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View Full Version : Is it time to name and shame the poor standards provided in pubs.



Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 14:08
Nothing annoys me more than to visit a pub and be treated with very poor facilities and service,we pay enough for our beer and should expect good hospitality and service.
Many publicans provide excellant service along with fantastic offers on very good food,but for some they just do not care anymore,should these pubs be added to a list of not to visit.

Hopefully this will stop families being ripped of in the future,helping others to avoid our mistakes might be an incentive to all concerned.

oldboots
02-01-2010, 15:42
...........but for some they just do not care anymore,should these pubs be added to a list of not to visit. Hopefully this will stop families being ripped of in the future,helping others to avoid our mistakes might be an incentive to all concerned.

I guess this is linked to your unfortunate Slough experience :eek:

I'm not in favour of black lists, after all one man's meat and all that. In any case all sorts of trouble could result from publishing black lists. There are plenty of pubs I wouldn't use but are often packed out so who should judge?

The best advice is to use the review sites and read the reviews carefully to weed out the obvious "axe to grind" merchants. This site tends to emphasize the good points of pubs and any negativity usually tends to be more subtle than on certain other sites. Personally I prefer the PG way. Why not write a full and frank review of what was good and what was bad, if you come across a poor pub?

Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 18:27
Good comment actually,it was probably me getting carried away and venting my anger with the Slough experience,but fair comment from you made me realise the implications it could raise.

Conrad
02-01-2010, 19:33
Thanks OB, you have pretty much expressed my opinion completely. I may add more later when I have a little more time, but there is the obvious potential for black lists to be abused. As it is we see the (very) occasional reviewer come in and rave about 1 pub and then leave bad reviews of all pubs within 2 streets, as long as they don't cross the line we leave them alone (although do ask the question 'I wonder which pub they work at?').

There is also the horses for courses aspect, different people view different things as good, 10 years ago I loved pubs with loud music, nowadays I am more likely to walk out to find somewhere I can chat. Ultimately I would like to see PG go the way of other social sites and provide you with the tools to make sense of what is on our site. If you have read ob's reviews and agree with them you should be able to work out which pubs ob liked and prioritise them, equally if you think his choices are rubbish you might want to ignore his reviews. If we can get this working then I think we can begin looking at the negative aspects. As it is if you have already left positive reviews on the site, we are far less likely to think about removing your review as you have demonstrated your preferences and envalued your opinion.

At the moment if I was blacklisting things it would be Virgin media, nice of them to choose New Years to do maintenance on my connection, because of course I wont be wanting to use it then :moremad:. I am amazed Richard Branson lets his brand anywhere near those idiots! I'm off for a drink :)

Tilly-Miss
02-01-2010, 22:57
Please dont get me started on about that man who wants to control everything the world offers,we could write all night about him sad little man.

arwkrite
02-01-2010, 23:26
This is the reason for sites such as P G existing. However there are times when an off the cuff decision is made to go for a drink in a strange pub. The sound level on entry would have made me do an about turn.
I do not rate pubs because ,as O.B. has stated, people look for different things in a pub visit.Personally ,my way of looking at pubs has recently changed but I hope to carry on reporting the accessibility of premises by wheel chair users. A pub full of lager drinking, grass smoking knuckle-draggers with over loud entertainment may be hell to me but they like it and I am the one treading on their turf. A report in the review section should point out the sort of pub it is but it should not necessarily be in the negative. Try to be even handed. However bad service is bad service. I am afraid I have visited more evil toilets than good ones. Staff may sign the rota sheet saying they have been visited but thats as far as it goes. Poor maintenance is also to blame with leaking toilets and washbasins. You just don't know.

Conrad
03-01-2010, 00:11
I have to admit pub toilets have never been a major deciding point for me as long as they are separate from the pub. All these mentions have reminded me of this amusing site (http://www.pubtoilets.com/) though.

oldboots
03-01-2010, 11:10
I have to admit pub toilets have never been a major deciding point for me as long as they are separate from the pub. All these mentions have reminded me of this amusing site (http://www.pubtoilets.com/) though.

