Filmed while you eat...

KovacsC · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:52

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1112002/Exclusive-restaurant-used-CCTV-footage-prove-family-complained-enjoying-themselves.html

The manager of an upmarket restaurant used CCTV footage to eavesdrop on a customer's lunch conversation and dispute the woman's complaints about poor service.

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Marilyn Fletcher wrote to the Manor Restaurant near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, alleging her £127 meal for four had been 'not much better than a school dinner'. She complained her family had waited 20 minutes before they were offered a drink.
The exclusive restaurant is in Waddesdon Manor, which is owned by the National Trust - of which Mrs Fletcher and her family are members.
Mrs Fletcher, 57, was shocked to receive an email reply from the restaurant's catering manager Simon Offen challenging her version of events of the December 22 meal, the Sunday Times reported.
The Fletchers argued their £127 lunch at Waddesdon Manor was 'little better than a school dinner'
Mr Offen said he had 'watched and listened with interest to the video recording of her table' and the Fletchers appeared to have been happy enough.

'I have spoken to all the staff on duty and watched and listened to the recording of your table,' he wrote.
'You sat at your table at 14.31, at 14.41 whilst the staff in your room were running about, you stormed over to the cash desk to make your point. At 14.44 your order was taken.'
He said Mrs Fletcher was being 'vindictive' and added 'it is quite clear that whatever we do you will not be happy with us'.

Mr Offen claimed that despite their complaint, the Fletchers ate all their food - something they deny.
He ended by saying: 'It is probably better that you do not use our facilities here again.'
Mrs Fletcher, of Great Missenden, Bucks, said she felt 'outrage at the invasion of our privacy', the report quoted her as saying.
She has written to the National Trust's director-general Dame Fiona Reynolds, asking to see the recording and demanding an explanation about the legality of Mr Offen's actions.
'There was no legitimate or lawful reason why Mr Offen should have been recording conversations at our table and then listening to them "with interest",' Mrs Fletcher said.
A National Trust spokesman said the restaurant's CCTV camera was 'trained on the till' as a security precaution and was not pointed at the tables.
A spokesman for the Information Commissioner said CCTV cameras should only be used if there was a 'genuine justification' for them, usually to prevent or detect a crime.

Recording conversations in a restaurant would be 'deeply intrusive', he said.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:54

Yeah, just read that on Bitter Wallet (url added for those not willing to soil themselves on a Daily Mail ink). Makes me think twice about nicking the cider glasses when I've finished my pint now.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:55

First one to go to YouTube and post the Maitre D interview scene from LA Story wins some bananas.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49246

What an idiot. All he had to do was offer a letter of apology and maybe £30 of National Trust vouchers. He'll probably now lose his job over this.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:55

While I don't agree with his methods at all, I can't help but chuckle at this.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:56

Dimrill wrote:

Yeah, just read that on Bitter Wallet (url added for those not willing to soil themselves on a Daily Mail ink). Makes me think twice about nicking the cider glasses when I've finished my pint now.

I posted the article under spolier

the bitter wallet has the link to the Daily Mail.... i feel picked on !!!

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 16:58

Kovacs Caprios wrote:

i feel picked on !!!

I only want your scabs.

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

Craster wrote:

What an idiot. All he had to do was offer a letter of apology and maybe £30 of National Trust vouchers. He'll probably now lose his job over this.

Which is a shame, because as he points out they WERE lying cunts.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11902

I am totally with the guy on this one.

Shin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:08

God that's funny! We had a woman like that sat by us moaning about her meal, saying it was 'not worth the money they charged' and how 'cold it was when it arrived' and how 'poor the service is' after she'd eaten all of it in a few minutes. My friend was working there at the time and I was having a bite to eat whilst waiting for her to finish her shift. The woman complained to her and she said:

'Well if you had left half of it I'd have refunded or brought you out something else, but you wolfed it down instead didn't you? So don't cry wolf to me Mrs!'

