Restaurant booking

nodiscount

Make sure you use TripAdvisor to warn others about what a nasty mean restaurant it is.

paddyrg

I can kinda see both sides - a party of 68 is a big party, so the restaurant may well be closed to other diners (who'd have poor service and a rowdy works do to contend with!). They have probably already ordered the food and can't resell it to other diners if the place doesn't have other diners (and it's likely a special menu anyway).

It does seem a bit rotten though - how about offering a compromise - they can take the full £80 BUT you get an £80 (or even £60) credit note/voucher in lieu so you can take your OH in January. A sensible restaurant manager would find that harder to argue against.

wiogs

paddyrg wrote: »

I can kinda see both sides - a party of 68 is a big party, so the restaurant may well be closed to other diners (who'd have poor service and a rowdy works do to contend with!). They have probably already ordered the food and can't resell it to other diners if the place doesn't have other diners (and it's likely a special menu anyway).

It does seem a bit rotten though - how about offering a compromise - they can take the full £80 BUT you get an £80 (or even £60) credit note/voucher in lieu so you can take your OH in January. A sensible restaurant manager would find that harder to argue against.

It seems it is in a separate room from what the OP says.

If one wanted to be bloody minded the OP could make sure that places were set for her and partner and food served. (If they can't go down the take-away route)

Someone else in the party may want extra!

Optional service charge was mentioned earlier.

Optional = don't pay it.

frugal_mike

I imagine failing to pay the service charge would hurt the serving staff more than the restaurant owner (unless its a family business). Definitely an option though.

I'd be interested to know what they say about providing the food as a takeaway, or serving it anyway in OP's absence. If they refused that may be grounds for claiming a refund since they are refusing to provide the service.

wiogs

frugal_mike wrote: »

I imagine failing to pay the service charge would hurt the serving staff more than the restaurant owner (unless its a family business). Definitely an option though.

I'd be interested to know what they say about providing the food as a takeaway, or serving it anyway in OP's absence. If they refused that may be grounds for claiming a refund since they are refusing to provide the service.

If the staff are good then leave a tip.

giraffe69

I don't know what the tip is on 68 people at £XX but it's a lot and I would certainly deduct the amount for two from it even if the service was good.

InsideInsurance

Who was the deposit paid to?

Last time I booked a team meal I had to pay the full amount up front excl drinks. Rather than getting everyone to pay £50 up front we split it up into a deposit and balance but just because it was the teams convenience didnt mean that canceling wouldnt mean that only the deposit was lost

Poppops

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Who was the deposit paid to?

Last time I booked a team meal I had to pay the full amount up front excl drinks. Rather than getting everyone to pay £50 up front we split it up into a deposit and balance but just because it was the teams convenience didnt mean that canceling wouldnt mean that only the deposit was lost

But that's the thing! We were only actually required to pay a deposit but the organiser collected in the balance last week as last year it all got a bit confusing when 60 people were handing over their cash. She feels awful now as she paid early but she shouldn't because who would want to carry that much cash in their bag?

Doctor told me tonight OH needs an op so we definitely won't be going. The lady who organised the party has emailed the manager asking if we can pick the food up as a takeaway so we will see what he says. OH doesn't think he will be up to it as he his condition is a problem with his stomach so DS and girlfriend may get a nice meal for a Saturday night in. I've told the organiser to have the prosecco for her trouble in trying to get the cash back for me.

With regard to a couple of other comments, the restaurant is a large one and we were in a private room so the other rooms will be open as normal. And it was a set menu Christmas dinner with christmas pud so it's not like they ordered in fillet steaks especially for us.

If we can get the take-away and DS and girlfriend have a nice night, and OH has his op and all goes well, then that's ok. I wouldn't go back there again though

Poppops

Update

So the manager finally rang back today and said there would be no refund and we cannot have the food packed as a takeaway. Said it is in the terms and conditions on the booking form that 'all monies paid in advance are non-refundable and non-transferable'. As we didn't book ourselves we obviously didn't see it but have checked and it is there

Still think it's a bit mean but there you go.

JimmyTheWig

Hope all goes well with the op, OP.

If you took the restaurant to small claims court I believe you'd win something back, at least.
Is it worth it? I'd say you've got better things to be concentrating on right now. But up to you.