Wetherspoons unfair drinks policies!

Dillemma

1. I drink tea, my husband coffee. Up to 1400, he can have unlimited filter coffee refills, but I can't have the equivalent for tea. When questioned, a Wetherspoon's server said it was company policy as tea cost more to source(!) I believed the company policy, but if the buying policy is right, Wetherspoon's need to re-negotiate and if it is not, to educate their serving staff not to fib to or patronise customers.

2. I drink cider, my husband beer. For menu items "including a drink", he can have any real guest ale but I can't have any real guest cider. This is just plain unfair to cider drinkers.

I have used the Wetherspoon's website to raise these issues but was roundly fobbed off with promises to look at these issues in due course. Needless to say, nothing has changed.

Andy_L

You should take your custom elsewhere to a better pub

martinbuckley

Take a flask of tea next time.

melanzana

Send him off to WS, and you go elsewhere. Meet up later for a walk and a chat.

I know that sounds flippant, but if it bothers you that much, take your custom elsewhere.

WS are not going to change their policy for you are they?

POPPYOSCAR

"Computer says no syndrome"

I can never understand something like this.

No common sense.

Once at afternoon tea in a hotel my daughter asked if she could have a cola instead of a glass of prosecco and was told no.

Bad business practice in my view on two counts.

Tea is cheaper than coffee and cola is cheaper than prosecco and it makes no sense to alienate a customer in this way.

hollydays

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

"Computer says no syndrome"

I can never understand something like this.

No common sense.

Once at afternoon tea in a hotel my daughter asked if she could have a cola instead of a glass of prosecco and was told no.

Bad business practice in my view on two counts.

Tea is cheaper than coffee and cola is cheaper than prosecco and it makes no sense to alienate a customer in this way.

I sometimes put it down to young inexperienced staff.
I was In a cafe yesterday and asked if I could have some water for my dog. The waitress said she'd have to ask. Common sense would have replied" yes certainly"' but she felt the need to check !!

NineDeuce

What a complete non-complaint.

Would you prefer your husband to have limited coffee just to keep yourself happy? Or even go to another place where the same meal and drink would cost £3-5 more.... just to keep yourself happy?

Presumably you go into every single restaurant and complain about the variance in deals and prices....

"Waiter. The lobster is so much more expensive than the pork chop. This is so unfair to lobster eaters!!"

takman

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

"Computer says no syndrome"

I can never understand something like this.

No common sense.

Once at afternoon tea in a hotel my daughter asked if she could have a cola instead of a glass of prosecco and was told no.

Bad business practice in my view on two counts.

Tea is cheaper than coffee and cola is cheaper than prosecco and it makes no sense to alienate a customer in this way.

Special offers are not just based on the price of items and are designed to attract customers but to also make the company more money.

So even if something is cheaper they will not include it in special offers if they know they will make more money by not including it.

They may have found for example that someone who drinks coffee will have less cups than someone who drink tea if they are both offered unlimited refill. Budget food and drink places tend to have smaller profit margins so have to be stricter in their offers so they can make a profit.
But they know people will still go there because it is cheap.

In the hotel they probably make more money by people buying an additional drink and still providing the Prosecco than substituting it.

Premium and independent food and drink places will be more flexible in their offers because they have a higher profit margin so can afford to substitute items. They also have to justify their higher prices by providing better service to encourage customers to return.

K80_Black

The filter coffee is made in a large pot and dispensed by the customer. Tea has to be made cup by cup by a staff member, and the cost of that probably prohibits free tea refills.

I wouldn't blame the staff for not knowing these things. They're on minimum wage and already have to have extensive product knowledge and cellarmanship skills to deal with the alcohol side of things. Do you know the origins and reasoning behind every single policy of the place that you work?!

Huskydays

I wouldn't be surprised if the coffee is a loss leader for Spoons and they recoup their money on sale of other products such as tea and cider.

AndyPix

^^ I though similar ,


Or maybe their research tells them that coffee drinkers are more likely to spend more on food or other stuff whilst they are there - hence the incentive for coffee drinkers ..