To think this is terrible service at a restaurant?

@videoclub YANBU OP and the 2% of voters who think you are clearly have very low standards when they go out to eat. You received appalling "service".

I would have walked out if I was treated like that in a restaurant.

2 couples seated near us had something similar happen, they said they wanted to book for 12.30pm but were told they would have to book for 12pm, which they did, the staff were not ready at 12 and it was 12.15 before they were seated, then nearly12.45pm before anyone took their order. Then when they were eating, a waiter dumped a large reserved board in the middle of the table, so they could barely see over it to chat to each other! They left in disgust, and told us and anyone who would listen, why they were leaving. The food was good, but they obviously over book and then expect the staff to manage the impossible!

Yes it was poor service, I would have politely asked to speak to a manager that was giving these orders and politely inform them (or the server if the manager didn't appear) it was their error and their responsibility to resolve and we were going to enjoy our meal exactly where we were.

The online review would have been factual but........robust.

Out of order. Leave reviews wherever they feature..FB/google etc.

Yes it did. The problem was how they where spoken too and that absolutely nothing was offered to rectify the situation. If they haven't put a reserved sign on the table and had taken the order it was up to them to find them an alternative table. Service is a really big part of peoples experience when eating out, problems happen, but it is how its dealt with that matters. She is right to have found this really bad customer service.

Quite poor yes @videoclub YANBU.

Last year, (October 2024,) DH and I went to meet some people for a meal (someone's 35th birthday) and a table for 10 was booked. For 10 of us obviously.

We got there, and they took us to TWO tables. One sat 8 people, and the 2 others had to sit on the table behind (a table for 2!) So the group weren't together. I mean we were sat near each other but not at a table together, so it was weird. The 2 at the table for 2 were kind of 'left out.'

Next to the table for 8, and the table for 2, was a big round table that could fit 10-12 people (with benches around, it and several chairs.) We had had it before when 11-12 of us have met up. Several of us asked 'can we have that table please? We don't want to be split up.' The waitress said 'that one's reserved.' (It was 6.30pm when we got there.) I said, 'well can we just use it until they come?' The waitress said no because they'll be here soon.

So we begrudgingly sat at the table for 8 and the table for 2!

After we had all eaten, we all squashed around the table for 8, to chat and have some drinks, and we were there nearly two and a half hours before half of us left (including DH and I.) NO-ONE came to that other fucking table. It was empty all night.

The waitress passed us as we were on the way out. One of our party said 'that large round table we asked for is still empty! You said the people who booked it were coming in a minute.' She just shrugged her shoulders and walked off.

We have not been since. They are losing a lot of trade from us too, as we go in groups of 8 to 16 people quite regularly (3 times a month on average.)

Yes, this. ^

No tip and a bad review/tweet 👍

She disrupted your meal three times and then all for nothing in the end - I don't think that's ok when you are trying to enjoy your food buy concerned about being able to find somewhere else to sit once new people rock up. If it was the manager's orders, did you ask to speak to the manager when you paid at the end? I would have done, because at the very least there should have been an apology and assistance to both find another table and relocate you to it. Providing feedback means at least that they can improve for next time.

No harm done. Mistakes happen

UK crapness. I am convinced that there exists a significant subset of people that believe it is ok for standards to regress over time to the point where what was formally classed as poor is now normal, and everyone should just suck it up like good little citizens. It is no suprise to me at all that there is a general perception the UK is deteriorating with time as a country. The (partial) solution is to call out crapness as it happens, but that would offend the you-must-not-be-intolerant brigade.

That's terrible - why should an online booking take precedence over people who are already there.

I was reading an article yesterday about how the hospitality sector is suffering. When you read threads like this you start to lose a bit of sympathy. After all, if there are so few jobs around now, surely they can be picky about who they employ.

You can save yourself the phone call. If when you go to book there's only 6.30 and 8.30 slots, you know they operate a double service. It doesn't bother me as we're never there more than 2 hours but I'd be annoyed by a waitress saying "move to another table" without finding me another one.

OP did you complain to a manager before you paid?

Had this yesterday in our local pub, popped in, it was packed, was super happy to grab a free table with no reserved sign on it. Halfway through our drinks, the bartender came over & said in 20 mins, there's a booking on this table.
I pointed out there was no reserved sign & all the other tables were either reserved or had people at them. Where could we sit instead, she just said the booking had just come through online so we had to move.
Not impressed at all so finished our drinks & went to the pub over the road.

Doggymummar. You are quite clearly happy to accept service which is frankly awful. If you don't want the service you are paying for, you may as well eat at home.

I would have said, fine here's your table and walked out without paying.

How are all the things listed there not things that happened? 💀

It wouldn't even have been your fault if you had been sat at a reserved table, if that's where they sat you!

This happened to us in Chester in the evening that clashed with a Chester Races meeting (the horses) only they moved us twice during our meal.

We were livid. Paid the full bill as no discount offered and left them a one star review. Curiously the owner then replied brushing off that experiences and blaming how busy the restaurant was. We hadn't book a table, just walked in etc.

We haven't returned. Lost two customers that day

Awful service. She would have had you move mid meal if her manager didn’t have some common sense.

I used to work in a restaurant and there was so many regulars that wouldn’t know how to cope if ‘their’ table was taken. People are so rigid.

I think my answer would have been thats a YOU problem.

You sat us
You served us
You forgot to reserve the table.

You come to me with a proposed solution (like moving table) and I'll consider it but otherwise leave me alone.

Arrgh ! THEIR!!