The Customer is Always Wrong - Even When He is Right

I stopped off at the Duke of York in Clerkenwell (around the corner from beer blogger Stonch's pub, the Gunmakers.) I was with two other committee members of the British Guild of Beer Writers. I mention this to suggest "we know what we're effing talking about." Allegedly.

I ordered three pints of Brakspear Bitter. The beer was distinctly warm (about 17C by my estimate) and noticably sour (I like gueuze/lambic but there's a time and a place.) I returned to the bar and made a polite and factual complaint. Body language told me I was probably talking to the boss. The same body language issued the message "I'll bite your arm off." Her response was the classic "it's room temperature: it's supposed to be like that."

Resisting the temptation to do a "I'll have you know..." act I maintained eye contact and restated my complaint. A long pause ensued and a sneering "I suppose you want something else" followed.

So the pub trade is in suffering? Well, in therapy-speak "change comes from within" – this would be a good place to start.

B.T.W thanks for the pic to Ewan-M on Flickr

Crown Posada, Newcastle – Overrated?

Been visiting this pub on-and-off for 20 yrs but never quite got it.

OK, it's pretty, the beer's good but not exceptional (try asking for a sparkler to be removed and risk being sneered to death), it's unbearably cramped.

Most recent visit - pint of Gladiator was oxidised (damp cardboard flavour) and sour - a strong case for a replacement and an apology. I polite complaint was met with "my wife's been drinking it all night", "it's perfectly clear", "it was delivered three days ago" all delivered with f*ck-off-don't-bother-me body language. Our pints weren't replaced, and we left.

Very typical of an attitude all to common in the pub world - the customer is always wrong.