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View Full Version : The Red Pepper, Holborn Hotel



anneoctober
30-Mar-08, 20:28
Ate here for the first time, tonight. Service friendly & quick, food very good. They had a board up telling you where they sourced their Pork Fish and Beef. Which I think gives you confidence in knowing that it is all locally produced and fresh. Only complaint was the Rod Stewart singing "swing" CD that was playing - stick to what you know rodders:lol:

Anne x
30-Mar-08, 21:36
Anne

we had a fantastic meal there in November Staff food service etc was amazing and Town was really busy that night a certain Scottish team were playing football

Boozeburglar
01-Apr-08, 14:46
Anneoctober>

Is porkfish land based or aquatic? Sounds intriguing.

Mixed feelings on this place, had one or two decent meals but one of my party passed on a recommendation to the waitress, and instead of politely noting it she argued the toss, when there was no argument to be made.

Like I have said before, Customer Service is not a language spoken in Caithness.

:)

rfcgav
01-Apr-08, 21:29
:roll:

Some people never happy to eh?

Boozeburglar
02-Apr-08, 12:36
Well I never said it ruined the meal. What more do you want?

:)

Perhaps the waitress should be better trained. The customer is always 'right', especially when said customer is a qualified chef and hotelier.

If a customer is passing on a constructive comment for the management or kitchen, (as I mentioned, it was a recommendation), rather than a complaint, note it and then do what you like with the information, (hopefully pass it on).

Do not argue the point as though it were a complaint.

:)

rfcgav
02-Apr-08, 19:27
Customer service not a language spoken in Caithness would point at
bit of a no it all customer or is it pompous am looking for? Maybe at
shone through to the waitress.

To slag of Caithness in general because of a waitress not taking onboard
a recommendation is a bit harsh. There are plenty places with friendly
staff up here, Suppose could always stay away.

;)

Boozeburglar
03-Apr-08, 00:21
Customer service not a language spoken in Caithness would point at
bit of a no it all customer or is it pompous am looking for? Maybe at
shone through to the waitress.

I never spoke to the waitress except to say that my meal was fine, and later that I would like the bill. Are you suggesting the waitress is Psychic and read the future wherein I suggested that Customer Service is a language familiar only to the minority of service staff in Caithness?

The facts are simple. The waitress reacted in an unprofessional way when a customer helpfully pointed out that something served to them, although very nice, was not what they ordered, and not what was on the menu. When the waitress said that was what they called it and no one else had complained, it was pointed out no one was complaining, that it was good, and they could just adjust the menu.

Pompous, know it all or whatever I may be, I cannot see any other interpretation of this other than poor staff training and poor customer service.


To slag of Caithness in general because of a waitress not taking onboard
a recommendation is a bit harsh. There are plenty places with friendly
staff up here, Suppose could always stay away.

Having experienced numerous examples of poor Customer Service in Caithness I will stand by my suggestion that excellent Customer Service is something strange to most Caithness establishments. I would not suggest they are all bad nor that good Customer Service does not happen at all; just that it is not the default position, and thus not the common tongue. I feel that it is not the focus it should be; that it is not part of the service culture in Caithness.

It is not generally a matter of staff being unfriendly, as such.

Friendliness is only part of Customer Service, important as it is.

Knowing how to handle customers when they are complaining, bringing issues to your attention, or merely making suggestions is crucial to ensuring a good time is had and they will return.

Suggesting my friend should stay away from Caithness, where she has lived the majority of her life, is as daft as my suggesting you have added one and one and come up with three here; reading between the lines in my posts.

No hang on, perhaps it is not!

:)

rfcgav
03-Apr-08, 07:53
Anneoctober>

Like I have said before, Customer Service is not a language spoken in Caithness.



Erm not sure what lines am reading inbetween there :confused

Also am not suggesting your friend stays away from anywhere
You made that comment not her/him. Trying to turn it around
a bit pal, But nice to see your backtracking a bit tho and its just some
places in Caithness now and not ALL. Like am sure its the case
everywhere else no??

:(

Boozeburglar
03-Apr-08, 13:23
Erm not sure what lines am reading inbetween there :confused

Also am not suggesting your friend stays away from anywhere
You made that comment not her/him. Trying to turn it around
a bit pal, But nice to see your backtracking a bit tho and its just some
places in Caithness now and not ALL. Like am sure its the case
everywhere else no??

:(

Turning nothing around. Just because there were no building regulations in past centuries does not mean beautiful houses were not made.

I never excluded the possibility of getting a decent service in a Caithness establishment. Merely suggested good Customer Service is not the vernacular. It may be known by some, but is not spoken, it is not a living language there.

So you were suggesting I stay away? How kind of you to offer such a neat solution to any criticism. I will continue to frequent Caithness as and when I please, and report my findings as I do.

It is not the case 'everywhere else'; based on my experience of a number of different places.

Caithness services are generally poor in terms of Customer Service; in my experience, and most I know agree.

It is very hit and miss, much more the latter, now if I had used that expression we might not be debating the issue.

The Caithness Tyres in Wick is a place I would say is very much a hit, but that is down to the individual establishment and the attitude promoted by the boss.

That has not seeped through to all the other auto related businesses in the area.

An awful lot of Caithness businesses seem to an attitude based on the fact the locals have a way to go to find alternative suppliers, so they do not have to take particular care to provide good service. They revel in having a captive market.

The problem with the catering industry in the county is more one of staff training and pay related performance.

Just to give a sense of where I am coming from, I would love to see things improve.

I would HATE to see chain hotels and restaurants taking over, purely because they can undercut in pricing and provide consistency.

Excellent Customer Service is the way forward to avoid that scenario.

rfcgav
03-Apr-08, 14:52
BB I concur! ;)

anneoctober
03-Apr-08, 18:31
Anneoctober>

Is porkfish land based or aquatic? Sounds intriguing.

Mixed feelings on this place, had one or two decent meals but one of my party passed on a recommendation to the waitress, and instead of politely noting it she argued the toss, when there was no argument to be made.

Like I have said before, Customer Service is not a language spoken in Caithness.


OK, BB - I hold my hands up to my faux pas :o Just for the record - Porkfish is OFF the menu[lol]

Boozeburglar
03-Apr-08, 18:51
Thinking about it, I should say I would heartily recommend it, after all there are not that many places where you can get good food consistently, and the only quibble I had was hardly a deal breaker!

So, a thumbs up all round from me, based on a half dozen visits.

:)

jings00
08-Apr-08, 23:00
but how do you get a wheelchair in the place!!???

Boozeburglar
10-Apr-08, 02:45
Poor disabled access is a big no no wi me too.

Always gotta take marks off for that.

:)