I’ve been working away from home 3-4 nights a week for that last 15 months or so.
I’ve eaten in every chain pub and eatery going, and just as many independent places. I prefer ‘normal’ food when I can get it, meat, veg etc but sometimes I change.
I’m working in a rather dire area of the west Midlands this week and I went for a drive last night to get out of the sprawl of industry and on my way back I spot a nice pub and decide to return tonight.
On entering its obviously another chain pub. No matter. The menu looks good if a little pricy by chain pub standards, so I decide to treat myself to something different – Aztec Pie, £10.50, layers (plural, take note…) of tortillas with spicy chicken, wedges, and corn on the cob.
Food arrives rather quickly and I’m initially disappointed at the ‘Pie’ which as far as I can see is a tortilla with a big spoonful of stuff on it. (layers? Plural?) then I see 4 medium sized potato wedges. 4. Then I see the corn looks over cooked and generally shrivelled.

I’m hungry
I’ve been at work since 7am
It’s now 6.15
I’m British. We don’t like complaining.
In all the places I’ve been in the last months I’ve never had cause to complain over food (flat coke was the worst thing, swiftly replaced)

But I glance up and attract the attention of a waitress and almost applogetically I complain that my corn is ‘manky’ and that 4 wedges is poor. I don’t mention the ‘pie’
She says she’ll talk to the manager, who, it transpires, is about 8ft away from me.
There’s a minutes murmoring and she returns and explains that this is the set portion. No apology. No offer of some non manky corn, nothing. The manager can’t be bothered to walk 8ft and talk to me

By this time a few other diners are watching in interest

What would you do?

You pay what you think it was worth or leave the whole lot and walk.

Asked for a refund and left.

Learn to complain it can get you far 🙂

Leave it and walk out.

Reach for the Bombers.

**** em off and go for a burger/kebab/curry

Crack out the bombers!

If you hadn’t already paid, I’d politely reject the food, get up and walk out. If you’ve already paid, your it’s going to be a little harder.

You either make a point or don’t. But if you do you need to be prepared to walk away and go somewhere else if things don’t go your way. Simple

Letter to Manager with copy to Head Office. He doesn’t deserve a job by treating customers with contempt.

Hope you get it sorted Pete.

I left the food on the table, paid for my drink and left. It was noted by the staff and customers who looked quite surprised.

The pub is the Old Wagon and Horses just south of Stourbridge on the A451

I’m now in the Crown Inn 1 mile up the road eating a superb chicken dish cooked by a chef, not reheated frozen stuff done by a cook. £13 for 2 courses.

Write a humorous letter of complaint and take your lead from these examples –

Best Ever Complaint Letters

The NTL one is good 😀

Stand up, say loudly to him ‘I’m not paying for that, it’s poor quality and doesn’t match the menu.’

Then walk out.

Photograph said food and use it to add power to your thread and always put the name of the shit hole in the title 😉

Also stand on your chair, shout I have an announcement to make, then butt wave the manager, straighten up point at the food and in a clear loud voice say: I’M NOT EATING THOSE SLOPS, I’D RATHER MILK A MANGY DONKEY WITH MY LIPS!

LOL @ Karsae! 🙂

Strangely there always seems to be a huge difference betwen the pictures of the food and what arives, regarding size of portion and the actual look.

I’ve just asked my mate who lives there where he’d eat around there, can’t wait to hear, he always tells me black country folk like simple food.

I had a similar thing happen in a Chinese restaurant in Chippenham with a group of friends on my birthday. We hadn’t booked, but there were only a couple of tables taken, and we’d eaten there several times before.
Anyway, we all order and get drinks. Time passes, we wait, other customers come in, order, and start getting starters before we get anything. After thirty five-forty minutes, we start getting antsy and ask where our food was, as others were already eating who’d come in after us, and we were told it’s on it’s way. Ten more minutes, and that’s it, we all get up, and there were seven of us, paid for the drinks we’d had, and walk out, just as the girl walks into the room with the first of the starters.
The restaurant doesn’t exist any more. 😆

To the OP I think you did the right thing by paying for your drink and leaving. Problem is if you do complain and they then bring you some replacement food you’ve no idea what’s been done to it out of your sight.

I hope you mention how good the food is in the Crown to the chef or manager and mention the dreadful time in the Old Wagon .

After a seemingly entire day spent receiving poor food and service on a journey from Wigan to Norfolk then on towards Brighton, I wasn’t expecting much from the chain pub I had to eat in next to my hotel…

After a great meal and terrific friendly service, I asked is I could see the manager. He approached in fear until I mentioned how pleased I was. He was made up obviously.

I hope you mention how good the food is in the Crown to the chef or manager and mention the dreadful time in the Old Wagon .

Already done. This place is spot on. Luckily accident really! 🙂

don’t overturn the table and throw your drink at the managers head..

Nice one!

What you doing up this neck of the woods(ish) anyway?

