"On Saturday, 1st July 2023, my wife and I were looking forward to visiting the Golf Club Bar for a casual lunch. It was my wife’s first visit for a meal and we both casually dropped in at 1.30pm, relieved to see plenty of vacant tables and only a few customers dining. I duly placed our orders and since the wine list did not include any New Zealand Sauvignon, I purchased 2 x 250ml glass of House wine, one red, one white, priced at £6.25 each. An hour passed as we quietly enjoyed chatting over our leisurely drink when we both realised that our food had never arrived. I checked my till receipt to ensure it had been ordered and noted the receipt was not itemised, merely providing the total amount paid £38.15. We checked the menu/drinks prices and found that we had actually been overcharged £1.50 but considered this too insignificant an error to make a complaint. However, I went to the bar to enquire about the food with the female bar maid manager? and then also mentioned the overcharge. She checked the prices we had itemised on the back of the till receipt and agreed the £1.50 difference. She informed me that this was due to not having any of the ‘House’ white wine “chilled” in the fridge so she had advised the young male ‘trainee’ to serve another white wine priced at £6.95 £0.70 , charging me the extra without even politely asking if this was O.K? I accepted her explanation regardless that no reason was given for the further £0.80 overcharge. By now 1.5 hours had passed and I ordered another 175ml drink for my wife and enquired about the food. This same female barmaid manager? informed me that the food order had never been passed through to the kitchen, adding, “sorry my darlings but I will get the chef to start it now”. There was no offer of even a complimentary drink to recompense us for the delay and inconvenience spoiling our lunchtime meal together, nor any offer to refund the unexplained £0.80 overcharge. I was lost for words but declined to wait any longer so we promptly left never to return for another meal. In retrospect, I find it utterly appalling that senior bar staff had arrogantly, without the knowledge of their customers, served a wine at a higher price and simply charged for it, whether or not, we actually were served a higher price wine is also questionable? I find it also utterly appalling customer service that no goodwill gesture was even offered for the long delay and inconvenience that totally overshadowed the enjoyment of our lunch together. To not provide the customer with an itemised bill is open to sloppy input of food/drinks prices that unsuspecting customers simply pay in good faith. We live fairly local and, both now retired, we frequently enjoy dining out each week, however, this negative experience serves as the loss of two potential regular customers due to their appalling customer service from ill-trained bar staff. I would recommend that all customers now CHECK THEIR TILL RECEIPT to ensure they have only been charged for the food/drinks they have actually ordered. This review was sent directly to the 'Operations Manager ' at this venue on 3rd July, 2023 and not even acknowledged. Professionalism begins 'Top Down ' so that is obviously lacking too."
