Hi guys, bit of a weird one this I know, but I thought I'd ask your advice on something that happened to me last night.

I went out in town as I do every Friday night, and we went to the same old pub we always go to. When we turned up a mate and I went to the bar to get a couple of bottles of Kopparberg and some glasses with ice in. When the barman gave us the glasses they were pretty small so I asked if we could have some pint glasses instead. At this point he told me "you'll have those and you'll be happy with it". Needless to say I was taken aback by this, but I kept it polite and said "Excuse me, we just want some bigger glasses". The barman then told me to "stop moaning you tart - you can drink that then you're out", before storming off into the kitchen. There was no way I was going to be treated like this, so I waited for him to come back and said forcefully but not rudely "We want some bigger glasses". This time he flipped out, and tried to grab my drink off me while shouting "Right, that's it, you're leaving now!". I managed to keep hold of my drink but the glass went flying down the bar and landed near some other customers.

By this point I was furious with the way I was being treated - I hadn't asked for anything unreasonable and I hadn't once been rude. It was clear I wasn't going to get anywhere talking to the barman, so I turned to his manager who was a little way down the bar, and asked if she'd seen what had happened. She said she hadn't, which I find hard to believe seeing as she was only a few feet away and half the bar had seen what was going on, but nevertheless I explained the situation, to which she replied "Well we haven't got any pint glasses". I told her that wasn't the point, the point was that I'd been verbally and physically abused in a completely unprovoked attack. While I was talking to her the barman came back and started hurling abuse at me, to which she didn't even bat an eyelid. She told me she'd have a word with him later but they were busy at the moment. I felt this was completely unsatisfactory but didn't see what else I could do; I'd already complained to the most senior person there. I asked if I was at least going to get an apology, but she told me that she couldn't force him to apologise. As his manager I feel she must take ultimate responsibility for her staff, and she should've apologised regardless of whether he was going to, but she just brushed off my complaint and wandered off down the bar to serve someone else.

Needless to say I'm extremely angry at the way I was treated, particularly as it was a Wetherspoons and they say on their own website that "our people are our best asset".

I've drafted out a complaint letter but my question is this - people always say you should state in your letter what you expect the company to do to rectify the situation, but to be honest I haven't got a clue what I should ask for. Should I ask them to fire the barman or ask for free drinks vouchers or a written apology or what? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Pete

[Edited on 21/10/06 by scoobyis2cool]

Ask for a verbal appology from the barman and a free drink. that's about all your gonna get.

Wetherspoons is not regarded for its staff.

Apart from tying to sell you waste slops at £2.50 a pint etc (I have actually seen them draining the trays into pint glasses ready), a friend of mine has an autistic brother who is 24, the manager of the local branch refused to serve a group of us until 'that one goes, we can't ones like him in the pub'.

I have never been in a Wetherspoons since

I know exactly how you feel. There are a lot of unhappy people out there dealing with the public........and quite a few maniacs as well.A lot of the times we want to take some action and quite rightly. The best option would be to forget about it and time is the way to do that. My advice is not to give ths guy any more of your precious time. I usually leave these things for a week or two and see if the sting goes away.........it usually does.
Alex

State in your letter exactly what happened and the sequence of events and what you said to the manager and her response. As for what you want, not goods or monetery compensation but a simple written letter of apology.
Send this letter of complaint directly to MD of Wetherspoons, find the adress on the web, and send it recorded delivery. Also add that you thought Wetherspoons only employed professional well trained staff as they were "Their best asset". If this does not elicit o formal appology then the press may be interested if its a quite news day or Watchdog et al.

Its the Landlords LEGAL right NOT to serve anyone he pleases.

My Local Landlord in Cambridge (now retired) threw Prince Charles (or was it Andrew) out of his pub as he didnt like royals. It was a very long time ago 30 years or so. But its still the case.

The landlord has this right and the law is behind him.

However, it does not make good business sense to alieniate your customers just for asking for a different glass. I think he was downright rude, and should appologise.

Personally I would just vote with my wallet in another pub.

You probably wont get very far with this, but its worth a try. Was he the Landlord or just one of the bar staff? If its staff, complain to the Landlord, or if its a brewery owned / tennented pub, then write to the brewery. Thats better than trying the landlord.

Having been in the hospitality business and open a new pub only yesterday I know where you are coming from. You write to the owner of Wetherspoons (can't remebmer him name) at head office, you mention nothing about compensation, you only want to bring to his attention that the pub is not living upto the ethos of the company. as somebody else said you will be lucky to get a letter and if you have not heard anything in 14 days, resend until you get a reply.

write a letter to the brewery and get the barman car reg and place an ad in the local paper selling his car as a bit of personal revenge, if you can find out where he lives post 2 mine threw his letter box one male one female.....

Thanks for the replies, I was thinking along the same lines myself, just wanted to see what other people thought!

As you say, I am not interested in compensation - a free pint is neither here nor there to be honest, but I do feel an apology is in order.

Alex, I agree that time is a healer but I think too many people let this kind of thing go by. I've given that pub a lot of business and in return I expect to be treated courteously. As much as I would like to complain with my wallet, my friends are unlikely to want to go anywhere else so really I haven't got a choice! That's why I think it is not too much to expect an apology. I'm sure the barman had probably just had a bad day, and perhaps today he is regretting what he said to me, so I'm not out for vengeance, just recognition that that is not the way to treat customers.

