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.

I used to think that, till I went. Now I think it's fantastic. It doesn't matter as a customer if they are just being great because they want a tip. The outcome is what I went in there for, tasty food and friendly, professional and helpful service. So a tip is fair. To be honest, even in a shop or a petrol station where tipping doesn't come into it, the customer service on the whole there is far far superior to most places in the UK. The non-waiting staff at visitor attractions are usually great too. Just really professional and well-mannered. I absolutely adore the American positivity and their polite manner. I'm fed up of surliness in the UK.

Some Eastern European staff in the UK in hotels on Reception etc are outstandingly professional and helpful, when you can find them (Brexit didn't help). There is no way to tip them, they just want to give customers as a nice experience as that is their whole raison d'etre and it's part of professional pride.

I seem to get great service wherever I go. I ate out in London yesterday at an independent restaurant. Fantastic food, knowledgeable friendly prompt service. Then cocktails at a chain place. Again lovely service and great cocktails. Met DP in a very busy wine bar when I got home (don’t judge!) again friendly service, apology fir the slight wait (it was packed!)

Both of my DD’s have done waiting. Both are polite, friendly and hardworking. They both said that customers are rude and demanding, and managers, in chain restaurants, are poor.

Yes, happily I can avoid chain restaurants now our kids are older and past the Frankie and Bennies/Pizza Hut stage. I think they are particularly noticeable post-COVID for not giving value for money for what they offer.

Or tip for it. I'd bet happy with that , like the US, as long as the food was decent standard for the price being charged too. Not many people feel like tipping for a meal that was just not good, no matter if the service was good unfortunately.

I've eaten out quite a lot recently, for various reasons and the service has been good. The one place customer service has noticeably declined, though, is bloody pharmacies! There is a small-ish Boots near me, and the customer service in there is so bad as to be almost comical. Its like Basil Fawlty with antibiotics.

The “our lines are extremely busy right now” message hasn’t been switched off since for any service you telephone for!

Our local pharmacy is a joke. You need to ring 3 working days to collect a prescription and heaven forbid you get an acute illness and need a prescription the same day. You have to drop in, hope they’re in an accommodating mood and return several hours later. It’s a short drive for me and in the opposite direction, there’s no parking. So once I’ve got the kids it’s a total faff to get back there. Especially if you have a UTI or something and want to start to feel better.

We’ve had some exceptional service recently at:

Dishoom - always lovely, whichever branch

Maray in Manchester

The Sparrows in Manchester

Adelina Yard - Bristol

A vegetarian thali place in Birmingham

Rudy’s in Birmingham

Where service has been poor recently has been in coffee shops and shops. I agree that Boots is now dreadful.

I think it depends on the restaurant. I've had great service and pretty poor service. My pet hate is waiters who don't listen."I would like steak medium rare with chips and and a bernease sauce please"
"How would you like your steak cooked, jacket or salad any sauce?"
My favourite was when I ordered chilli con carne and it arrived minus the tortilla chips advertised on the menu. When I pointed this out to the waitress, she argued with me, then when I showed her the menu, she stormed off and returned with a ramekin with 3 tortilla chips that she slammed down on the table.

One of the best shops I have found that has consistently great customer service is the card factory. Honestly every branch I've been in for years has such lovely ladies working there. It reminds me of old school customer service. They're amazing!! Any Card Factory employees here, or those with family members you're/they're doing a fantastic job! They make me smile every time I go in there for birthday banners and badges, balloons usually!! Oh and always sk helpful, reminding me of blue tack, sticky tape etc, asking questions most don't. I can see they're selective on who they employ there, as they're just naturally nice people.

@CrazythenewNorm - that's lovely and I'm really glad. There are definitely pockets where the service is noticeably good. I expect retail and the f&b industry has got tougher since Covid and employers / managers just aren't focused on customers as they used to / should be.

Oh definitely. I feel like you can get so used to experiencing poor customer service, that when you have a positive experience, never mind an above and beyond one, it is extra surprising. At one time it wouldn't have felt as out of the ordinary.
Most stores are self service now too, I think we're all too used to machines, and less human contact, which is a little sad. A lot of restaurants you're scannung QR codes, and ordering to the table etc.
I do think we are just expected to accept a lower standard and pay extortionate costs for the luxury.

Depends on the bar and how many staff they have on.

Was in the pub for a lunch on Friday at midday. They had 3 staff behind the bar and was served straight away. Went in after work and there was one lad serving. With ordering food and gins and everything else I was stood there for ages waiting to order one drink, yet there wasn't many more people in the place than earlier on.

Some bars you go in and the service is always terrible. Others it's really good. If they're short staffed then they're short staffed, but it shouldn't be every time you go.

I think you expect too much for 16-21 year olds who are doing this temporarily for a couple of years, just for spends, to make a connection that them not smiling is going to cause the whole hotel to close down.

Most of them are not independent adults yet who are reliant on a job to pay their bills and keep a roof over their head, in their heads they can easily find another PT job if they need to.

it's just professional to be giving people a nice time. That's what they are there for, after all

No one has ever told them this, no one trains them in customer service, they don't give a toss when they go out themselves if the bar staff smile at them, they don't make the connection.

My biggest bugbear is service charge being added automatically even when you order at the bar. It seems to be happening more and more- from my local pub to a london bar I was in last week. I don't mind paying a tip- but service charge when you have yet to provide any service takes the piss in my book

Well hardly the most objective on that point! 😆

not noticed it myself. Still same mix of great friendly and efficient waiting staff, and those less so

Agreed

but I always forget to check whether included and end up leaving a tip as well!

Ageist tripe.

I agree it isn't Brexit - venues in places like Denmark and Germany struggle for staff as well. But the staff they do have are very good.

I find service is usually good but I'm not a nightmare customer. Although I did complain once last year when we were left for ages because there had been a staff changeover. When staff eye-roll me I just ask for the bill and leave without giving a tip. But that was a one-off.

The pp who waited 10 minutes to be seated - I'd have been gone after 2!

A lot of restaurants you're scanning QR codes, and ordering to the table etc

I do like being able to pay at the table - no hanging around for ages for them to bring the bill, and then again for them to bring the card machine!

Also minimum wage isn't low anymore!

I'd expect that on Christmas Day - it's the same for any special occasion. I can never understand why everyone's so keen to go out on Mother's Day either - expensive sub-standard food, yet if you go the day before or the day after it will be completely different.

Although we went away for Christmas a couple of years ago and the food was fantastic so it's not always the case that you get ripped off.

Went for a meal at a local pub a couple of months ago. Waitress who took the order didn’t repeat the order back to ensure it was correct and guess what, they didn’t make my food. All the other plates were brought out and I was left with nothing. I can’t believe the waiting staff didn’t realise that everyone else had their plate and I didn’t. One of our party went up to the bar and spoke to the manager. They had not made it. I then asked for a simple, quick meal instead of what I had originally ordered as I didn’t want to be sitting there waiting while everyone was eating. It’s really put me off going back.

Recently spent a week in Ireland and was really struck by the number of staff and quality of service in pubs, hotels and restaurants. Properly staffed - so 4 people serving at a bar where there's be 2 max at home (south of England & London) for example. Tables cleared quickly, orders taken without the wait, cheerful, helpful staff. All in all - more staff, better service. And no automatic 'service charges' or expectation of tips

I haven’t had a problem.

Me neither

I suspect it might be just that the OP is a rude customer and consequently waiting staff don’t trip over themselves to roll out the red carpet