Sadly bad service seems to be the norm nowadays. Just had an example from Marks and Spencers which I outlined a couple of days ago and over the weekend and today I had another example - Southwold Red Lion.
I know that I'm a simple person, but I would have thought the mantra for supply and demand is quite simple. The suppliers are providing a service for which the customers are paying. Therefore it is greatly in the suppliers' interest to (as Paul Simon said) keep the customer satisfied.
Sadly all too many suppliers seem to feel that they are doing the customer a favour by allowing them to avail themselves of food/services etc. So to the Red Lion. Tried over the weekend to book in a walking group for a lunch this coming Tuesday. There are 16 of us and at today's prices, taking into account food and drink, that should equate to almost £200 worth of business.
The Red Lion told us twice to ring back and on the third occasion said we couldn't make a booking for such a large group and anyway would have to pre-order today (not a possibility without spending the entire day in collation). I was then told that we could just turn up and take pot luck about tables being available. By that point I had had enough and told whoever was on the other end of the phone that we would take our service elsewhere and questionned whether he really could afford to lose the best part of £200 of custom on an Autumn Tuesday.
So I rang a relatively new establishment in the shape of the Sail Loft and how different the response was.
Yes no problem, what time would you like to come in? No you don't need to pre-order, we look forward to seeing you all.
I just hope the food lives up to the welcoming telephone response.