Geoff, I realise the landlord has a right not to serve someone if they choose, but they do not have the right to abuse customers for no reason. I'm sure it is not Wetherspoons policy to allow their barstaff to act like this.

Mark, I'm shocked at your story, that is appalling. Did you make any official complaint to head office?

I'm going to call head office on monday to find the name of the person to address the letter to, I'd hope to get some sort of response but I'm not holding my breath!

Pete

[Edited on 21/10/06 by scoobyis2cool]

Use this link. I did when they wound me up, I at least got a letter of the gits.
Steve.

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/contact/

I'd do two things:

I don't know what your local press are like but ours would have a field day with this - they love knocking big organisat#ions and this would be eadline news!

Secondly, I'd go straight to the top - find out who the top man in Wetherspoons is (Companies House) and speak to to him or her direct - nobody else! I had a problem with a national builders' merchant a few years ago - I bought as kitchen cupboard and when I took it out of the packet it was defective - the branch wouldn't take it back because I'd opened it! I phoned the chief executive directly - needless to say I got a prompt response from the branch manager!

Regards

Wyn

well, theres a tale......... i would complain to the manager personally....... during daytime hours as the barman will prob not be there...... and write to the brewery etc to complain....... dont ask for compensation etc, see what they offer, at least an appology and a refund of your drink prices....... maybe a meal voucher for one of there resturaunts in there group would be a nice gesture???
but dont hold ya breath, the pub/club scene dont seem to care much about there customers, or there staff, having been a doorman for the last 14 years, i speak from some experience...........

Pete,

try here,

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/investors/directors.php

Can't do the linky thing but that should point you in the right direction.

Edit: - thought i couldn't do the linky thing!

Gaz

[Edited on 21/10/06 by gazk]

do that, even better..............

I like the sound of that, I'll tell them I've got the influence to make hundreds of people stop going to their pubs if I want to so they'd better make it a good apology

I was debating whether to write to the customer service manager, branch manager or managing director but now I've got a better idea - I'll cc the letter to all of them, that way I should stand a better chance of getting a reply!

my local wetherspoons is excellent, i guess i go in too often! I'd be well and truely pissed off if that happened to me though. Sympathies, hopefully the letter will get a satisfactory response.

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Originally posted by JoelP
my local wetherspoons is excellent, i guess i go in too often! I'd be well and truely pissed off if that happened to me though. Sympathies, hopefully the letter will get a satisfactory response.

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The shame of the whole thing is the fact that you're a normal person who's genuine complaint and bad treatment just falls into the category of 'another bunch of drunken binge drinkers causing trouble'.

You get the same treatment from bouncers - when you're out on the town, you're just sheep following the crowd, not people.

Too bad, because it ruins things for the people who don't cause trouble, but are branded just the same.

Your best bet is to not go there for a while and just find a better place to drink for a while.

I'd do a Roger Cook on him. Get a camera rigged up in a hold-all and go in to your local with a dodgy looking mate, holding the bag under his arm, with the camera lense poking out, so as not to be noticed. Ask him for exactly the same thing as you did before. If he throws a wobbler and goes into a tantrum, you've got footage as proof. If he acts normally, ask the miserable twat why he reacted differently the last time he served you and demand an apology there and then. If he punches you squarely on the chin, send the clip in to YBF and who knows, you might win £500. You can't lose either way

All said with tongue in cheek (Just in case you decide to send this thread to Mr Wetherspoon)

Phil

Haha YBF, yeah that sounds like an awesome plan As you say though I can almost guarantee next time he'd be perfectly normal!

StevieB, you're quite right - the fact that I'm young and all this happened in a pub on a Friday night pretty much places the blame on me straight away, the fact that I hadn't even had a drink yet would get conveniently looked over!

What about organising a group meet there for the guys in the area, Attack in large numbers thats the way to do it,
Steve.

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Originally posted by stevec
What about organising a group meet there for the guys in the area, Attack in large numbers thats the way to do it,
Steve.

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Ask for a verbal apology from the bar man then NEVER go back, at least u knwo u will have made a fool of him and he probaly wont do it to anyone else so you will have done some good.

i know ppl that work in bars/food industry and u don't wanna be eating food where any of the staff may hold a grudge!

John

quote:

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Originally posted by scoobyis2cool

quote:

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Originally posted by stevec
What about organising a group meet there for the guys in the area, Attack in large numbers thats the way to do it,
Steve.

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I like the sound of that idea. We can all queue up to get served by the same bloke and all ask for bigger glasses

Pete

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Hmm I had our staff dinner booked at a weatherspoons in Port Solent. Some people were moaning about it at work - think I'll cancel it and go somewhere else!

I'd write a letter if I were you. Address it to the company director and you might see a response!

It really winds me up when we receive such bad manners in so many shops. No please or thank you as you hand over money that keeps them employed!

It doesn't seem to happen abroad but that could be my rose-tinted glasses!

If ur gonna get a letter i got a tip about this....

Write it to the wrong person as well as the head honcho. if u send it to an accountant or someone thtas not expcting it or doesnt get letter like that they will ask the guy thats meant to be dealing with it whats happened with it and uve got more chance of it getting dealt with

Ask for sum Pint Glasses,

Sorry could not resist, you need to reach people above where the problem is otherwise they just back each other up and your letter would be a waste of time.
I had a problem with a large hotel chain that ended up with us getting a £50 voucher.
Regards Steve Evans.

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Originally posted by stevetzoid
Ask for sum Pint Glasses

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