Brilliant site Conrad, bit too much on the pub not enough on the karzies though, bit like pub review sites that concentrate on how good the chicken breasts stuffed with feta cheese are and totally ignore the ale :moremad:

I have book marked it already but I do worry about how you found it ;)

Tilly-Miss
03-01-2010, 12:05
Very good link, i am also of the same opinion as oldboots? LOL

Conrad
03-01-2010, 15:15
I honestly don't remember, it may well be Dave's fault, we have had a link for it on the PG link page for quite a while.

I know I always found the toilet site amusing as when me and Dave used to go out for drinks every week there used to be a certain inevitability about me wondering back from the toilets at some point in the night with a toilet story, even if it was just to moan that the people in there had no appreciation for urinal etiquette (http://www.drinknation.com/fun/urinaltest)!

hopwas
03-01-2010, 19:32
If you check The Mercian, Tamworth on PG and I posted very negative post.

Suddenly everyone had right go at me.. But I stand corrected as it is pretty awful pub. Everyone has their opinon and I know some people HATE JDW but I accept.. Not everyone likes JDW including Conrad himself.

Oh well you cant win everyone :D

Hoppy

arwkrite
03-01-2010, 21:21
Well I was going to remark yet another thread ends in toilet humour but seeing as its Hoppy's JDW post I dont think its wise. I have found the male customers of JDW some of the worst for misuse of the Disabled Toilet by leaving the door open for their mates to use. The consternation it causes when they find the door locked and they have to bound up the stairs two at a time to the Gents. Sorry its my boyish sense of humour.

Conrad
04-01-2010, 12:40
If you check The Mercian, Tamworth on PG and I posted very negative post.

Suddenly everyone had right go at me.. But I stand corrected as it is pretty awful pub. Everyone has their opinon and I know some people HATE JDW but I accept.. Not everyone likes JDW including Conrad himself.

Oh well you cant win everyone :D

Hoppy
I thought I would have a quick look at the Mercian (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/34651/) bit of a classic example that one.

The first 3 replies are fairly meaningless compared to your complaint as they have rated no other pubs (although Jacky Walker doesn't have to I guess, if I was being brutal I would rather she focused on the pub rather than social class. I guess you are just going to have to start reading the Sun instead of the Mail Hoppy ;)) and Colin Gooch as a regular (where has he gone in fact) has an opinion that deserves credit and can be checked by looking at his other reviews, not sure why he gave the pub 0 stars though :confused:.

Found myself defending JDW yesterday in conversation for at least being consistent in having disabled facilities :)

Farway
04-01-2010, 14:33
Seems like some are taking the "name & shame" to heart already

White House, Penhallow, Cornwall

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55621/

Conrad
04-01-2010, 15:09
Seems like some are taking the "name & shame" to heart already

White House, Penhallow, Cornwall

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55621/
Well unlike some at least it is well worded, as ever wish they left some reviews of the pubs they actually liked. As so often is the case, bad service is worth commenting on, but not the good.

Anyway aren't school dinners supposed to be fantastic these days? Good old Saint Jamie.

Mind you we always get our reviewers who are trouble makers (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/14093/) :whistle:.

Farway
04-01-2010, 16:34
Ho Ho, the last reviewer [full of praise, works there I wonder?] seems to be out of step, not really place to discuss his review, but the "suited crowd" was the Marconi folk from Waterlooville, of which I was one

Wish I had run the Mead End, or at least had money to run it

Reading Neil Robinson reviews he seems to have same thoughts as I on pubs around here

Now, is it possible to send PM to him? he obviously lives local to me, maybe we could have quite pint or two?

Conrad
04-01-2010, 16:47
Reading Neil Robinson reviews he seems to have same thoughts as I on pubs around here

Now, is it possible to send PM to him? he obviously lives local to me, maybe we could have quite pint or two?
Interestingly this is the sort of thing that Pubs Galore was originally set up for, hence the old name of the site was Regulars Reunited.