Manager laughed...but in the end wasn't overly impressed

Does make me laugh though at people who do this-moan about it when you START eating it, not when you have FINISHED. Daft cow

I love what that guy did though, breach on privacy or whatever aside-still made me laugh

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11902

went for a drunk curry on broad st one pissed up morning at about 2am, there was about 9 of us. Come the end of the meal and the bill, one of the group goes to the waiter, "I am not paying, the chicken was raw." and gets in a strop. The dick had eaten all of it.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49246

I've never understood the problem with complaining about something you've eaten all of, myself. Yes, I thought it was totally not worth what I paid for it. However, it was in front of me, I'm hungry, and I don't want to wait 20 minutes (by which point everyone else I'm with is ready to leave) for you to cook me something else. Doesn't change the fact that it wasn't up to scratch.

JBR · **Joined:** 2nd Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 3306

From that clip it does sound as though he's dropped a bollock by mentioning the listening side - they've ignored the fact that the audio doesn't add anything to the story and focused on that, which lets them wriggle out of the fact that he refutes what they say pretty effectively.

RuySan · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3542

Craster wrote:

I've never understood the problem with complaining about something you've eaten all of, myself. Yes, I thought it was totally not worth what I paid for it. However, it was in front of me, I'm hungry, and I don't want to wait 20 minutes (by which point everyone else I'm with is ready to leave) for you to cook me something else. Doesn't change the fact that it wasn't up to scratch.

i'm agreeing with everything you say today, to the extent that i'm thinking about not posting here anymore. What's the point?

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49246

Cock off, fagballs.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:34

I've had a couple of rare days of Crastosynchronicity. It cleared up, though.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:38

Crikey.

Oh, where to start...

The place of eating there, is not one I would describe as 'exclusive', although the house itself is most excellent, and I do recommend a visit. and it works out at about 30 quid a head, which is decent price for what it is.

That, and it probably was signed about CCTV anyway.

Most of me thinks that they wished to duck the bill.

Shin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:39

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

myp wrote:

I've had a couple of rare days of Crastosynchronicity. It cleared up, though.

I've just had a horrible mental image similar to one of the doctor sketches from Jam.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:43

MaliA wrote:

Most of me thinks that they wished to duck the bill.

It's a bit hard when it's attached. I hear geese are the same.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:43

WullieOoster wrote:

myp wrote:

I've had a couple of rare days of Crastosynchronicity. It cleared up, though.

I've just had a horrible mental image similar to one of the doctor sketches from Jam.

A symphony of cocks? A harmony of knobs? Same lob rate?

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 17:47

WullieOoster wrote:

myp wrote:

I've had a couple of rare days of Crastosynchronicity. It cleared up, though.

I've just had a horrible mental image similar to one of the doctor sketches from Jam.

"But that's your leg."
"It's much nicer than yours."

RuySan · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3542

Craster wrote:

Cock off, fagballs.

i actually don't agree with that, dick

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:02

I never complain about food simply because I KNOW they'd just goz on it and put it in the microwave for 2 mins.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:06

Zardoz wrote:

I never complain about food simply because I KNOW they'd just goz on it and put it in the microwave for 2 mins.

I never complain - I just vote with my feet. If I've been somewhere and experienced poor food or crap service, I chalk it up to experience and choose not to go there again.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:07

Anybody here read 'Waiter Rant'? I can't remember the author, but it's by this guy who does a blog, and it's a completely excellent look from the perspective of a head waiter at the restaurant business. It's far funnier and more interesting than you'd expect, and doesn't stoop to 'lolz spat in soup' stuff, though it does cover that. But in it are several examples of the waiter deducing the lies of paying customers through science and psychology. It is excellent.

Shin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:10

There was one by a guy named Peter Eccles (?) and that was pretty funny! He had one woman saying she was a vegetarian and ordered a meal that had bits of meat in it and threatened to sue the company for it because they didn't label the meal right or something (basically BS), then he saw her eating a burger later in the week at a fast food chain :DD

I'll see if I can find it, sure I have it somewhere.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12340

Pete - I have read Waiter Rant from quite early on, and I think it's a shame he got a book deal, as that's when he stopped updating.

And I've just realised that you are probably talking about the book not the blog anyway. My point still stands.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:19

Mr Russell wrote:

Pete - I have read Waiter Rant from quite early on, and I think it's a shame he got a book deal, as that's when he stopped updating.

