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Original poster

Would it be an abuse of mumsnet local to say how crap a place is?

31 replies

fryalot · 18/02/2008 12:32

Just wondering...

Not that JD Weatherspoons in Bridlington is totally awful, not that they refused to let ds have a drink when he was crying because we hadn't ordered his food yet, not that they let all the adults have drinks, as long as they were alcoholic and wouldn't let us have any soft drinks in case we gave one to a child as their policy says that children's meals have to be ordered before they will permit them to have a drink, oh, no, none of that, I was just idly wondering really...

OP posts:
cupsoftea · 18/02/2008 12:34

gosh how awful

UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 12:35

You're not serious? They wouldn't "let" you buy a soft drink? Write a letter! Complain!!

How were they to know the soft drink wasn't for a non-driver?

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 12:43

I am totally serious.

ds was crying and saying that he wanted a drink. Twas dinner time and dp spotted the cheap beer-ness of Weatherspoons and in we popped. Got to the bar and ordered a pint for him, a red wine for my mum, then I asked for an orange squash and she said no.

I was And she said "if you have children with you, you have to order their food before their drinks"

I said that we didn't know what we wanted yet, we wanted to sit down with a drink and look at the menu and she said that she would not serve us any soft drinks until we had ordered food. I said "well I'll have a glass of coke for me then" and she refused to serve it to me. She said that I may give the coke to a child and this was against the licensing law (which I know it isn't as I actually do have a drinks license)

Unfortunately, we had already ordered and received two drinks and the whole family was sitting down and ready, so we did go ahead an order food (just the first things off the menu) Ds calmed down when he was finally allowed his drink and I spent the entire trip sniffling and trying not to cry audibly.

Dp was happy though because the beer was cheap (twunt )

OP posts:
filthymindedvixen · 18/02/2008 12:46

oh they are TWUNTS aren't they!
The one in Harrogate made us sit in a tiny, smelly, dingey 'Famly Dining room' even though the whole rest of the pub was totally deserted.

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 12:47

Am trying to find a web address so I can complain to head office, but am struggling at the mo.

Twas awful.

OP posts:
Disenchanted · 18/02/2008 12:49

Am very for you!

How awful!

Bastards.

Im going to go in there one day just to see if they say it to me...oooh I will be ready!! lol

serenity · 18/02/2008 12:50

What a big pile of bollocks. I loathe Weatherspoons generally, and this is just another reason why. I will fume angrily on your behalf

Complain definitely, and I can't see that warning people on MN Local would be a bad thing. I'd like to know enough to avoid the 'family unfriendly' as well as know the good ones.

UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 12:51

Address
FAO: Customer Services
Wetherspoon House
Central Park
Reeds Crescent
Watford
WD24 4QL
Telephone Fax
01923 477777 01923 219810

clumsymum · 18/02/2008 12:51

www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/feedback/other/index.php#section-header

avenanap · 18/02/2008 12:53

I used to work for a certain pub chain, I had my hours cut by 2/3 because I took time off when my ds was sick. Not very family friendly as they make out to be. I am barred by the terms in my ACAS agreement to say who they are though.

UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 12:53

funny, one link says "Central Park, Reeds Crescent" and the other "Reeds Crescent, Central Park"

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 12:54

hmm... avenap, I wonder which chain you could be talking about?

thanks for the address, UD, and the link clumsymum, am off to whinge at them now.

OP posts:
clumsymum · 18/02/2008 12:55

notice this bit
"Our Customer Service team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on 01923 477774."

I wish I could listen in !

UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 12:56

Probably a call-centre in Bangalore.

fishie · 18/02/2008 12:56

wetherspoons have an alcoholic drink limit for people with chidlren too. i think they just don't want families in their pubs.

Saturn74 · 18/02/2008 12:57

Horrible, horrible company.
Had a similar experience to FMV.
We didn't stay to eat.
And have never been back.

They clearly don't want children in their properties.
But I wouldn't go there on a night out with DH or friends either.

Their rules are like something from a caravanning clubhouse in the 1970's.
As are most of their clientèle.

UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 12:59

When this 2drink limit" thing came in I wondered how on earth they policed it. What if you have a childfree friend with you and send them to get the drinks?

It totally undermines the established relationship between client and service. If I go into a pub to buy drinks and food I do not expect the person behind the till - usually a callow youth of about 21 - to lecture me on my purchases and "refuse" to serve me. I pay. You provide. That is how it works, matey.

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 13:01

have emailed my comments to them.

I ticked the "I do want a response" box, so I will let you all know if I hear anything back from them.

Strangely enough, we were in another Weatherspoons pub recently, and they couldn't have been friendlier, they brought colouring sheets and crayons for the kids, asked how many high chairs we wanted, brought an extra large wodge of tomato ketchup and serviettes (they obviously know my children ) and really couldn't have been nicer.

I do think, as well, though that there are ways of discouraging families (not offering children's meals, not having high chairs etc.) that work better than being rude and refusing to let people order drinks for their children!

OP posts:
filthymindedvixen · 18/02/2008 13:01

no exactly Humph, I have never been back with or without children and I have badmouthed them to others and won't use them in any other location. So they are driving customers away in effect.

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 13:02

yeah, UD. If I hadn't have been sniffling by that stage and perilously close to full blown sobbing, I would have said that.

(and they let dp have four drinks while we were eating our meal so they weren't too hot on spotting that one, were they!)

OP posts:
UnquietDad · 18/02/2008 13:03

It's very simple - you either put a big sign saying NO CHILDREN on the door, as some pubs do, or you make it clear that families are welcome and you welcome them. Not tolerate - welcome.

Original poster
fryalot · 18/02/2008 13:04

that would work as well, UD

OP posts:
Kathyis6incheshigh · 18/02/2008 13:17

Squonk that's outrageous

If they don't want children in there they don't have to let them in. Letting them in but treating them like shit is not the way to go.

hellsbells76 · 18/02/2008 13:23

aaargh don't get me started. went into a wetherspoons with my 4 week old DD, the family area was packed so we went and sat in the non-smoking area instead (this was pre-ban). manageress with a face like a cat's arse came over and said that children weren't allowed in the section i was in and i'd have to sit in the family area...when i explained there was no room she told me to go and sit in the smoking area instead which apparently was licenced for children!! figure that one out...i told her i was not going to expose a newborn to a smoky atmosphere, that she was being ridiculous and that i wasn't budging. she did leave me alone after that...

OrmIrian · 18/02/2008 13:26

No, they are 'family-friendly' aparently. We do go there I must admit because our local staff are nice (although food is not great) and it's cheap, there's always space and it's open when we want to feed DCs (ie unlike a lot of other pubs which only start to cook at about 7).

But so far they had:

  1. a ridiculous admissions policy for children - ie a child couldn't be served after 5pm and had to be out by 6pm which doesn't work if you are at work during the day. They changed that finally.
  1. No adult with a child in tow can have more than 2 drinks. Which indicates to me, not a care for the child's welfare, but a desire to get children out of there asap.

And now this, squonk! I think they need to dump some 'policies' and let local staff do their jobs as they think fit.