December 2023 by Lauren D.
I'll start off by saying I don't believe in leaving an unfavorable review without first contacting the company and giving them the opportunity to make it right. After several emails with the owner who was completely dismissive with what I had to say, it's clear he is unwilling to do so. I hired 3 servers from Napa Phoenix Staffing for my wedding a few weeks ago. I had just over 60 guests at my wedding and we had wood-fired pizza. The caterer handled the food and buffet table, so the servers did not have a difficult job during dinner. However, not a single server was seen during this time. There were a few things that the servers didn't bother putting out on the tables including knives and a carafe at each table so guests could refill their water. Additionally, the plates and forks weren't all put out so some guests had to look for their own and wound up with plastic ware. They also had to go inside to refill their glasses with water. I rented 75 plates, forks, and knives which was quite a bit more than I needed but I wanted to ensure there were no issues. When the owner Peter responded to my email he told me that we hadn't supplied them with enough plates, utensils, and carafes. The rental company and I confirmed the amount of everything when we picked up the order the day before and when a family friend returned the items after everything was loaded into his car at the end of the night they confirmed that 75 of everything had been returned. So 75 of everything was dropped off at the venue, 75 of everything was loaded up into a different vehicle at the end of the night and returned to the rental company, but the servers and owner maintain there wasn't enough for my 63 guests. There may have been some plates and forks still in the crate or off to the side, but had the servers been present during dinner this issue would have been rectified. They were not. The owner also let me know that his servers said a lot of the work was happening in the kitchen indoors, but food was served outside and 100% handled by the caterers. The venue doesn't allow dishes or utensils to be rinsed off in their sinks, and tables weren't cleared until well after guests had finished. Bartenders handled the bar and all glasses. There was no work to be done in the kitchen. Ultimately, servers are an expensive service to pay for and I'm disappointed (to say the least) that some rentals went unused which was a waste of money, some guests wound up with plastic ware and paper plates, and all guests refilled their own water when I paid to avoid all of these things. Furthermore I'm shocked and disappointed by the owner's response and his complete unwillingness to even believe what I had to say. He dismissed it all and said that he checked with his servers who disputed what I and my guests experienced. It seems the servers account of their own performance was good enough for him to dismiss anything I had to say. After my experience and the owner's overall lack of concern, I would unfortunately not recommend Napa Phoenix Staffing and will be sure to let my family and friends know to utilize another staffing agency for their events.
