To think this is terrible service at a restaurant?

[videoclub]

Ordered food and drinks, it arrived and we were enjoying our meal. Then just a few minutes into it we were approached by a member of staff and told - this table is reserved and we have 10 minutes and then we need to go find another table.

Firstly there was no reserve sign, they’d forgot to put one on. When we asked if they were going to find us another table they said we needed to do that. She then came back 5 minutes later and dropped the reserved sign on our table.

When I complained I was told “she was following the managers orders”.

I’d have just ignored them, carried on with my meal and watched how they managed the incoming customers when they arrived.

I don’t think anyone in these places is paid enough so they can’t retain good people.
They would have to charge more for food and people don’t want to pay more.
You Are not being unreasonable but good service and good people means the cost of a good manager who can retain them by paying enough.

Rude and unprofessional.

I assume you won't go back, and rightly so. That's the restaurant's loss.

Did they seat you in the first place? Or is it a walk in and find your own?

Doesn't matter an awful lot, they still should have found you another table but I am curious to that.

What was special about your table that it was that particular one that was reserved? Or was it that no other tables were available?

I'd be cross, and it would of been a ruiner on my meal for sure

You're so cool, I wish I was like you (fangirling).

I'm just curious, had you chosen a table much larger than your party required? From what you've written, it sounds like a place where you seat yourselves.

Not a nice experience for you though.

We went to hawksmoor once & on booking it was made clear the table was needed back at 8pm. Slightly relaxed service meant we’d finished eating but not settled our bill as 8 approached. Waiter came over, apologised & said they’d need the table at 8 but if we followed him to the bar he’d arrange complimentary drinks for us so we could continue our night.

Now that is customer service!

Arrgh ! THEIR!!

I think my answer would have been thats a YOU problem.

You sat us
You served us
You forgot to reserve the table.

You come to me with a proposed solution (like moving table) and I'll consider it but otherwise leave me alone.

Awful service. She would have had you move mid meal if her manager didn’t have some common sense.

I used to work in a restaurant and there was so many regulars that wouldn’t know how to cope if ‘their’ table was taken. People are so rigid.

This happened to us in Chester in the evening that clashed with a Chester Races meeting (the horses) only they moved us twice during our meal.

We were livid. Paid the full bill as no discount offered and left them a one star review. Curiously the owner then replied brushing off that experiences and blaming how busy the restaurant was. We hadn't book a table, just walked in etc.

We haven't returned. Lost two customers that day

It wouldn't even have been your fault if you had been sat at a reserved table, if that's where they sat you!

I wouldn’t really class just giving an apology as good service.

I mean you would classify good service as an apology, finding a table, moving the plates/drinks and I don’t know .. maybe offering a drink as a sorry for the inconvenience as good service. Here they didn’t give an apology at any point.

No. We were a 3 sat on a 4 table. I don’t think they had 3 people tables as none of the tables I saw were circular.

How are all the things listed there not things that happened? 💀

I would have said, fine here's your table and walked out without paying.

Doggymummar. You are quite clearly happy to accept service which is frankly awful. If you don't want the service you are paying for, you may as well eat at home.

Had this yesterday in our local pub, popped in, it was packed, was super happy to grab a free table with no reserved sign on it. Halfway through our drinks, the bartender came over & said in 20 mins, there's a booking on this table.
I pointed out there was no reserved sign & all the other tables were either reserved or had people at them. Where could we sit instead, she just said the booking had just come through online so we had to move.
Not impressed at all so finished our drinks & went to the pub over the road.

You can save yourself the phone call. If when you go to book there's only 6.30 and 8.30 slots, you know they operate a double service. It doesn't bother me as we're never there more than 2 hours but I'd be annoyed by a waitress saying "move to another table" without finding me another one.

OP did you complain to a manager before you paid?

That's terrible - why should an online booking take precedence over people who are already there.

I was reading an article yesterday about how the hospitality sector is suffering. When you read threads like this you start to lose a bit of sympathy. After all, if there are so few jobs around now, surely they can be picky about who they employ.

UK crapness. I am convinced that there exists a significant subset of people that believe it is ok for standards to regress over time to the point where what was formally classed as poor is now normal, and everyone should just suck it up like good little citizens. It is no suprise to me at all that there is a general perception the UK is deteriorating with time as a country. The (partial) solution is to call out crapness as it happens, but that would offend the you-must-not-be-intolerant brigade.

No harm done. Mistakes happen

She disrupted your meal three times and then all for nothing in the end - I don't think that's ok when you are trying to enjoy your food buy concerned about being able to find somewhere else to sit once new people rock up. If it was the manager's orders, did you ask to speak to the manager when you paid at the end? I would have done, because at the very least there should have been an apology and assistance to both find another table and relocate you to it. Providing feedback means at least that they can improve for next time.

No tip and a bad review/tweet 👍

Yes, this. ^