Toby Carvery charged sunday prices on a monday

pianoplayer

Hi,

I recently went to our local carvery on monday the 7th, I know it was a bank holiday (not that it felt much like one) but it was the first time a few friends and family were together and it was convenient.

Anyway long and short of it was, ordered the carvery, had a meal, waiter was a bit off (not attentive and slow with the drinks, didn't respond to questions without repeating them), and noticed they'd left all the sunday menus out but just but thought nothing of it other than it was odd.
Bill time arrived, and instead of the normal Monday to Saturday prices we were charged Sunday rates.
Queried this with waiter who said he'd get the manager, no manager arrived but noticed new guests arriving close by and the waiter was loudly stating that prices today are Sunday prices, not something he had told us.
Complained to the manager not interested, local area manager told him to charge sunday rates and let people complain. I refused to pay the sunday rate, I would pay the monday to saturday rate and they could have my address and take it up with me in writing. Manager refused threatened to call police, waiter states he told us I say that he is a liar the whole party state he is a liar, customer are still wrong, I was all for the police turning up and the restaurant wasting their time as I hadn't refused to pay but wife gets upset, friends and family evening ruined. Reluctantly agreed to pay, but feel aggrieved, sign outside clearly states the menu price Monday to Saturday and makes no mention of Bank holiday mondays as different, only a Sunday menu price. Surely this is an unfair contractual term imposed on a consumer?

I wouldn't have made a fuss if I hadn't felt i'd been deceived, I admit that the Sunday menus were odd but we were out to enjoy our evening not to ponder on the vagaries of table menus.

Manager said write to Mitchel and butlers and we'll get a refund or such, but that doesn't excuse the deception and the loss of enjoyment of our evening.

Any advice on what to do in future? and how to raise this, as I suspect if it goes to the area manager, it is his policy it is less likely to be sympathetically heard?

societys_child

Oh dear . . . . . .

Rodders53

All the big restaurant chains have the same 'excluding Bank Holidays' rules, nationwide. It's common knowledge and a result of 'market forces'.

Leaving complaining to M&B's Head Office for over a fortnight won't help your case. This bank holiday pricing policy will not be at an individual Area Manager's discretion.

This is a link to an example Toby - http://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/aldenhamwatford/ - it clearly says the Sunday price will apply on the Bank Holiday Monday, but the Tuesday BH (Jubilee Day) will be at the lower rate. Check out your own.

peachyprice

Why did no-one in your party query it when you were given Sunday menus? This should have been a HUGE indicator and a simple question to the waiter would have saved you the embarrassment and a ruined evening.

You have to take some responsibility for your own inaction.

pianoplayer

Well that's fine and I accept that for vouchers and promotions certain exclusions apply. I accept that had i checked the website then it may well have said something similar to the link.

However clearly on the Sign outside the pub it makes no such exclusions.

And furthermore the manager even stated we should complain to head office because it was a policy introduced by the area manager, one which had caused a number of problems, and that we would be refunded. It would seem that it is far from a clear position.

System

I would have walked out without paying. They're not going to restrain you and the police are not going to rush to attend the scene of the crime!

pianoplayer

peachyprice wrote: »

Why did no-one in your party query it when you were given Sunday menus?

we weren't the menus were on the table and I think at the time we just thought it was an oversight. We didn't require menus per se because we only wanted drinks and the advertised carvery.

peachyprice wrote: »

You have to take some responsibility for your own inaction.

of course, but this was a genuine mistake on our part as it was no doubt on theirs not to inform us. If we had known we would be charged almost double the advertised rate we would have chosen an alternate carvery that has a fixed price 7 days a week, but it was not our first choice due simply because Toby is walking distance, which enable everyone to have a drink of their choice. That said it was not such an issue that we couldn't have driven the 5 minutes in a car with a designated driver.

pianoplayer

goater78 wrote: »

I would have walked out without paying. They're not going to restrain you and the police are not going to rush to attend the scene of the crime!

Yes but I was happy to pay what I felt was the agreed price, and they could dispute the rest by correspondence. Walking without paying would have been simple theft in my mind.

System

pianoplayer wrote: »

Yes but I was happy to pay what I felt was the agreed price, and they could dispute the rest by correspondence. Walking without paying would have been simple theft in my mind.

Well yes that is true. However they would not accept what you felt was the agreed price so you were forced to overpay for the meal.

I assume you didn't pay the 10% service charge?

pianoplayer

Rodders53 wrote: »

Leaving complaining to M&B's Head Office for over a fortnight won't help your case.

Maybe so, but I had more pressing matters to attend to despite the sense of aggrievedness.

pianoplayer

goater78 wrote: »

I assume you didn't pay the 10% service charge?

I never pay a service charge in the absence of any meaningful service if it is mandatory I eat elsewhere, service charge is an awful con it impinges on a willingness to tip for good service, by imposing additional costs on an expectation of service, my opinion. One doesn't go to a clothes shop, pay for an item or several and then expect a service charge simply because an attendant told one where the changing rooms are.
Service charge implies providing something other than the necessity of transacting a sale, but unfortunately is applied apparently quite legally to restaurant bills as a mandatory extra.

And No they wouldn't accept the 'agreed' price which then forced my party into paying or stealing, and hence if the police were to turn up then I would presume I or the party could also have been faced with wasting Police time, something I had no desire to be a part of. Which is why I originally asked what to do next time a similar (obviously bank holiday lesson learnt) situation were to occur.