Eat Out to Help Out - pubs and restaurants taking the piss

[nudelipstick]

Is this common?

We went to a pub last night, nothing special, just a local watering hole.

There was no drinks menu but we ordered sparkling water and Pepsi.

When we got the bill they were £5 each!

They also added a compulsory 15% service charge and the meals were more expensive than they were on the menu - staff said they were slightly more expensive during the deal and we had been given the wrong menus.

I realise this has been a hard time for the hospitality industry but surely this will just piss off customers?

I've had two very different experiences:

First place, well known Italian chain, excellent service, very well organised with an extremely COVID-safe environment, lovely food, lots of choices on the exact same menu that is offered every other day. Bill came with 50% off. Lovely 💓

Second experience: local Indian restaurant. Awful!! Everything about it! Had to ask where the hand sanitiser was when we went in (it was behind the bar, they held it and squirted a bit on our hands...but other patrons came in and didn't ask and weren't offered!) We were given one menu between 6 of us to share, limited choices and very small, child size portions (laughable!!) Literally no 'extras' on the dishes that you'd normally expect with Indian food...I had tandoori prawns...no lemon (I know, a small thing, but it's pretty standard!) I asked...they didn't have any. We should have clicked as there was none in any of the drinks. No coffee either and no dessert..not even ice cream available! It was pretty shoddy.

I absolutely understand that it's been tough...and a limited menu wouldn't bother me. But make that limited menu count...make it complete! And ffs make your establishment safe!! It wasn't even cheap...the prices were higher than pre-Covid (thankfully we had the 50% off otherwise I'd have been much more miffed!)

@Nomore79 I dont think my post was blaming hospitality staff so sorry if it came across that way, but presumably you personally didnt come up with be policy?
I think you're right that it's all about appearances and if you werent wearing an apron maybe people would complain, but 10 a day seems very excessive and customers wouldnt even be aware you were changing them so frequently

An Indian restaurant running out of lemon is hardly the crime of the century! I would be annoyed about the small portions though and fed back to management

I forgot about the deal and went out for lunch on Monday. The bill came and I though 'goodness that's very reasonable', upon closer inspection £18.90 taken off for the deal. No price rise.
I would be very disappointed if a restaurant raised prices for the deal - they are still getting the full price and it defeats the whole purpose of getting people eating out! Will they reduce the price once the deal is over? Bet they don't.

@KitKatastrophe I did say it was a small thing...🙄. But maybe you missed that part 👍

@KitKatastrophe

No I didn't come up with the policies, any of them. That doesn't stop anyone who doesn't agree with any of them lecturing me on it (I know you're not) I suspect because they just want someone to feel superior over rather than are actually bothered to be honest on the really bad days, or they'd realise that I have zero input into it, and can't change it, regardless of if I actually agree with it or not. I just feel like a sounding board for the frustrations and anger of people some days, over things that I have no control over. I'm a hospitality worker, not a therapist. It's depressing.

@GinWithRosie

We're a fairly large independent place with a decent amount of buying power. Even 4 weeks after opening we're still having trouble putting out a full menu and bar because of supply issues, we have alternatives we can and do use but sometimes suppliers let us down and we can't source at short notice from elsewhere. I can imagine in a small place money is tighter and maybe (hopefully) it's not reducing the menu to take advantage but not being able to source certain things at good prices and it's actually better for them to remove all together.

I agree about the overpricing of soft drinks, but that is not just now.

What I dislike most about the scheme is my taxes subsidising fast food such as KFC and McDonalds.

Regardless of the fact they’re getting money back from the government, it’s likely to have become overall more expensive to run a restaurant now than it was back in normal times due to the need to have fewer tables, increased hygiene costs in terms of time, equipment etc. So while I agree that £5 for a soft drink is too much, I can understand a higher required service charge. If you look at the bigger picture, people can boycott restaurants for the sake of a couple of quid extra on your cut price meal, or you can treat it as a way to support the business and its staff because come December the choice about whether you’re able to eat there again will be taken out of your hands if it closes.

Went to a Chinese restaurant yesterday near Victoria. Starters and main course with beer £25. The sanitising procedures in place were all very good.

