I spent an hour at the Gail's Bakery Barnes and within that hour I could see that the staff is far from welcoming and actually quite unpleasant with their clients. I understand they have to perform under quite a lot of stress and they need to be on top of things, no matter what. But that doesn't prevent courtesy and willingness to help.
First, as soon as I arrived there was an argument going on with one of the customers. I didn't try to understand what was going on, but already I could feel the aggressiveness coming from the staff and their refusal to acknowledge any responsibility coming from their part.
Then, having placed my order, I'm sitting down at one of the two available places. I had done quite a long walk previously and was quite sweaty. And immediately I feel in my neck the strength of the air conditioning. I move place. Same thing. So when one of the waiter is near me, I nicely ask if the air conditioning can be turned down. He answers "It's on already!". I say " I know. I was wondering if you can turn it down, because I'm quite sweaty", he explains to me that it can't be turned down because it would become stuffy, which I can understand. But then he leaves and shout at me without an ounce of humor and very casually " You'll get used to it!". Following that incident, which is not major but... A young and very nice couple come to sit next to me and order a very substantial breakfast, with lots of savory and sugary items and drinks. At the end of their breakfast, probably disturbed by the air conditioning themselves, they decide to move to another table, hence finding themselves with nothing in front of them anymore. Shortly after comes a waiter bossing them around, telling them that if they are not ordering anything they're gonna have to move or share their table. Which they had to do, in addition to ordering some more drinks. And you could see on the gentleman's face, that he was very upset but too polite to say anything.
In general, and this is not the first time it happens, you don't feel welcomed at all in that branch in Barnes, and that's really a pity. I spent an hour at the Gail's Bakery Barnes and within that hour I could see that the staff is far from welcoming and actually quite unpleasant with their clients. I understand they have to perform under quite a lot of stress and they need to be on top of things, no matter what. But that doesn't prevent courtesy and willingness to help.
First, as soon as I arrived there was an argument going on with one of the customers. I didn't try to understand what was going on, but already I could feel the aggressiveness coming from the staff and their refusal to acknowledge any responsibility coming from their part.
Then, having placed my order, I'm sitting down at one of the two available places. I had done quite a long walk previously and was quite sweaty. And immediately I feel in my neck the strength of the air conditioning. I move place. Same thing. So when one of the waiter is near me, I nicely ask if the air conditioning can be turned down. He answers "It's on already!". I say " I know. I was wondering if you can turn it down, because I'm quite sweaty", he explains to me that it can't be turned down because it would become stuffy, which I can understand. But then he leaves and shout at me without an ounce of humor and very casually " You'll get used to it!". Following that incident, which is not major but... A young and very nice couple come to sit next to me and order a very substantial breakfast, with lots of savory and sugary items and drinks. At the end of their breakfast, probably disturbed by the air conditioning themselves, they decide to move to another table, hence finding themselves with nothing in front of them anymore. Shortly after comes a waiter bossing them around, telling them that if they are not ordering anything they're gonna have to move or share their table. Which they had to do, in addition to ordering some more drinks. And you could see on the gentleman's face, that he was very upset but too polite to say anything.
In general, and this is not the first time it happens, you don't feel welcomed at all in that branch in Barnes, and that's really a pity. read more