Is it expensive?

[JTQ]

You can of course look at your bill before paying, even if asking to see it is required, it is not only the receipt that itemises things.

Whilst you are probably right there is "no point arguing over £1 when you are leaving" I would certainly do so if an optional charge was secretly levied, to me the ethics of it would need raising.

I accept "paying through the nose" to avail ourselves of the likes of a good meal, or a good bottle or ambience, what I can't stand is being cheated.

 

[Damian]

The optional charge was mandatory and we had no choice! You only get a receipt after you have paid in case you had forgotten.

So the "optional " charge is not optional...........I doubt that.
As for only getting a receipt after paying, you get the bill before paying and that gives time to check what is being charged for, failure to do so is not the fault of the establishment!

All establishments must by law have a "menu" of prices and charges , it is up to the individual to ensure they are happy with what they are purchasing.

 

[otherclive]

Todays paper suggested that beer may be over £6 a pint in London now and the rea; problem is not people trying to recover lost income but the fact they cannot get the staff and wages have had to be increased just to get them. Many have found other jobs and the large numbers of foreign staff have all gone home and most have not returned. The problem is most acute in London and the South of England but even in other areas the staff to customer ratio has increased and that has to be passed on.

So many foreign staff worked in hospitality and are probably unlikely return to Britain to work, that if there’s a shortage of home grown staff the pressure will be on venues to offer improved wages or conditions. That will translate into increased costs passed on to the customer. My granddaughter has been sending her cv to various pub/ restaurants for weekend working. Each one she contacted has invited her for an interview. She’s been able to pick and choose which one to accept and what type of work too.

 

[otherclive]

My thoughts exactly as you were not given the option prior to paying. It appeared on the receipt after you had paid. Wife paid and I never looked at the receipts until she had paid for the second lot. No point arguing over £1 (2 x50p) when you areabout to leave.

Surely you only pay a service charge once, not on each order. Don’t you pay it on the final bill? What would you have paid had you ordered it all at once?

 

[ProfJohnL]

At most pubs the prices are not displayed so until you are presented with the bill you have no idea of the cost. Obviously one expects to pay over the top if you walk into a fancy pub or hotel, but a country pub that is nothing special?

By law pubs have to publicly display the cost of their alcoholic drinks and the size of the measures they serve.

 

[Buckman]

Surely you only pay a service charge once, not on each order. Don’t you pay it on the final bill? What would you have paid had you ordered it all at once?

No idea as it was to separate orders only for drinks. We were not presented with a bill prior to paying as you go up to a table, give your order and pay at the same time. There is probably a price list posted inside the establishment, but you cannot access it.
However as per my heading is paying £4.95 for a Thatchers cider and another £2.95 for a cup of tea expensive? This is the first time I have ordered tea at a pub as generally I will have a coke, but cannot drink carbonated drinks at present.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I detest service charges. Staff should not have to rely on "tips" or a service charge to make their money. It should be part of the businesses' normal budgetary consideration on how to include the cost of employment in their pricing structure.

You don't buy a car or a caravan where your presented with bill and then asked to pay the workers who built it separately.

Its insidious process which should be banned, and employers should pay their staff correctly.

 

[ProfJohnL]

...
There is probably a price list posted inside the establishment, but you cannot access it.
....

If its not accessible, then they are in breach of their liqueur licences report them to Trading Standards.

 

[Hutch]

If the

If its not accessible, then they are in breach of their liqueur licences report them to Trading Standards.

If it was not on show, And I was interested, I would ask to see it, at these times, rather than reporting to TS.
I would be happy just to get a drink and somewhere to eat and drink.

As for the cost, in Cheltenham , no, its a fair price. But in the Middle of York, that would be expensive.

 

[JezzerB]

Just had the most fantastic fish and chips at far end of Skegness seafront-sat outside in the sun on Saturday -£5.20 all in-now you can't fault that! And free parking for motorbikes in the seafront carpark near the clock tower.

