Could I please have some sympathy for my very, very sad lunch experience?

[OompaLumpaLabrador]

DH and I hardly ever get any ( child free) time together. So, we decided today to take a could of hours out to have lunch together at the local smart gastropub-wotnot. We even put on our nice coats to wander into town. It was deserted so we sat down and ordered lovely sounding tapas. We sat politely and waited. And waited. And sipped our drinks. And suffered minor smoke inhalation from the rustic open fire. And waited. The staff (so many of them!) wandered about nattering. After forty minutes we politely mentioned we were on a bit of a tight schedule. Turns out our order mysteriously never made it to the kitchen (we could see the kitchen from our table, it was hardly a trek). They were moderately apologetic but still brought over a bill for our drinks. We were very English and left with a polite but chilly smile. My poor husband is American. I don’t think he has the social-cognitive architecture to process this lunchtime letdown. He can’t stop muttering about it. He will probably call his mum for a special conversation about this.

I was so looking forward to a nice lunch together. In the end, we both had an apple and a bit of cheese. I’m really quite sad now. And considering joining Tripadvisor.

Please send sympathy and and similar stories of lamearsed service.

I’d like to hear more about American apple varieties

Give him a russet. Then he’ll really have something to complain to his mum about

I'm with him on the variety of apples, American apples are amazing.
When I lived in the States I never had bad service in restaurants, diners or anything in between. Everyone was scrupulously polite and friendly and when out of their way to be welcoming. But of course they want the tips so it is in their interest.
On the whole I found most people offering any kind of service very polite - much more so than here. Only exception being customs officials many of who were rude, one in particular kept mouthing off about Goddamn British and Canadians and how he hated them all.

I'm sorry your lunch was a disaster though OP, hope you get another chance for one soon and that your DH enjoys telling his Mum about the whole terrible experience

@idontlikealdi

I haven't had a good meal out since Covid. Overpriced, crap service, order on an app etc

Agree! Customer service has nosedived everywhere.

I love taking my American in-laws out to eat in the UK, my MIL gets really agitated. Even in places with good service she goes in the huff because she is used to being attended to every five minutes so it is not good enough for her.

I prefer good UK service to over the top US service though. Let me finish my drink before you whisk it away for a new one!

Yes, US apples are amazing. We were in Washington State over the summer and they were huge and yet still absolutely delicious.

Customer service has really nose dived. I took DS for "hospitality" at our local (League 1, so not small/amateur) football stadium. £30 per head for (quality) burger and chips before the match and coffee/cake at half time. We've done it previously (pre covid) and it's always been really good. This time, we were sat waiting for ages before one of many waiting staff deemed to come and ask us for drink orders. Then we waited and waited, watched on as others around us came in after us but got their food before us. Finally, I managed to attract the attention of one of the waiting staff who was busily chatting to half a dozen others in a corner, and asked for our food. Another 20 minutes later, we were presented with a cold burger and cold/soggy chips. We attracted the attention of someone else to point out the poor quality/coldness, just to get shrugged at. We won't be bothering again. Only this week, I saw a report in one of the papers about pubs/restaurants reporting trade down by 30/40% since the busy Summer - I'm not surprised if our experience of crap customer service is anything to go by. I think they've forgotten how to deal with customers properly because of how busy they were in Summer (artificially due to end of lockdowns and staycations!).

@AmyDudley you give me a chance to tell you about arriving at US customs when the 20 or so people on flight from Manila were bumped from the desks after a two hour wait in JFK customs, because the officials couldn't understand their accents.

I feel sad for the nice coats! A waiter in our local Indian admonished me a few weeks ago and I felt really embarrassed. I was a bit flustered when I got in and just popped my bag on the floor next to the table (we were in a corner) - yes I probably should have put it under and didn't mind being asked to move it, but there's no need to shout at me about the terrible danger I'd inadvertently created!

ShipshapeShore
Oh no, that's awful! I regularly nearly trip over people's bags especially black ones that are left on the floor next to the table but I'd never dream of shouting at anyone.

British Apples are amazing!

Well, what are left of them after the industry was decimated and now we can only get months-old shite of 4 varieties from France or New Zealand () that has been kept in a chiller until all the flavour and texture has gone. But if you get local apples jot from the supermarket, they are lovely.

Not mentioning names but had always wanted to visit a popular chain where raw fish flys round on a conveyor belt. We too were trying to make a rare date night type deal out of it.

We were seated by one staff member who said we would be brought the drinks menu by staff member x and have how the food worked explained. He then left to make a bowl of something or other and did not look up again. Staff member x is wondering around sorting peoples bills etc

After about 20mins of no drinks and no info (still not busy there) I start trying to catch x’s eye. All staff doing a stand up job of not looking. Finally x walks past and I manage to smile and say hi. Get looked at like shit on a shoe and still ignored so at that point we got up and left,

Myself and DH have both worked shit service jobs so absolutely always give people the benefit of the doubt so service has to be really bad for us to get annoyed.

Not only are the apples in the US better but you can pick them for pennies (or cents) from the farm along with cider and doughnuts.

