[quote=“Miranda”]
I am well known at Carnegie’s, on the other hand, but do not frequent the Tavern because, simply, I am not a sports fan. Apart from rugby, for which I usually go to the Brassy or JB’s. If I turned up at the Tavern, TC might have a good long look at me, and tell me to eff off if he thought I wasn’t drinking enough. However, I am a monster raving alcoholic, and once you get me in there I’m unlikely to leave until I run out of money or Amex finally gives up. So why don’t you Laobans come up with an inter-pub Big Drinker’s Card (with drunken photograph) so that gin-soaked wastrels who are intent on pissing all their money down the drain are universally welcome, but the 7-11’ers and Coke-sharers aren’t?[/quote]
Ah, you see, one can definitely find inspiration at the bottom of the bottle!!! :bravo:
I have got it! A 20% anti riff raff charge that is not mentioned anywhere and just all of sudden and when patrons expect it the least, gets added to your bill
Actually and the pubs/restaurants owned/managed by foreign nationals are mostly on good terms with each other, perhaps uncle bob and us can work some special drinkers card out over a bottle of Jack Daniels (or two).
So far we just use the breath test method.
I’ll spend whatever I want when I go to a place. And unless there is a price gouging, er, sorry, minumum charge, policy in place there is nothing the owner can, or should, do.
Ever go to a bookstore and just browse? Freeloader. Ever go to a Starbucks, order a latte, and hang out all afternoon? Freeloader. Ever go to a restaurant and not order the most expensive dish? Cheapskate.
You know some of us want to go out for a drink after dinner. We don’t plan to stay all night and so any kind of minimum is a turn-off.
I can’t believe why people are being so complicit in getting gouged. We’re already ridiculously overcharged in pubs in Taiwan.
It is a difficult one, but I agree with TC, a cover charge is essential on big game nights ( which is the only time he does a cover) I have seen locals sitting around a coke or basket of fries between 5 or more watching the football, and been unable to get a seat with friends who are eating / drinking.
There may be alternatives, like at Carnegies, a membership card for your regulars is a great idea, and I think it works well, memberships are given out at Bob’s discretion to his ‘better’ customers and can access without any cover, this could be considered by TC ( a Loyalty card or similar with free beer miles for regular use etc ) which would negate the need for cover charges to his regulars, then he can target the riff raff like me on the nights he has to and can even increase the cover to keep the undesirables out!
Okay, let me make my criticism clear. What’s in this for me? Nowhere in this equation is the promise that by getting rid of the “riff-raff” we will get better service or a cheaper product. All I can see from cover charges on busy nights is limited options for me.
This policy is great for the pub, and of no value to the customer. Like most customers, I don’t care if other people are spending less than me. Some nights I may go and spend a lot at a place. Other times, I may have a single drink. Both times I expect to be treated the same.
And like most customers, I do not like to go to places that see me only as a source of money and would dare to consider me undesirable if I did not spend what they consider an acceptable amount everytime I go. If I go to Paris 1930, yes, I can expect that they would be pissed if I ordered a coffee. But at a pub? Give me a break. Pubs around the world have to contend with some customers only spending a little money. Why was this not an issue in any of the bars or restaurants I worked at in Canada, but is here?
I think the issue here is that people taking up spaces / seats in a bar with one coke between 5 or 6 of them and sitting for 3 - 4 hours with NO intention of buying anything just watching the live sports feed, is NOT acceptable, and the people paying ie the landlords/owners are entitled to make a charge, from the voting here it appears that most agree.
If you were the owner of an establishment, whether here in Taiwan, Canada, UK, wherever, you would probably feel different than that of a barman / waiter, who did not have to pay the bills!
While I agree that you should be treated the same in an establishment if you are having 1 drink or 10 drinks and that there should be no cover/set charge, I live in the real world!
The customer has the choice, if you dont want to pay the cover, you can choose not to go in, find another bar or join the q at 7-11.
As the poll shows, most people that have participated in it, do think that minimum charges are fine. On this, obviously the only single purpose to run i.e. a Pub is to make a profit. Profits come from good sales. Good sales comes from making customers feel comfortable so they keep on returning.
On another note, I tried to go to that place called Mint at the 101 last Saturday about 3’30am (so one could rather say it was Sunday Morning). A thinktank on the door said that Males pay 1000NT$ and Females pay 750NT$ and get one drink so I said something that I am glad the opponent did not understand and cannot reprint it here and stumbled back to where that long and rather wet Saturday evening started a few hours earlier.
I agree with Fryingscotsman on his last two posts. And Taverncaptain. If anyone is a real regular here, the chances are that they have a membership card which entitles them to a discount and they are also entitled to also bring a friend in for free. We only charge a cover on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and the charges levied are for consumption. You wouldn’t believe the complaints on a Wednesday Ladies’ Night, from predominantly young foreign men who think that NT$300 including a drink for a ‘club night’ is too expensive. If I didn’t do this they would demand glasses of water which takes up labour, glasses (which need cleaning) and ice, not to mention go to the toilet, use toilet paper, soap etc. They would also invariably get in the way of our staff trying to get food and drink to paying customers as expeditiously and speedily as possible. All this costs money. As far as I am concerned, it is an effective method of keeping out the “riff-raff” who add absolutely nothing to anyone’s enjoyment of the evening. Also, I might add, this has gone down extremely well with our female patrons and was done after they asked me to. Nearly-broke customers demanding to get in for free to talk to women and then popping down to 7-11 for alcohol are not customers I or anyone else in the hospitality industry wants and as this is a business, I also have an imperative to the shareholders to ensure revenue and a return. If there were not so many people who disrespected basics of commerce, then perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary. Who knows? I have said this before; we cater to people who come here and not those who don’t. I am sure that if Mucha Man were to frequent us more often, even on quieter nights then it wouldn’t be too long before he too is recognised as a regular and offered a card and therefore enjoy the added-value benefits that go with it.
Most intelligent folk understand the principles of commerce and happily pay. They are usually a better quality of guest too.!
As Uncle Bob said, once guests are identified as regulars they are usually exempted from paying.
The verdict?
Attend these places often, behave yourself, then the owners /managers will recognise you and most likely wave you through.
…If you dont like it…there’s always the 7/11.
I have just been to 7-11, they did not charge me an entrance fee, I was unable to watch satellite TV, did not get a glass of water with ice, and there was no dj or toilet! what a rip off!
Bob is the out-of-wedlock lovechild of Highway Star and Tavern Captain. The family resemblance is astonishing. Frying Scotsman fuels their lust-filled couplings with high protein, high carb meals.
:bravo:
and stumbled back to where that long and rather wet Saturday evening started a few hours earlier.
I bloody hope not. I also agree with your previous post BTW; i.e. the one before the one above.