To think that service in bars and restaurants is abysmal?

[ExercicenformedeZ]

Since Covid, I have noticed that bar and restaurant staff seem to think that they are doing you a favour by even acknowledging you. Yet they seem to expect hefty tips! I'm so tired of it.

Depends where you go. We had excellent service in 2 places yesterday. Couldn't fault it

Service has definitely got a lot worse. We don't bother going out much as a couple anymore as it's always disappointing.

However I went out with friends yesterday and we ordered 3 soda and limes with our meals, they were disgusting and definitely not soda and lime. He took them off the bill and didn't charge for their replacements (a wine and two cokes). Very unexpected!

My experience of customer service in restaurants/bars has been overwhelmingly positive

Out in Glasgow yesterday and today and commented on how great the service was across all 4 venues. Thé young people who served us were professional, polite and good fun.

I don't think I've ever received outstandingly poor service anywhere in a sit down restaurant. Even a place that tried to rip me off did it with 'charm' and served me efficiently.
You must write a poor review and vote with your feet. There are plenty of hospitality businesses with great staff. And if the food is horrible it isn't actually the waiter's fault. So if I send something back then I wouldn't penalise the server.

Customers have got a lot worse since covid.

I disagree. There’s much more table service than there used to be. We’ve just been out for drinks and ‘light bites’ in a trendy gastro pub and it was all prompt table service and piping hot food.

I can’t even recall the last time we had bad service, and we go out at least once a week.

Bah ha ha, who's the cheeky bugger who ordered the free wine as the replacement for a soda and lime 😜

In my area, it's like they can't wait to get rid of you. They are also closing at 10 pm. In my youth, we did the bars, then the food, then the nightclub at 11.30 - 12 ish. Now we have to book a timed slot.

Which places did you go?

Same for me. But I have a friend who always has negative experiences. Even at the same places. Weird

Too expensive to eat out

Crap service also

I took my mum for an afternoon tea, we were sitting for half an hour before we were even offered something to drink. The staff just sat us down and completely ignored us. I'd booked it as a gift to my mum and I was embarrassed the service was so poor, it looks the shine off the treat.

The food was lovely.

Yes, at some places I wonder why I bothered. We were out last weekend in local restaurant in a town in a national park. We've been a few times before but i think it was before COVID. Not one of the staff had any other expression on their face but a scowl. It's a tiny place where you don't book and if it's busy you stand at the bar to wait for a table. So we approached the bar and spoke to the lady behind it asking if she knew how long the wait for a table was. Her reply was a very surly "I don't know, I'm just working behind the bar." Not a "someone will be along in a minute to help you" or "there's a menu while you're waiting, would you like a drink?"

Then a member of staff came and stood right in front of us with his back to us without saying a word or even catching our eye so we had no way of knowing if he was aware we were there and had been seen to or not. DH said "Excuse me, do you have a table for 2?" and without even turning round he snapped in an almost aggressive way "yes, that's what I'm doing, I'm just checking who's nearly finished." We couldn't quite tell what he then said but it sounded sarcastic.

Honestly, it was the oddest experience I'd ever had in a restaurant. The food was ok, nothing to write home about, steak was almost well done instead of the medium rare I'd asked for but it was tasty enough so I didn't mention anything. There was minimal service at all, no "how is everything?", "anything else I can get you?" They barely looked at us, just put the food on the table and left. Looking round the room at all the staff every single face looked miserable and like they didn't want to be there.

It has REALLY put me off going back. It made it an unpleasant environment. I work with people every day. I've worked while my dad was slowly dying in hospital and been devastated inside. But I still managed to plaster on a smile and give people polite and pleasant customer service. I just don't get it. The only thing I wondered was if, despite being full, it was not doing well financially and they all knew they were about to lose their job or something.

Where in Glasgow were you? I need to know, as I am there a lot and have had some great but also some very poor service.

That isn't my problem. I am never rude or nasty to staff.

I didn't realise how dreadful it was until I moved to the US last year where customer service is brilliant (due to tipping culture, of course).

I still remember my last visit to Pret before I left London where I had to practically shout my order over two servers chatting and ignoring me. They had the audacity to look pissed off that I had interrupted them to make them do the job they were paid to do.

Like other pps I have always found service here very good. Lots of young cheerful staff.
I find if you're nice to them , they are nice back. Maybe some get fed up of demanding customers.

Ok, but I'm genuinely not rude or demanding. I just want some service, preferably with a smile and some politeness, not someone looking up from their phone with a surly grunt.

The service in most restaurants here since lockdown has definitely gone down hill, portions much smaller, prices much much higher, staff surly and practically throw your food at you. Also most places have a two hour rule so its a struggle to get in between 6.30-7.30pm when we might like a meal out. We had a meal out two weeks ago ordered three courses and a bottle of wine and I kid you not we were rushed in and out within one hour 15 minutes. We asked to have a few minutes between main and ordering dessert and we were asked four times if we wanted dessert.

I was in the Citizen for cocktails on both days (but different staff). No 16 on Byres Road and Rumi, a newish Turkish restaurant on Hope Street, for food. I think a lot of young staff in Glasgow are really good at their jobs and get the balance right with their chat, friendliness and service.

I’m on the south coast. I very rarely experience poor service.

Ds(21) is PT hotel bar staff while working his way through uni.

He gets minimum wage, no training other than quickly shown how to use the till, they are understaffed, some of the young staff they have don't/can't pull their weight and it causes the whole team to struggle. He has an equally untrained manager who has no idea how to motivate, encourage staff or promote a customer service culture, just shouts at them randomly and puts them on unreasonable shits (such as a 11hr shift finishing at 2am and starting next day at 10am) and they don't get the breaks they should. They never get any positive feedback from their manager. He isn't too bothered about tips, because even though he sometimes gets given big ones himself they all go into the pot for lots of back of house staff too so he's lucky if he sees even a 10th of each tip.

I haven't see him in action but would not be surprised if he doesn't do service with a smile! For most of the bar staff at the hotel it is a job for some spends during uni, not a career, so there is no motivation to excel at it.

I've experienced slowish service but not actually poor service- when we lived in Denmark this was common due to high minimum wages, less staff around etc - we just learned to live with it - I think we now have the same here due to partly the above and partly staffing issues due to Brexit- so many gormless18 year old students don't tend to operate the same as a very efficient 20 something Polish girl I find

I haven't experienced this at all tbh. I wonder if it's in particular areas or mostly in big cities. I'm in NW England in a fairly rural area and service is fine and friendly. I don't like the sound of how service is in America tbh. It sounds OTT and cringeworthy!