Oh, and next time, ask for some recommendations of decent places to eat first!!! I spent 6 months living away 3-4 nights a week like you’re doing, and whilst all my colleagues (who I can only suggest wouldn’t have known what decent food was if it slapped them in the face) were happy to eat in a Brewer’s Fayre atteched to the Premier Inn every night, I often just went off on my own to find some decent grub. I mean, if you’re allowed £20 to spend each night on food (no booze, just food!), as long as you keep the receipts, are you gonna sit in a manky Brewer’s Fayre, or are you gonna go find some proper nosh!

Learn to complain it can get you far

Yep, I’m buzzing after just reading my latest energy bill from edf, they cancelled charges of nearly £200 after I complained about their incompetence in setting up a direct debit when I switched over to them!
I know this is not in anyway pub-related but I felt the need to share.

If I hadn’t paid already I’d have called her again and said that the food was not acceptable got up and walked out.

If I’d paid already I would have called her again, and in a loud voice would have asked her to take my plate away as it was not acceptable, got up and walked out.

Had a meal at the Mill House pub at Milford (between Derby & Matlock) a few years ago. A couple we were with both had mixed grill and it was swimming (literally) in grease on the plate. They ate half of it and left the rest.

Upon realising they were going to do nothing about it, I complained to the staff. They were very apologetic and gave a full refund even though it was half eaten.

What I would do, and indeed have done, is call the manager over, explain that you are leaving and why, that you won’t be paying for anything (you expect any drinks already consumed will be complimentary), you are happy to leave your name and address (with proof thereof) and you will of course be taking the matter up with their head office.

I’ve done this twice (with extreme provocation I might add), neither times was I (or company – in both cases) prevented from leaving, and in both cases I got a satisfactory apology and compensation from the head office.

The incredibly poor service we often get in this country is because people don’t complain. If people complained and/or voted with their feet/wallets most of these outfits wouldn’t be in business.

Get a better expenses account?

😉

lol at kasae

After a particularly grim pub meal once, a mate of mine spelt out the word “SHIT!” across the table using chips, punctuated with ketchup.

Sad to hear about the Wagon & Horses being so poor, it was my partner grandparents favourite eatery.. I believe its changed hands since then though.
If you still in the area & looking for another place to eat, can I suggest the Cat @ Enville, just a couple of miles away, again new owners but the food standard remains high (not expensive) standard, a proper country pub. Though the new owners are the local brewery!
Lots of other very good places to eat in the area, sad that your left in the position, totally agree you had to leave

I mean, if you’re allowed £20 to spend each night on food (no booze, just food!), as long as you keep the receipts, are you gonna sit in a manky Brewer’s Fayre, or are you gonna go find some proper nosh!

The other advantage of small pubs – you’d be surprised just how happy they are to charge a decent pint or two as lemonade 🙂

As students we had a really bad meal for a friends birthday starters and main courses out of order not much of what we ordered. We all put in what we had spent, offered half to the waiter for the bill gave £40 to the big issue seller outside and went to the pub with the rest. Waiter didn’t know what to do, manager accepted that he had to grin and bear it.

General advice though, avoid chain pubs or anywhere that has a picture of the food on the menu…

There are some good places round there and some sh*t ones

Most independents will give you a less than detail receipt if you ask nicely…..

Anywhere that has pictures in the menu should not be eaten in.
Anyway – why not try the Lion O’Morfe?

I’d have eaten and paid! Actually i wouldnt have ordered it in the first place, first rule of eating in less than delightful pubs is stick to the easy pub classics!

Most independents will give you a less than detail receipt if you ask nicely…..

Must be a cultural thing, but here in Spain it’s accepted that you’ll be having a beer or a glass of wine with your food – are you really forced to basically lie to avoid problems with your companies???

The other advantage of small pubs – you’d be surprised just how happy they are to charge a decent pint or two as lemonade

How does that work? So you pay for beer and claim for lemonade? Or they charge you lemonade price for a pint?

Depends if you’re having *a* drink or whether the drinks add up to more that the food, really.

In the last two jobs I’ve been happy to stick a pint on expenses (I figure, if I’ve just driven 300 miles to be somewhere for Silly O’Clock, the least the company can do is buy me a beer). If I’m sinking half a dozen, then that’ll come out of my pocket. Seems fair.

So you pay for beer and claim for lemonade?

That’s what he means, yes.

Only time I’ve ever done that is on the last night after working away to complete a project that ran for a couple of months. The drinks bill was larger than the food bill! Our (for want of a better title) team leader had a quiet word and they adjusted it to a slightly more acceptable ratio.

Not saying I’m holier than thou, just that I’ve never really worked somewhere where I’ve had to do it.

Must be a cultural thing, but here in Spain it’s accepted that you’ll be having a beer or a glass of wine with your food –

And look at what that’s done to the economy… 😛

Depends if you’re having *a* drink or whether the drinks add up to more that the food, really.

I wouldn’t want to abuse it here, either – but I wouldn’t have any problem at all in sharing a bottle of wine while eating, and claiming it and the rest of the meal on expenses.