Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Castleton
When you go out to eat, you’re looking for two things: good food and good service. If the food is good but the waiters are sloppy or slow or rude or there are long delays between courses, you probably won’t go back.
Last weekend, we spent a few days in Castleton, Derbyshire. Castleton is a small town surrounded by hills in the Peak District (UK). The nearest pub was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese – which was recommended so we had dinner there the first evening.
The food was great and there were no problems with the service.
The next evening, we didn’t even consider going anywhere else. We were keen to try other dishes on the menu. I ordered a rump steak – medium.
When it arrived, it was well cooked. So well cooked, that I could have walked the 200 miles back home on it without it showing undue signs of wear. It was also tough and grisly. I left half of it; considering it inedible.
When we finished the barman came and dutifully asked if everything was alright? “Well, no, not really.”, I said. “The steak was tough.”. “We spend an awful lot of money on our meat” he replied. My wife chipped in with a friendly comment: “and sometimes you get a duff one.” “I wouldn’t call it duff”, the barman replied as he took our plates and left.
That was it. No attempt at a remedy. Not even an apology. As long as they spent a lot of money on their meat, that was good enough for him.
So why bother asking if everything is alright if you really don’t give a toss whether it is or not? Just going through the motions isn’t good service. Good service is about making an effort. The chefs can be working their socks off in the kitchen but if the waiting staff don’t understand good service, you won’t drag customers back for another visit.
What should the barman have done? I would have been a bit happier with an apology but the clever approach would be to offer me a good discount off my next meal. First, that would have repaired my good will. Second, it would have given them our custom for another day. Even with a discount on a single meal, they would have been up on my wife’s meal and our drinks.
Good service is so very easy and ensures repeat business. If you give poor service, you look cheap and mean.
We didn’t go back.
