Sept 2024 * Business
Visited Saturday 28th Sept 2024 8pm…read moreFinally after many years of waiting the Abbey pub at Darley Abbey has reopened, my partner and I went Saturday, we were so looking forward to getting back into this lovely historic pub. However, sadly it seemed they were totally unprepared for the opening, which was actually the day before. The downstairs bar was not staffed but you could sit downstairs and enjoy the roaring open fire just like the good old days. The issue was groups of people were coming into the downstairs bar, taking seats and then standing at the bar to be served. At this point I found myself repeatedly having to inform them the bar was not staffed and they had to get their drinks from the bar upstairs. There was no signage telling customers of this situation and it was very strange, it was causing total confusion for a lot of customers.
When I ordered my drinks at the upstairs bar I gave the man and women, who I assume were the new landlords a warm welcome, saying how much everyone was looking forward to finally getting the doors open. This was met with basically total indifference and a weak and begrudge smile, there was no response. I was left with a feeling that these new landlords really didn't want to be there and there was not one ounce of enthusiasm or customer engagement. My round, for a pint of larger and a pint of larger shandy came to £6.20, the same round thirty minutes later was £7. Even £7 is a good price but the change of price is worrying, maybe it was just getting used to the till. But I have to wonder what experience these new people have, where are their customer service skills, their interaction, the welcoming smile of the people behind the bar that encourages you to go back....or NOT
Sadly we saw a lot of people on the night walk out after waiting a long time to be served, they simply walked over to the other pub thirty yards away. I can accept that new landlords have to settle in and find their feet in a new pub, but when they cant even get the basics right, like a sign saying THIS bar is NOT manned, and a warm welcoming smile with some polite conversation with customers that will support them in the future.
You would expect on the second night of opening the landlords would want to make a good impression from the start, a nice smile, chit chat, some, a little ENTHUSIASM. Hundreds of pubs are shutting every year all around the UK and after years of waiting the Abbey has finally opened to a welcoming, enthusiastic and supportive customer base within the local and wider community. My partner and I will be going back in the hope it was just early doors teething problems which will be resolved, also in the hope the landlords manage to dig deep and find suitable and genuinely friendly personalities for their customers. They need to employ more staff, open the bar downstairs, get a grip of their drink prices and for God sake smile and put some effort into engaging with your customers in a warm and friendly manner. The Abbey is supposedly haunted by a friendly monk, lets hope its not now haunted by two unfriendly Landlords