 

[Parksy]

I must confess that I rarely take any notice of the price of a round of drinks unless the cost seems exorbitant enough to attract my attention, but I've never knowingly paid a 'service charge' levied automatically by the proprietors.
No pub would last for very long where I live if they added 'extras' on to the cost of drinks, the clientele would simply go elsewhere.
We were out in the countryside last Friday evening in a pub garden, enjoying a drink by the River Severn, and not unexpectedly a round cost more than it would in my local.
I can understand why some pubs might put their prices up to try to claw back some of their recent losses, but an added service charge can only bring about the pubs demise in the long term.
If we're not careful, customers and management alike, Wetherspoons will be all that remains 😧

 

[Thingy]

The one thing that drives me mad, is when paying by card, the waitress stands there with the car machine in her hand and ASKS if I want to add a tip. I always feel like saying that If I want to tip I will add it without being asked. If I havent offered one, your service or food has not been to the accepted standard. I just find it cheeky.

As for hidden charges, we long heard about a Derbyshire pub, quite near to me that charged locals less than visitors (its a tourist area). I had spoken to a couple of landlords about it and they all confirmed they had heard the story. I was sceptical. However, some time later I had to meet some friends there, and whilst stood at the bar getting just myself a pint (I wasnt being tight, nobody else kept pace) I noticed a guy charged 50p less for the same pint. Suspicions aroused, I not only kept my eye on it but mentioned it to the others and they too watched with their rounds, and yes it was true. We figured we as strangers were sponsoring the locals drink by around 25p per pint. The landlord was left in no doubt exactly what we thought of the practice.

 

[Beachball]

Just had the most fantastic fish and chips at far end of Skegness seafront-sat outside in the sun on Saturday -£5.20 all in-now you can't fault that! And free parking for motorbikes in the seafront carpark near the clock tower.

Hi JezzerB in August we are near Chapel St Leonards and Skegness is not far would be worth going to trying them out .

 

[otherclive]

Over the weekend when staying near Cheltenham we went out for a drink at a country pub which we had never visited previously. The pub was nothing special as you were sitting outside. OH had cider and I had a cup of tea. Thatchers Cider cost £4.95 and tea was £2.95. Included in the bill was a £0.50 optional 50p service charge! I was lucky to get 1 1/2 cups out of the pot. All I got with the tea was a smidgen of milk and 3 packets of sugar. The 3 packets probably equated to 1 teaspoon. Normally they only give you two packets.
The previous weekend we went to a country pub local to us 14 miles away that we visit often and had Thatchers cider and a cup of coffee. Total came to £5.50 so we are wondering about the huge difference in price as cider was £3.50. Is this the norm now for some pubs to charge a lot extra to make up for losses? Needless to say we will not be visiting the "expensive" pub again.

Just as an update our 16 year old granddaughter received her contract to work as a waitress at a upmarket hotel and the hourly rate for weekends lunch and dinner is £4.20 per hour. Which is just about the statutory minimum. No wonder the hospitality trade are finding it difficult to recruit staff.

She’s now decided that baking cakes at home will be more profitable, and she has real skill in that direction as my waistline showed until I recently took charge of things. 😂. This was one 18 months ago .

 

[Darren.H]

Just as an update our 16 year old granddaughter received her contract to work as a waitress at a upmarket hotel and the hourly rate for weekends lunch and dinner is £4.20 per hour. Which is just about the statutory minimum. No wonder the hospitality trade are finding it difficult to recruit staff.

She’s now decided that baking cakes at home will be more profitable, and she has real skill in that direction as my waistline showed until I recently took charge of things. 😂. This was one 18 months ago . View attachment 1536

lovely 🤩

Its a modern scandal that of pay, I describe it as stealing pieces of people's lives!
Why does the person at the top need to treat profit as a high score?
Social responsibility left the work place around the recession of the 1980's and never came back!

 

[RogerL]

lovely 🤩

Its a modern scandal that of pay, I describe it as stealing pieces of people's lives!
Why does the person at the top need to treat profit as a high score?
Social responsibility left the work place around the recession of the 1980's and never came back!

It's not as simple as that - most of the profit made by business goes in taxation to fund health, education, roads, etc or to pension funds to support those who have worked a lifetime - in addition the pressure to keep retail prices low is driven by consumers buying on price, not value.

 

[Darren.H]

It's not as simple as that - most of the profit made by business goes in taxation to fund health, education, roads, etc or to pension funds to support those who have worked a lifetime - in addition the pressure to keep retail prices low is driven by consumers buying on price, not value.