Not my experience at all. I have used the deal twice now.

National trust cafe, operating a limited menu, bought 2 sausage rolls, a vegetarian pasty and three hot drinks. Under £10. Only complaint was the size of the tea, it was smaller than the large coffee but with no choice of size, normally you would get a pot but they are using all disposable cups.

Local independent cafe, two small all day breakfasts and two hot drinks £7.05, absolutely great quality, friendly helpful service and everything as normal except you had to wait to be seated so they could sanitize between customers, had less tables and took track and trace details.

Planning to try an evening meal later this week.

I've been accused of taking the piss twice yesterday, trying to 'con' people.
No query, no chance to explain anything just a straight out hostile accusation.
First time was I apparently didn't hit the button on the till hard enough for the discount to be applied. I took the bill and the drinks over to take payment. Looked at the bill on the tray when I got to the table, realised it was wrong and before I could even say anything it was snatched off the tray and I was told that I needn't bother thinking I'd get away with it because I was clearly trying to con them into paying full price. I hadn't even asked for payment at that point, I was unloading drinks into the end of the table. I tried to explain but was just accused of trying it on.
Second time was where they were convinced that the 50% was wrong, and that it should be exactly half of the whole bill. Except they had alcohol on the bill, so it was 50% of the food on the bill, not 50% of the whole bill. No amount of it doesn't apply to alcohol was listened to. Apparently I'm going to be reported to trading standards because I'm just ripping them off.
Both people straight in with accusations and derogatory comments. I'm not trying to rip anyone off, first one I clocked and intended to put right before I actually asked for payment, but wasn't given the opportunity, second one I was sticking to the terms of the deal. Got my arse handed to me by people who just assume that people like me are dishonest and sly and we can't have possibly made a simple mistake, oh no, we're just scumbags.
I'm so sick of this us Vs them attitude from customers. There's no fucking need at all. You're dealing with human beings who have human failings sometimes and who actually want you to have a good time, the majority of staff aren't out to get you, you're just another table to serve and clear away after and that's it. The attitude towards service staff in this country is absolutely disgusting. If you want to go out and enjoy yourself stop treating the people serving you like the enemy and it'll all go a lot better for everyone.

Haven't experienced that, just half price here

@Nomore79

I've been accused of taking the piss twice yesterday, trying to 'con' people. No query, no chance to explain anything just a straight out hostile accusation. First time was I apparently didn't hit the button on the till hard enough for the discount to be applied. I took the bill and the drinks over to take payment. Looked at the bill on the tray when I got to the table, realised it was wrong and before I could even say anything it was snatched off the tray and I was told that I needn't bother thinking I'd get away with it because I was clearly trying to con them into paying full price. I hadn't even asked for payment at that point, I was unloading drinks into the end of the table. I tried to explain but was just accused of trying it on. Second time was where they were convinced that the 50% was wrong, and that it should be exactly half of the whole bill. Except they had alcohol on the bill, so it was 50% of the food on the bill, not 50% of the whole bill. No amount of it doesn't apply to alcohol was listened to. Apparently I'm going to be reported to trading standards because I'm just ripping them off. Both people straight in with accusations and derogatory comments. I'm not trying to rip anyone off, first one I clocked and intended to put right before I actually asked for payment, but wasn't given the opportunity, second one I was sticking to the terms of the deal. Got my arse handed to me by people who just assume that people like me are dishonest and sly and we can't have possibly made a simple mistake, oh no, we're just scumbags. I'm so sick of this us Vs them attitude from customers. There's no fucking need at all. You're dealing with human beings who have human failings sometimes and who actually want you to have a good time, the majority of staff aren't out to get you, you're just another table to serve and clear away after and that's it. The attitude towards service staff in this country is absolutely disgusting. If you want to go out and enjoy yourself stop treating the people serving you like the enemy and it'll all go a lot better for everyone.

Thank you for saying this.

I've not had that experience, been out last week and this week with DS and DM, both times around £11 for 3 meals, 2 soft drinks and a pint of beer.

That is crazy, I would leave a very harsh review on Facebook, or Twitter. Our local pub would never do that!