We were on a long, long drive recently and stopped to eat at 7pm. Food arrived at 9pm (our order also got lost). Our kids were 2, 5 and 7 at the time. How they didn’t implode is beyond me. But it was all on the house, so at least there was that.

My also American DH would dine out on this for months (oh the irony), as indeed would his parents and probably several more distant relatives ("You won't believe what they did, etc") Oh they'd love it.
I'd be forced to start mentioning the NHS in every conversation very quickly, before ratcheting up to random school shootings, it would be unbearable.

I recently started doing school pick ups for a couple of children. Just a bit of spends which, I had put aside to take my husband out as a birthday surprise to a posh restaraunt for lunch.

We got two glasses of malbec at eight quid each ( treat prices for us). Crackling fire, velvet seating and chandeliers.

The manager suddenly shouts from the bar over to the waitress " can you go and sweep up the fire and give the bog a wipe?". Two minutes later, waving 100 quid, interrupts us making drink order at bar to show the same girl his " massive wad of a tip". We then arnt given any menus and when we ask he says " It's not me that dint bring it, it was her GOD".
When we try to pay we are told " no cash accepted, it says on the website!" ( I rang up to book). So....husband wound up putting it on his card! When I explained how disappointed we were he said " well you shouldn't have come then should you?". I'm still twitching.

@StormOfSekhmet

Went to a pizza hut up north, sat there, and sat there, other people came in after us and got served. When we finally got our order, it was cold. We complained to the waitress about the lack of service and cold food, the manager came over and shouted at us. He said we must not complain to the waitress. We got up and walked out. Another place, up north again - we sat there waiting to be served, the waiting staff were standing there talking. We asked for service, and were totally ignored. Got up and walked out. Went to another well-known chain, and every thing was fine. I contacted the head office of pizza hut, and they contacted the branch to find out what went on. The letter they sent me, made it sound like it was my fault. Another time, up north again!! I ordered a meal in kfc, ordered a drink with my meal, the drink didn't come. I politely asked where my drink was, the girl who served me was very rude, and said I didn't. I said I did, and walked off. Living up north was awful, never have I experienced such nasty, rude, aggressive people. I hated it, and was so glad when I moved.

We do it deliberately so people we don't like will move back down south. It's grim up north you know.

I'm sorry for your lack of lunch OP, but your muttering DH and his "special conversations" have really made me chuckle.

I've fond memories of the McIntosh apple you get on finishing the NYC marathon. It's a long time since I had a decent apple in the UK.

OP why did you leave? Surely you could still have had your food? You had allowed a couple of hours for lunch so wouldn't an hour and 20 minutes been adequate for some tapas?

@StormOfSekhmet

Went to a pizza hut up north, sat there, and sat there, other people came in after us and got served. When we finally got our order, it was cold. We complained to the waitress about the lack of service and cold food, the manager came over and shouted at us. He said we must not complain to the waitress. We got up and walked out. Another place, up north again - we sat there waiting to be served, the waiting staff were standing there talking. We asked for service, and were totally ignored. Got up and walked out. Went to another well-known chain, and every thing was fine. I contacted the head office of pizza hut, and they contacted the branch to find out what went on. The letter they sent me, made it sound like it was my fault. Another time, up north again!! I ordered a meal in kfc, ordered a drink with my meal, the drink didn't come. I politely asked where my drink was, the girl who served me was very rude, and said I didn't. I said I did, and walked off. Living up north was awful, never have I experienced such nasty, rude, aggressive people. I hated it, and was so glad when I moved.

Nice one for generalising all Northerners!

@StormOfSekhmet

I'm not trying to be offensive, I really had a bad time there.

I wonder why?

@Crinkle77

OP why did you leave? Surely you could still have had your food? You had allowed a couple of hours for lunch so wouldn't an hour and 20 minutes been adequate for some tapas?

They had to walk there and back. I'd be bored stiff after that long and the thought of having to wait all over again for it to be made would sour things....

Me and Dh were out tonight and had a lovely meal and drinks. But we appeared to have a 17 year old Mrs Overall for our server.

Went to fairground in my little town, with my mum and my baby niece, we decided to stop for lunch in a cafe that we’ve had a bite to eat in before. Both ordered cheese and ham toasties and a gingerbread biscuit for my niece (who had already had her lunch at home). Waited about 40 minutes, started to get a bit worried because we had to drop niece home for her dinner at a certain time, went to ask if they knew how long it would be as we were now in a hurry. Sorry we lost the order, thankfully they were very apologetic which we find quite a rarity nowadays.

Not only are the apples in the US better but you can pick them for pennies (or cents) from the farm along with cider and doughnuts.

Except by 'cider', they disappointingly always seemed to mean apple juice.

You sound quite rude yourself . A few bad experience doesn't equate to the whole of the North being rude little urchins love we are quite friendly folk up here , we talk to strangers in the street I hated living in the south fwiw people look at you like you have 2 heads if you try and chat in the street ect. But I wouldn't say all southerners are bad due to that. But your welcome to it a northerner would just call them out on their shitty service you should have just used your words :)