Our policy has always been that we are happy to forward on emails to other users. To outline the negatives of this, we will read the email you are sending, and they will have your email address, but you will not have theirs. If they choose to reply though we are then out of the loop altogether :) Looks like Neil has been recently active on the site as well, so fair chance he would get the email.

Would love to work back towards the more social aspects of the site one day.

Edit: Should have said, Neil is not active on the forum. When I find time I will do a post about how to find out that sort of thing, but basically if you look at Neil's (or anyone's) page on PG and check the address bar, the name in it is the same as their nickname on the forum.

oldboots
04-01-2010, 17:13
The Mercian and the White House are great examples of the kind non reviews that become site wreckers when you get too much of them. At the Mercian we get an indignant licensee and her friends writing to defend the pub's reputation, followed by a note just replying to the others - as you say Conrad, meaningless as pub reviews. At the White House a couple of classic examples of people with an axe to grind about bad food or service complete with shouty man, meaningless one sided comments about the bludy food, that tell me almost nothing about the pub, from people we're never likely to see on here again . :moremad::moremad:

I wouldn't presume to censor anyone but there may be times when a "review" is so valueless or so out of date that it doesn't make sense to keep it and as for Flame Wars forget it!

Eddie86
04-01-2010, 17:44
Well unlike some at least it is well worded, as ever wish they left some reviews of the pubs they actually liked. As so often is the case, bad service is worth commenting on, but not the good.
.



Amen! Reminds me, I must get some reviews up shortly

Conrad
04-01-2010, 19:27
I wouldn't presume to censor anyone but there may be times when a "review" is so valueless or so out of date that it doesn't make sense to keep it and as for Flame Wars forget it!
It is a hard one, I agree with you, censorship is not a good thing, and certainly there are reviews that are completely pointless, particularly foodie ones where the chef is likely to change, especially if they are bad. I think we need some feature to indicate that the review was left in a different generation (management, chef, twigs have changed?).

I may be mis-remembering but I think that stopping flame wars was part of the reason we only allowed one review, they quickly become non-sensical if it is all done through editing reviews. Regardless though that is the wrong way to go, we will just need to police it well when it becomes necessary.

runningdog
04-01-2010, 19:49
I may be mis-remembering but I think that stopping flame wars was part of the reason we only allowed one review...we will just need to police it well when it becomes necessary...


One review sounds good to me, Conrad. I haven't gone through the pub reviews to any great extent as yet, but I feel that if only your last review stands, that has to give a more accurate picture of the pub as it is today than multiple reviews that reflect the pub more as it was than as it is. Nonetheless, I would prefer it if there was an archive availabe.
Some who know me from another place, will be aware of my somewhat 'hard-line' opinion on moderation, or censorship, call it what you will. I like the fact that this forum appears to well-monitored, but my experience is that moderation must start early, if the wars, troll or flame, get started they are damn hard to root out. Once a target, it seems, always a target.
Ok, I think I managed to stop this turning into a rant. Bring on the 'Beast'...oh, rat's bits, I'm out.

Dark Island...:drinkup:..........

Conrad
04-01-2010, 22:57
The trouble I have with the only current review aspect is that part of the value in a site like this comes from showing what pubs were like in the past. I don't want to see good reviews removed for a user to just replace it with 'Now closed'. Also it may be more creditable to a publican if there is a record of them turning the pub around.

I am great believer in the fact that with the right tools/design you can make things work well for most people (not such a great believer that we manage that :(, one day), so some sort of archive aspect to reviewing may be the way forward.

In defence of other places we have not attracted much abuse on this forum yet (just the usual spam), it remains a bit of an unknown how we deal with it. I have no problem with deleting posts, but it has to be done for the right reasons, not just for mentioning JDW ;). Whilst I hope no one feels the need to use it (certainly yet), this forum does have an ignore function allowing you to ignore posters who clearly rub you up the wrong way. I mention this as it is possibly a line of defence if this ever does become an issue. Also any member should feel free to PM me or Dave if they want to privately address any issues.

