ANGELS15 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:34 pm
Derek27 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:28 pm
ANGELS15 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 6:18 pm
I went into a Labrokes the other day. I like this particular shop because it's very quiet and I can ususally sit directly in front of the big screens and observe the betting shows. I nipped a few doors up the road for a chinese takeaway, brought it back and sat down to eat it. Just at that moment an elderly couple who are regulars walked in and up to the counter. As I took the first mouthful of my food I was taken aback at how lacking in salt it was.
I wanted to ask the cashier if he had any salt/pepper in their tea room. This cashier was taking an age to deal with the old couple's bets. I was really hungry so started reluctantly to eat. A few minutes went by and the cashier was still serving the old couple. I thought ffs it would be quicker to nip next door to the convenience store and buy some salt.
I quickly went next door and had to buy a huge salt container (£1) and a bottle of pepper sauce also £1. Went back to finish my food just as the cashier finished serving the elderly couple.
When I finished my meal I went up to the counter and said to the cashier 'I've got this huge salt container and this bottle of pepper sauce. I've seen you guys bring food for your meals etc. Would you like to have them to go in your kitchen cupboard?' (It's a very long drive from where I live to this shop and I didn't want to bring them home with me).
I was shocked at how disinterested this cashier was (he appeared to be one of these student types and this part time job was probably to support himself through college). He didn't even make eye contact with me just shrugged his shoulders and said 'no just throw them away'. Would it have hurt him to place them on the shelf for his colleagues to use? One day one of them may be looking for salt/pepper.
Having been brought up not to waste anything I was disgusted by his attitude. Sadly it's typical of what you see in a lot of bookies these days and no doubt contributes to the demise of these places.
You should have taken it back to the Chinese and asked them to chuck some salt & pepper on it.
I've been meaning to do a follow up to my rant of 10 july 2021. As I had stated I occasionally visit a particular Ladbrokes. It's a very quiet shop often only one or two other customers in there. I've never had a problem eating a sandwich or takeaway in there. I don't do it every visit as if I can I eat in the cafe or chippy.
Derek27 made an interesting point when he said it had been a while since he'd been in a bookies and didn't know you could eat in there.... Anyway.......
I'd visited the shop a few times since the 10 july 2021. The 10 july had been my first visit for around 2 years. Anyway since that 10July visit I'd visited a few times and taken some food in there sat down ate. There had been a variety of staff there no problems. They were all new to me but I was getting used to them and we usually had a pleasant banter when I went there.
About a week/10 days after the 10 July I went in there with a takeawa. It was a chinese takeaway and the little plastic fork they'd given me splintered. I went up to the counter and asked the guy (who had seen me several times) whether he had a fork or spoon. These places usually have a microwave, sink some basics. The cashier said he didn't have anything. I said ' how do you make yourselves a cup of tea?'. In no way was it said in an angry way just puzzlement.
I went back to my food, the plastic fork although splintered still was just about usuable. Suddenly the cashier opened his door poked his head out and said 'hey mate actually there's no food allowed in the shop I can get in trouble for this'.
I was stunned as I'd visited the shop about 7 or 8 times in a 10 day period and there had been no warnings that I couldn't eat. Indeed surely bookies want customers to spend a long time in their shops so they must expect that customers will need food and to use the loo etc.
I hate doing things to upset or cause trouble for others so I apologised and said I really hadn't realised it was a problem and that no-one had warned me.
However I was also fumimg because a pet hate of mine is people who allow you to do something on a regular basis even have a laugh and a joke with you and then suddenly drop a bombshell on you one day.
A similar scenario is if you've visited a site for years parked in a particular spot on a regular basis. You've always seen the same people when you get there then they tell you actually you've never been meant to park there.
I could have understood if on the 10 July the guy had said 'sorry mate but no food allowed'. Instead he/they let me carry on on several subsequant visits. To me that's acting like a p****.
Anyway after finishing my meal I left without any argument and made my way to a Hills I know. It's nearly as quiet as the Ladbokes. The staff there were people I recognised and were pleased to see me after nearly 18 months. Anyway both of these places are a fair ways from where I live so I tend to eat locally or in the shop.
When I re-visited the Hills the next day I asked the guy if I could eat a sandwich, he replied 'of course sir'. In any even it's a lesson learned so I'll always ask!
