Do you return your own glass?

[Jeltz]

I'm left wondering about the results of this poll. I concur with the sentiment but I find it hard to believe that many of the 97% who voted yes would queue up possibly for several minutes to deposit their spent glasses on a busy bar.

 

[TheDoctor]

I never do it, but that's also because the dutch pubs are run differently to english ones i think, most of the dutch pubs are served pubs, even if it's busy and there are only 1 or 2 people behind the bar. When i go for a drink in my local pub, i rarely get of my chair other then when going to the toilet or when i leave :)

 

[TRXnMe]

It is becoming a more interesting discussion than simply "do you take your glass back? Y/N"

I'm guessing that many of the people answering 'yes' and offering the good manners argument as the supporting principle are probably using quieter, non city centre, pubs. I often find that these places are slightly more friendly and are likely to actually have someone collecting glasses periodically when they get busier.

Would a mass refusal to return glasses improve employment? Probably not, the big pubs are already employing glass collectors on busy nights and have the staff do a quick sweep on quieter nights.

Would employing more glass collectors improve service in pubs? Possibly, whether or not it would improve service enough to cover the extra cost of employment is another question.

The concept of served pubs isn't unknown in the UK, a couple of Irish branded pubs tried it out this way years ago, problem being you drink at the server's pace, which slows as the pub fills up. Now in many ways this would be a good thing, especially with the British cult of drunkenness, however, I don't see the culture changing overnight, and I don't see the change being lead by table service

 

[morethanworts]

When you look at larger companies such as KFC or Asda then self service tills and people clearing their own tables WILL on a national scale cost 100s of jobs. Lets face it, Asda did NOT put self service tills in to make things easier for their staff.

This is one of the reasons I almost never use self-service tills.

The other is that I've not yet found a self-service till where the weigh-plate won't complain about my ruck-sack and pannier bags. They don't like bags that weigh much more than a heavy-duty carrier bag and, if I've got more than half a dozen items, that means it takes longer to get through a self-service till than a conventional one because every single bl**dy item gets flagged up by the machine.

I'm amazed they still have checkouts at all. Radio chip technology for packaging (or whatever the proper name is) has existed for a while now. I guess it's still just not economical enough. I thought we'd just be pushing a full trolley through a sensor-gate by now, without having to remove anything onto a belt and back in again.

 

[OnlyFerment]

I never do it, but that's also because the dutch pubs are run differently to english ones i think, most of the dutch pubs are served pubs, even if it's busy and there are only 1 or 2 people behind the bar. When i go for a drink in my local pub, i rarely get of my chair other then when going to the toilet or when i leave :)

I think the Dutch attitude to bars is very different though. I haven't been for a few years but the Amsterdam bars I have been to seemed to be split, some table service, some bar service, but also some have a bill to settle up at the end rather than paying with each drink. I can't see that ever being an option in the UK as too many people will see it as a free drink and do a runner without paying. I have to say I have always liked the Dutch attitude in bars :thumb:

Dave

 

[TheDoctor]

that's true as well, i always pay at the end of the session :)
(and most of the times, we live up to our names, and we 'go in dutch' :) )

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

I thought we'd just be pushing a full trolley through a sensor-gate by now, without having to remove anything onto a belt and back in again.

They can't make that change until they stop selling loose fruit & veg, and I doubt that will happen for a while.

A lot of people (me included) don't like pre-packed veg because the packages are often too big for a single person. My nearest supermarket only sells Maris Pipers in 2.5kg bags, which are far too big for me to use. At most I'd get through 1kg in a week, and potatoes don't store well so I'd end up throwing away half the bag.

Packaged fruit & veg can also hide some nasty surprises. I once opened a packet of courgettes to find that ever single one was rotten - but the design of the packet meant I couldn't see the mould when I bought it. Even more disturbing, a friend once picked up some bananas to find it came with with added protein: the bag contained a Brazilian wandering spider, the world's deadliest.

 

[TheDoctor]

on that subject .. the UK self service tills confuse the hell out of me :)
Overhere, there are not a lot of supermarkets offering self service, but the ones that do, have a perfect system.
You get a hand scanner, pick your groceries, scan them, put them in your bag and pay by card at the self service till after putting the hand scanner back in it's slot. There are scales for weighing vegetables. Every once in a while you get a check to see if you're not stealing stuff, unless you're buying alcohol, then they come and check you anyway. Seems to work (and the rate of stealing will probably be the same as when using normal stuff) and it saves me a LOAD of time. Sometimes i see people waiting for a regular till, which are still there when i'm ready with shopping and leaving the store :)

 

[morethanworts]

I thought we'd just be pushing a full trolley through a sensor-gate by now, without having to remove anything onto a belt and back in again.

They can't make that change until they stop selling loose fruit & veg, and I doubt that will happen for a while.

I don't think that's what's stopping them. I've bought loose veg from somewhere before (can't recall where) where you weighed your own veg on a till near the produce, a sticker printed with a bar code and you stuck it on the bag you'd filled. Even if you only had to scan those, it would be better than unloading/reloading all your shopping IMO. Bag it up in-trolley, as you go, through the scanner gate and beep...a few more people unemployed.

In the context of a small pub where the choice is "Do they have a glass collector or not", then 25% of the punters taking their glasses back probably won't cost the glass collector their job, as you say there are other things to do. Even if everyone took their glasses back they will still need someone to do the odd jobs. They might get paid less, or minimum wage with less hours.

