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“Unpleasant experience”

written by christinehill on 28/11/2011

I have visited a number of M&S cafes and restaurants throughout England and always with the expectation of receiving reasonable service and good quality food and drink.
The food and drink is fine, usually pleasant and tasty but the palaver involved in getting it is unbelievable! I don't wish to be unkind but in all the stores I have been in the staff seem to be totally out of their depth in managing simple food and drink service, they all seem to be on top of each other; no order to what they are doing, totally inefficient in being able to heat food in a microwave or grill and make a cup of coffee or tea. I am completely noneplussed whenever I go there as to why it always takes so long to make a cup of coffee - so long that if there wasn't a queue beforehand people are soon trailing out of the door waiting for service. It's unbelievable. When eventually you do get your drink, finding a clean table is another story. They are always piled with dirty crockery and tables stained. Why?? They have the staff I have seen them milling around all looking extremely busy but obviously not very productive. My recent visit with my two sisters was so unpleasant, the waiting, the running out of soup (why? they sell it on the shop floor), the poor service, coffee slopped in the saucers, no salad offered/provided with the toastie, no clean tables, tables cramped so close together, that we vowed never to visit another M&S cafe again. Rather than it being a relaxing experience we all felt clausterphobic and tense. Never,ever again in fact we went to Debenhams for coffee, etc. the next day and the contrast was so great that we made a point of complimenting the staff for their efficiencies, great service, clean tables and pleasant atmosphere. Sorry M&S you really need to get your act together.