I could argue all day long with you, based on my real life observations and experiences, but once 9 o Clock chimes the garden beckons.
I was once an employer, small scale 15 ppl, knew plenty of business folk, awful attitude towards staff was rife
I use nice gastro pubs/hotels for meals, the staff make a huge difference as to whether we return, for example our recent trip to the lakes one place we went back to, great staff, another ignorant and rude didn't go back.

 

[RogerL]

I could argue all day long with you, based on my real life observations and experiences, but once 9 o Clock chimes the garden beckons.
I was once an employer, small scale 15 ppl, knew plenty of business folk, awful attitude towards staff was rife
I use nice gastro pubs/hotels for meals, the staff make a huge difference as to whether we return, for example our recent trip to the lakes one place we went back to, great staff, another ignorant and rude didn't go back.

Of course there are variations - but the fact remains that low price is king for most consumers - that's what keeps standards low.

 

[otherclive]

Of course there are variations - but the fact remains that low price is king for most consumers - that's what keeps standards low.

Doesn't it relate also to the product or service that one is buying, and how the consumer views the purchase? It is not a one size fits all situation.

 

[Beehpee]

I enjoy a pub lunch and a few beers with mates as much as anyone, I think a lot of pubs are going to fail because of trying to put prices up to recoup their losses, I can understand the need but people aren’t going to just take it without reactions, loads of people have got used to paying supermarket prices and the inflated prices are going to mean bottled beers like Peroni and funnily Corona which are both excellent and are on offer in every supermarket you go in will continue to be a massive seller, I’m always happy to go into a weatherspoons, and I bet the prices there won’t be ripping people off and trying to recoup losses, spoons always have guest ales at low prices and the regular lagers and spirits are always cheaper than anywhere else and you don’t have to put ear plugs in because of the music blasting, it’s going to be survival of the fittest in the hospitality section and I think loads will fail mostly through greed.

BP

 

[Beehpee]

As for someone’s comment of low prices keeping standards low, yes in some sectors but again I speak for Wetherspoons, the low prices hasn’t lowered their standards

 

[Buckman]

I enjoy a pub lunch and a few beers with mates as much as anyone, I think a lot of pubs are going to fail because of trying to put prices up to recoup their losses, I can understand the need but people aren’t going to just take it without reactions, loads of people have got used to paying supermarket prices and the inflated prices are going to mean bottled beers like Peroni and funnily Corona which are both excellent and are on offer in every supermarket you go in will continue to be a massive seller, I’m always happy to go into a weatherspoons, and I bet the prices there won’t be ripping people off and trying to recoup losses, spoons always have guest ales at low prices and the regular lagers and spirits are always cheaper than anywhere else and you don’t have to put ear plugs in because of the music blasting, it’s going to be survival of the fittest in the hospitality section and I think loads will fail mostly through greed.

BP

Maybe people will start socialising more at home by taking drinks, food etc and visiting friends instead of meeting at the local pub.
In Southern Africa this was the main reason for getting together at other peoples homes. Plus the fact that pubs were closed all together on Sundays. We often had friends around for a BBQ. Every one brought their own drinks, meat and a salad to share.

 

[otherclive]

Before Covid reared its head my grandson rang me and said should we go out fora pub lunch; which I wholeheartedly agreed to. We went to a nice country pub near to Bowood House in Wiltshire. After the beer had been consumed he asked would I like a Malbec, again total agreement. So he toddled up to the bar to order a 250ml Malbec. Then came the crunch when I saw the bill...... £9.25 fora glass. We haven't been to that pub again, and also when we go out I make sure he knows what the rules of procurement are. IE grandad isn 't a bottomless pit.

 

[Dustydog]

Therein lies the problem Clive. Greed. Yes the pubs have suffered but over pricing now will leave them high and dry long term. My local has a massive garden . All tables must be booked. No longer can I and my mates just walk in for a pint. Most of the recent customers are outsiders. No problem if the pub survives but come the winter months your regulars pay the wages and bills. Lose them there could be long term problems.

 

[Beehpee]

There are times when money isn’t an issue such as special occasions etc it arises when your just having a pint and a sandwich or another snack and then you get overcharged, and get charged a service charge to just hand it to you, pre pandemic we got regular updates as to the number of pubs closing, I think this will be much worse, as for low standards, lots of people enjoy real ales but although there is a healthy number who like real ales, without the mass customers buying cheaper drinks there would be almost no pubs at all if all you could get was real ales and extortionate prices.