And I've just realised that you are probably talking about the book not the blog anyway. My point still stands.

Never read the blog, might hunt it out, I certainly enjoyed the book. Reading the book he does say a lot about how he wishes he had a book deal and didn't have to be a waiter anymore.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 18:20

Waiters are actors that haven't made it, just yet.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12340

It sounds like he may have copied out a load of blog posts then!

I highly recommend the site. You may as well start reading the archives from the beginning, as the stuff where he was at The Bistro is genius, before he quit and moved to another job.

Cracking writer though.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Not a fan of snooping on the private conversation, but to be honest, I think it very likely that he knew damn well that they were full of shit and trying it on before he checked the tape. Given that situation I'd probably have done the same, although I probably wouldn't have put it in writing. You quickly develop a pretty good bullshit detector when you work in a restaurant. Most people who are trying it on are pretty transparent.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 23:36

Hang on, isn't recording video with sound without consent illegal?

I know that you can record video of someone without their permission because I used to install CCTV cameras. But recording the whole schebang is like, illegal.

Unless you got them to sign a disclaimer on the way in which they obviously couldn't do at such a high profile gaff.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

He may be bluffing, having simply overheard them at the time.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 23:42

Yup he must be. I mean yeah he may have a video of them but that doesn't really say anything. Not like someone is going to become visually angry so that a camera could decipher it. Most people moan under their breath in restraunts anyways (I know I do, I don't want ear drops in my foogin food !).

Doesn't matter shite if he does have sound, it would never be submissible (sic) in court anyhoo.

Also this.

HOW MUCH?!?!?!?! Crikey, I could buy a month's shopping @ m&s for that.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

£20-30 per head is pretty much par for the course when I've been out. Restaurants are a rip-off a lot of the time, but a nice rare treat with the right company.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 23:47

sinister agent wrote:

£20-30 per head is pretty much par for the course when I've been out. Restaurants are a rip-off a lot of the time, but a nice rare treat with the right company.

Normally more with drinks on top

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12340

I liked the way John put it when he said that it's not worth eating at a place that costs you more per hour than you earn

KovacsC · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 0:00

Mr Russell wrote:

I liked the way John put it when he said that it's not worth eating at a place that costs you more per hour than you earn

But if you earn £10 and hour but the meal lasts 2 hours and cost £20. Is that ok?

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12340

I guess so. You'd have to ask the man himself!

I don't think I could live like that myself, as I do so enjoy a splurge every now and then.

Plissken · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 0:19

Wife and I joined Hi-Life. Bloody good food and most times it is two full meals for the price of one. Four courses plus drinks at Yang Sing (the best Chinese restaurant in Europe, IMO) came to £27.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

If the meal only takes two hours, you're doing it wrong. Hell, I've been out for lunch with a friend and taken almost that long to order.

Managers hate us, but the waiters love us. We're pleasant, and very low-maintenance.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 0:47

Plissken, you make me feel like Yang Sing.

Zardoz fact: I used to do work for the owners of the High Life diners card.

Plissken · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 0:59

I've found some wonderful pub grub thanks to Hi-Life. I think it was the Anchor in Ruthin and I can thoroughly recommend The Britannia Inn in Elterwater if you are in the Lake District at any time.

Pays for itself in three meals.

metalangel · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:07

I was out in a good curry house a long time ago and this table to arseholes (two men and one of the men's son) who sat there talking bollocks about Linux and such, and complaining as frequently as possible about the food being 'too oily' and 'it's hard to enjoy the food with a stomach full of oil'. I can't remember how it ended, but they either ate it all and complained, or asked for a doggie bag. Either way, they were cunts, and I have to say I'm behind the restaurant guy on this.

If the food is truly awful, you complain about it immediately upon tasting it, such as when I was given a curry in a Wetherspoon's that was still partially frozen, or a chilli in a pub that was maybe half a degree above cold. If the food could have been better, you might well finish some or most of it but make your suggestion to the staff when they come to take the plates away. Anything else is lying.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:26

Mr Russell wrote:

I liked the way John put it when he said that it's not worth eating at a place that costs you more per hour than you earn

I really, really could never do that. It's denying yourself pleasure.

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