing tourists.

Business

Response:

Elaine’s has been in business in Cape May for many years, in the ghost tour business for over 15 years, served multitudes of people. We pride ourself in the goal of providing quality services to guests and visitors. We take that goal seriously and hold ourselves responsible for providing such services. Consequently, it is distressing to receive such a complaint. In this instance there are many points to be addressed.

Our “Walking Ghost Tours” have been conducted for over 15 years. It is intended to be available the various dinner shows available in the ‘Haunted Mansion’ themed restaurant and the ‘Elaine’s Dinner Theater‘. There is a script for all the guides and the tour itself is standard in practice. It is presented as infonnational/educational in nature and no “drama” such as actors in ghost costumes nor entrance to buildings is a part of the program. The tour is specifically described as a walking tour and we, at Elaine’s, have been known to refer guests or interested visitors to the carriage rides or trolley tours for people if they comment that walking doesn’t suit them.

The reference/description of the tour guide as “hoodie-clad” and “mumbling/out of breath” is derogatory, profiling, and could be construed as intentionally insulting. We are an equal opportunity employer, so peoples weight and body temperature doesn’t affect our hiring of guides.

The customer and family requested information regarding our tours. discussing that the tour was a walking tour the family agreed to sign up. There is always a preface by the guides, as well, that the tour is a walking tour. The family participated. The tour is described as 45 minutes to an hour long. The claim of it being hurried is untrue as the tour that night clocked in at 43 minutes, start to finish, for a tour that is barely a mile in distance.

The tour guides have to walk backwards to address the group and thus do not walk as fast as a forward paced group. The entire beginning of the written complaint referenced only .1 mile of the actual tour...the first 10 minutes spanning the mall from Ocean to Jackson Street where two ghost stories are told as well as anecdotes about local businesses that the majority of the tourists generally enjoy. We don‘t discourage other businesses, the horse-drawn carriage rides are recommended for their uniqueness. The jewelerjoke is “this Henry’s Jewelers, the brightest store on the mall, look directly in, you’ll go blind, walk directly in, you’ll go broke! Remember gentlemen, 3 months wages or she’ll think you don’t love her. This is where to get the best jewels on the island.” The owner reviewed and enjoys the comment. The escalator is apart of our urban lore, not all things going up, do in fact, come down!We did not say “we never give refunds”, the exact words were “under no circumstances would we issue a refund to sorneone who stayed the entire duration of the entertainment. You cannot do that at a movie theater nor a dinner theater. If someone wants a refund of a meal, you cannot eat a whole platefill first.

We certainly do have a refund policy. The guest requested all her money back (she paid $50.00 for her entire family) her cost being $10.00. She was the only person to return to the desk to demand her money back and once again later, during the phone call, was the only person that complained. On the phone, we made it clear what our return policies were and tried to offer other means of abating the situation. It would be unfair to the business, the guides and the other guests if someone could simply make claims of poor service after participating in the entire program.It may be true that she/they were not entertained, but that has never been grounds for a in this industry. After a 10:37 minute conversation that involved repeating the policy and the same complaint, the customer mentioned that they would refer to the Revdex.com to which we encouraged them to exercise their free speech and rights of a customer.

Professions/businesses can and do well to find value in feedback and for that we thank the Revdex.com and the customer for the opportunity for us to reply

Review: I made a reservation in August 2015 for a room at Elaine's Cape May for an October 2015 two night stay. They asked for my credit card info for a 1 night deposit which [redacted] (person who took my reservation) said was fully refundable as long as I cancel at least 2 weeks in advance of my stay. If less than 14 days, then there is a $35 charge and if less than 3 days then then I will be charged the full price. On 9/4/15, I called to cancel my reservation and get a refund. I spoke to [redacted] who said I would get a full refund. When I got my Sept credit card statement, I didn't see the refund so I called again on 9/19/15 and spoke to [redacted] She said she would pass on the message to [redacted] about why I didn't get a refund. By 9/25/15, I had not received any call back so I called again. This time I spoke to [redacted] who said she was a manager. She took my credit card info and said the owner would call me back. I waited 1 and 1/2 hours and since I didn't get a call back, I called again. This time I spoke to [redacted] She said she saw a note that [redacted] left saying it was refunded. A few minutes later, [redacted] calls me back saying that I will be refunded tomorrow. She said the owner does the returns on Saturdays. By Sunday (9/27) evening, there is still no refund on my credit card account so I call again and this time I spoke to Shirley. She says the book keeper will be there tomorrow Monday 9/28 between 10:30-2:30 and she can issue the refund. I told her that I have been calling since Sept 4th to get this refund. She said it was because I was put in the cancel file and not the refund file. She says some people cancel but just use their deposit for a future date so they don't take a refund. I told her that from the first time I called, I asked for a refund. She did not apologize at all. She just said it is in the refund file now and will be refunded tomorrow. I told her she needs to train her staff better so a person doesn't have to call so many times to get a refundDesired Settlement: 1) A full refund of $282.50.

2) Elaines Cape May needs to train their employees better so they all know similar information and tell the customer similar things when a customer calls. When you talk to different people there, they each give you different information. [redacted] and [redacted] both said I would get a full refund while on the last phone call, [redacted] said I will be charged $35 for cancelling. Also, they keep saying I will be refunded or that someone will call me and they never do. They need to follow through on what the employees say they will happen. A person should not have to call numerous times to get a refund.