First, let me state that in my opinion, I'm not one to make a fuss about a place to get a free meal and pointless stuff like that. I refer you to previous reviews of mine if that's what you suspect. I hate that.
I...do however, feel that sloppy service should be commented on. As should passive aggressive non-pleasant pleasantness that offers completely meaningless platitudes uttered by someone who wouldn't apparently know good service if it slapped them round the face.
We were in the area for a flower event and this was the nearest pub, and it looked busy on a Saturday lunchtime, with loads of seating outside. No warning signs were set off with us, so we ventured in. I am always wary when bar staff are young teenagers, so that was possibly the first sign of impending trouble. Especially when there is a slow-moving slightly disgruntled queue and two more teenagers doing nothing but hovering around the bar anyway.
However, we were there now. I gritted my teeth, and as the girl I actually spoke to seemed the most reliable of the three, I gave my order slowly and clearly, knowing that ordering a starter for my son and two mains for my wife and I can throw kitchens into confusion. She seemed clear. We ordered drinks, my pint was a bit short-poured but nothing worth moaning about, the wife's gin & tonic was serviceable but nothing to knock your socks off about, and a nice apple juice for the toddler.
We sat outside in the garden, and that was very pleasant. Good tables, plenty of space, quite tidy. A slightly sullen girl served up my son's meal and airily informed us that the cutlery and sauces were "over there!" OK, I thought, not sure I'm going to be mad keen about paying a service charge if I've got to do half of it myself, but whatever.
15 to 20 minutes went by. No sign of our dinner. My son was eating his dinner which was not the worst kids meal I've ever seen but by no means the best either. Still trying to stave off the air of impending doom about our dinners I went into the bar to see where they were. The same girl who took the order originally went into the kitchen and returned saying it was on the way. No apology, no urgency, and it appears, no truthfulness either.
Ten minutes later, a girl turns up, dis-interestedly takes an empty glass, so I enquired what might have become of our dinners. Another 10 minutes goes by, whereupon my wife goes in. Returns a few minutes later and says we're going. I go in to pick up my card, tell someone what's happened and pay for what we've had. I really wouldn't care to meet that person again. To infer she's somehow doing me a favour by refunding the meals that have never arrived is really annoying. Then she tells me how the meals are *now* ready and would be going in the bin as if that's somehow my fault. Incredible "service"!
All in all, the lesson here is: If you're lucky enough that your dinner doesn't get forgotten, you will probably have an OK meal here, but we'll never know. But, if it doesn't turn up, do not expect any customer service attempt to put the situation right. I appreciate, things happen, but decent people apologize. If you can't do that, don't run a pub.More
