Using 'bow and scrape' implies that someone is behaving too eagerly to please or flatter someone else. She didn't get that promotion by skill alone; she had to bow and scrape to the director.
Pro Tip 2/3
Power Dynamics
The phrase often suggests a relationship where one person is much more powerful or authoritative. Employees often feel pressured to bow and scrape to their CEOs in order to keep their jobs.
Pro Tip 3/3
Negative Impression
It can leave a negative impression of the person doing it, implying weakness or subservience. At the meeting, he bowed and scraped so much that he lost the respect of his colleagues.