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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU?

57 replies

Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 20:10

So as a birthday surprise my husband booked a table at our local gastro pub which we have been yo many times in the past, but not since it has been taken over by new people. Anyway he used the app to book and if only gave him a 9pm availability so we thought we would make a night of it and get there earlier for a drink first. So we got a sitter and arrived at about 8:15pm and ordered drinks to the table, as that’s what you have to do at the moment. When the drinks came we told the waitress that we were early for our 9pm table, she then gave us menus for us to have a look at and told us to take our time and come through and take a seat at any table when we were ready. At just after 9pm we made our way inside for our meal, after waiting a few minutes we got the attention of the waiter who came over to us, when we asked to order he told us that the kitchen shut at 9pm and would therefore we could not order food. I explained that we had booked a table for 9pm via their booking system and showed them the confirmation email, they went away giving us a thumbs up and we were left waiting a further 10 minutes. Eventually the deputy manager came over and explained that the booking system should not have allowed a booking for 9pm and that the kitchen was now closed so we could not be served. We asked what we were supposed to do as by now it was too late to go to another restaurant! We got an apology and was told that they would talk to the data company to make sure it didn’t happen again and offered us a free drink for the inconvenience. We told them that as they wouldn’t accommodate us we would have to now try and find somewhere else to eat even though by now most places would be shortly closing. They then said that at our convenience they would sort us out some drinks when we were next coming in and asked us to email us so they could sort that out for us. We left our details and ended up having to settle for takeaway fish & chips as that was the only thing open. Not exactly the romantic birthday celebrations planed! AIBU to of expected a more fitting compensation for effectively ruining my birthday?

OP posts:

Tempusfudgeit · 03/08/2021 20:15

Och, no-one died.

cookiecreampie · 03/08/2021 20:15

I agree that is a crap thing to happen and understand that you would feel your birthday is ruined but the fact it was your birthday isn't important to them.

Onesailwait · 03/08/2021 20:18

It's annoying but not the end of the world. I think drinks /bottle of wine is sufficient compensation. What were you hoping for?

SquirryTheSquirrel · 03/08/2021 20:18

When the drinks came we told the waitress that we were early for our 9pm table

Why on earth didn't she point out the kitchen closed at 9? You could have got your orders in or failing that, schlepped over to another restaurant to try your luck.

Not the end of the world, obviously, but poor service and YANBU to be disappointed.

Aquamarine1029 · 03/08/2021 20:21

Everyone is still alive and healthy. Your birthday wasn't ruined, fgs.

Sparklingbrook · 03/08/2021 20:22

Rubbish service, and the waitress was a bit dopey letting you look at the menus at 8.15 knowing you had a 9pm booking.

Book another meal somewhere else a bit more reliable. It will just be a bit belated.

Kite22 · 03/08/2021 20:23

I think that was fair enough to be honest.

I mean, it was disappointing for you, but hardly ruined your life. They apologised and offered you some free drinks and, when you didn't want to take up that offer, still offered to carry the offer over to another time.

If the kitchen has closed, then it has closed - the staff has finished, everything turned off etc. There wasn't anything they could do about the food then. Of course I'd have been cross / annoyed but they have taken it seriously and put something in place to stop it happening to anyone else. It was rubbish, but mistakes happen sometimes, and they admitted it and have stopped it happening again.

Planty13 · 03/08/2021 20:23

How was your birthday ruined??? It was the end of the day? They apologised and offered free drinks which was kind of them and a take away sounds great.

Bluntness100 · 03/08/2021 20:25

What is it you wanted? Cash? A free meal? It was a systems error. They apologised and gave you free drinks. Not everything is an opportunity to cash in.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 03/08/2021 20:26

YANBU to be disappointed, but what 'compensation' were you hoping for?

ElizaDoolots · 03/08/2021 20:29

That’s really poor OP, particularly on the part of the waitress who let you sit there until 9pm knowing the kitchen would then be closed, they could easily have taken the order sooner given you were there. Hope you had a lovely birthday otherwise.

QueenBee52 · 03/08/2021 20:32

Leave a STINKING review on the APP

Happy Birthday OP 🌺🌸

Biancadelrioisback · 03/08/2021 20:33

I agree with the above. It is rubbish I understand you feeling a bit flat, but the compensation was fair.

ThinWomansBrain · 03/08/2021 20:36

YABU for not using the thread title to indicate what the thread title was about. If everyone did that, every single title would be AIBU?

Original poster

Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 20:46

I totally agree that mistakes happen but I don’t understand why when we told them we were early for our 9pm table they didn’t inform us then? A systems error is one thing but they could if prevented the disappointment by asking us to order once they realised surely?

OP posts:

Bluntness100 · 03/08/2021 20:49

Sounds like a miscommunication the waitress clearly thought you were coming through snd weren’t going to wait till nine.

PyjamaFan · 03/08/2021 20:49

Buy a huge pile of crisps, nuts and pork scratchings.

Job done.

ElizaDoolots · 03/08/2021 20:51

And definitely leave a trip advisor review OP.

Aquamarine1029 · 03/08/2021 20:51

@Beautyblogger

Yes, they should have informed you. It was a big cock up but it still didn't "ruin" anything. A bit of perspective is in order.

clickychicky · 03/08/2021 20:51

Maybe the member of staff was new? There are a lot of vacancies in hospitality at the moment. You've had some drinks and some fish and chips and now have an offer of free drinks for next time. Doesn't sound that bad to me. It is what you make of it. You're either glass half full or half empty.

JaffaRaf · 03/08/2021 20:53

It’s very annoying but YABVU for wanting ‘more fitting compensation’. The waitress should have told you absolutely, but it doesn’t mean you are entitled to more free stuff. Hospitality has been so badly damaged this last year, they can’t afford to just give everything away. Several free drinks and an apology is all the compensation needed. Hopefully they will learn from it and train their staff better.

Original poster

Beautyblogger · 03/08/2021 20:53

@Bluntness100
I am certainly not looking to cash in, i thought that they could of offered a voucher maybe towards a meal for another time

OP posts:

ElizaDoolots · 03/08/2021 20:53

I worked in service for years, you make sure all of your tables have ordered before the kitchen closes. It’s so basic, not doing so is not a mistake, it’s incompetence.

clickychicky · 03/08/2021 20:54

[quote Beautyblogger]@Bluntness100
I am certainly not looking to cash in, i thought that they could of offered a voucher maybe towards a meal for another time[/quote]
They have offered you free drinks for another time. Why should you get your food for free? It still costs money. The chef has to cook it with their skill.

clickychicky · 03/08/2021 20:54

And you'll be wanting drinks with your meal next time so that seems fair you'll get those free.

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