Tilly-Miss
05-01-2010, 11:37
Good comments

hopwas
05-01-2010, 14:12
I thought I would have a quick look at the Mercian (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/34651/) bit of a classic example that one.

The first 3 replies are fairly meaningless compared to your complaint as they have rated no other pubs (although Jacky Walker doesn't have to I guess, if I was being brutal I would rather she focused on the pub rather than social class. I guess you are just going to have to start reading the Sun instead of the Mail Hoppy ;)) and Colin Gooch as a regular (where has he gone in fact) has an opinion that deserves credit and can be checked by looking at his other reviews, not sure why he gave the pub 0 stars though :confused:.

Found myself defending JDW yesterday in conversation for at least being consistent in having disabled facilities :)

I have to defend myself.. You don't know The Merican until you have visited it yourself. The Mercian usually serve flat beers (I have been served flat beers in 3 separate occasions. Its decor is so Eighties and rather iffy customers.

OMG! :eek: you actually defending :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:?! Aye JDW is very good with disabled people. My local JDW, Silk Kite, is just one example and fitted with ramps so wheelchair users can go to toilet via ramps.

Conrad
05-01-2010, 15:01
I have to defend myself.. You don't know The Merican until you have visited it yourself. The Mercian usually serve flat beers (I have been served flat beers in 3 separate occasions. Its decor is so Eighties and rather iffy customers.
You don't understand though Hoppie they are saving the fizz to support the local community :whistle:

hopwas
05-01-2010, 15:04
You don't understand though Hoppie they are saving the fizz to support the local community :whistle:

:D True..Maybe I am marked man in The Mercian!

Oh where did you get that "whistle" smiley from?? i dont see one in message box.. :eek:

Conrad
05-01-2010, 15:09
It should be 3rd one up from the bottom, middle of the row. I felt I need a whistle smiley as I frequently resort to mild sarcasm.

hopwas
05-01-2010, 15:13
It should be 3rd one up from the bottom, middle of the row. I felt I need a whistle smiley as I frequently resort to mild sarcasm.

:whistle: Excuse me.. I should have gone to Specsavers... :rolleyes:

arwkrite
06-01-2010, 08:45
OMG! :eek: you actually defending :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:?!JDW is very g Aye ood with disabled people. My local JDW, Silk Kite, is just one example and fitted with ramps so wheelchair users can go to toilet via ramps.

I have not found a JDW unsuitable for wheelchair users.I only have two complaints and these are by no means restricted to JDW. It is common for the gents to be on another floor. The more idle of the male customers ask for the disabled key and leave the door open for future use. Men being poor judges of distance ( or over estimating the length of their equipment) miss the bowel and turn the floor into a huge puddle.What little does make the bowel is never flushed away. The staff rarely insist the door is locked or the area is clean. Strangely this behaviour does not apply to women.
The other problem is the siting of games machines,pool tables,dart boards,TV's and tables/chairs far to close to the door of the toilet. Increased facilities for the disabled are appreciated but clear access is important.

Farway
06-01-2010, 15:04
. Men being poor judges of distance ( or over estimating the length of their equipment) miss the bowel and turn the floor into a huge puddle.What little does make the bowel is never flushed away.

Hope you meant bowl & not bowel, or has JDW some hidden reputation ? :)

hopwas
06-01-2010, 15:16
Arwkrite..

Tut tut.. you are being very naughty today, Sir :rolleyes:

JDW is very g Aye ood

arwkrite
09-01-2010, 22:57
Hope you meant bowl & not bowel, or has JDW some hidden reputation ? :)

Sorry I am late replying, just read the post. Yes it was a howler of a spelling mistake. Apologies all round. Some toilets in JDW are in the bowels of the earth like the Postal Order in Worcester. It seem a long climb back up.