My guess is that many 'glass collectors' keep themselves busy with those other back room jobs, out of the way of the drinkers. It's nice when friendly staff come over to collect glasses, generally smile, enter into conversation where appropriate. Small places where you see Landlord and Landlady fixed behind the bar, or sat glued to a barstool at the end, really don't help themselves. It sometimes feels like they're doing you a favour just allowing you in.

 

[miiikeee101]

I used to work in a Student bar. I certainly appreciated it when customers brough their own glasses back. However, when the bar is crowded, it can get a little messy. Also, when I return a glass I try and bring it to the glass colelction point or put it somewhere out of the way rather than in the way of other patrons!

This seems relevant:

"French pub fined for using 'undeclared labour' after customers return glasses to the bar"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news ... ed-2950506

 

[TRXnMe]

@ morethanworts

I've always reckoned there is a lot more to being a good landlord than keeping beer well and knowing how to pull it.

Getting to know your regulars, being friendly towards strangers and having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the local sports and social clubs being part of the job.

Many years ago I used a pub a few miles from my house, I walked past 3 other pubs to get to it, because the landlord was a damn good bloke, always up for a laugh and knew his beer. He used to take his holidays in one big block, more often than not the brewery put in the same relief, we'd be banned by the middle of the first week! The regular bloke's first job on returning from holiday used to be finding out where we were drinking and inviting us back :)

When the regular guy retired the brewery actually put the relief into the pub full time, it closed 9 months later

 

[PaulCa]

Regarding Asda and shopping I often tend to just let them do everything for me. I order online, pay £3.50 and they deliver it all to my door.

There is the odd substitution for unavailable items, but I usually don't care and most things have enough BestBefore on them that it's grand.

Only one issue I would make people aware of, as Asda don't. When you put your order in online they do a "hold" on your card for the value of the order. However you pay "in store" prices at the time your order is picked. This has caused some controversy with the trade regulators as you are committing to a contract of trade without knowing exactly how much you will be paying in the end. Usually the difference is minimal anyway and usually in your favour, especially when they substitute a more expensive product and only charge you for the less expensive one.

The trouble comes when you order is delivered. This is the bit they don't tell you.... They then "charge" the card with the actual value and release the hold for the initial amount. Of course these "holds" on your card do not clear instantly, especially at weekends. So if you order £200 of shopping, you might find £400 of your available funds disappear for a day or two. The initial hold amount does return, but I have been caught out in my overdraft by this at least once.

 

[TRXnMe]

Regarding Asda and shopping I often tend to just let them do everything for me. I order online, pay £3.50 and they deliver it all to my door.

There is the odd substitution for unavailable items, but I usually don't care and most things have enough BestBefore on them that it's grand.

Only one issue I would make people aware of, as Asda don't. When you put your order in online they do a "hold" on your card for the value of the order. However you pay "in store" prices at the time your order is picked. This has caused some controversy with the trade regulators as you are committing to a contract of trade without knowing exactly how much you will be paying in the end. Usually the difference is minimal anyway and usually in your favour, especially when they substitute a more expensive product and only charge you for the less expensive one.

The trouble comes when you order is delivered. This is the bit they don't tell you.... They then "charge" the card with the actual value and release the hold for the initial amount. Of course these "holds" on your card do not clear instantly, especially at weekends. So if you order £200 of shopping, you might find £400 of your available funds disappear for a day or two. The initial hold amount does return, but I have been caught out in my overdraft by this at least once.

I don't use Asda for delivery, but thanks for that warning.

I find that buying on line can save me anywhere between £30 and £50 a week as I don't buy the usual cr@p that ends up in the bin, or eaten when I'm not really hungry :)

 

[Will12283]

Overhere, there are not a lot of supermarkets offering self service, but the ones that do, have a perfect system.
You get a hand scanner, pick your groceries, scan them, put them in your bag and pay by card at the self service till after putting the hand scanner back in it's slot. There are scales for weighing vegetables. Every once in a while you get a check to see if you're not stealing stuff, unless you're buying alcohol, then they come and check you anyway. Seems to work (and the rate of stealing will probably be the same as when using normal stuff) and it saves me a LOAD of time. Sometimes i see people waiting for a regular till, which are still there when i'm ready with shopping and leaving the store :)

They now have this system in most if not all Tesco extra stores. I did my Christmas shop this way, and have used it a few times was a lot quicker and will be using it again.

Before someone says that it's costing people jobs, as a Tesco employee I know that the money for staff that this system would replace has been cut from the budget before the new systems are brought in.

 

[TRXnMe]

They now have this system in most if not all Tesco extra stores. I did my Christmas shop this way, and have used it a few times was a lot quicker and will be using it again.

Before someone says that it's costing people jobs, as a Tesco employee I know that the money for staff that this system would replace has been cut from the budget before the new systems are brought in.

I don't doubt they have, it would be foolish to invest in new technology and then continue to spend money on the old technology.

Where individuals refusing to use these systems does save jobs is that the supermarkets (insert other 'despotic' business at will ) cannot afford to lose business, profit isn't brilliant (5 ~ 8% after tax for the likes of Asda, Tesco etc.) and is hugely dependant on volume. If only 5% of customers took their custom elsewhere it would force a change of policy.

Anywho, cost of shopping and employment rates, too many possibilities for serious discussion, I'm off back to talk about brewing now :)

 

[falafael]

Always return our glasses when we are in pubs, also do the same in my own pub!!!

 

[Papa G]

Always take glass back and if I'm leaving say good bye, just some thing my dad did, taught my daughter too do it and will teach my grandkids too do the same. I saw how well my dad got treated and how quickly he got served in pubs at home and on holiday, just made sense.