The food at Ruby's is generally very good and we've always found the staff friendly, until now. Unfortunately our visit today was spoiled by a very rude staff member. Having politely asked which meat dishes were on the menu she fixed me with a thunderous stare that lasted a full 5 seconds (but felt like an eternity). Nervous glances were exchanged across the table. What terrible sin had I committed? Finally she deigned to reply:
"I don't know what's on the menu. We USUALLY expect people to look at the blackboard on the way in"
That'll teach me, pesky customer, about to part with nearly £40 on food and drinks for five people (and of course she knew what was being served that day, what with being the person serving it!).
Intelligence well and truly insulted.
I have to confess, working in the professional customer service industry myself, I sometimes quite enjoy encountering a slice of good old-fashioned out-of-town rudeness. You can visit any number of charming Suffolk village tea shops and receive much the same treatment from a variety of bizarrely unpleasant folk. But what a shame this had to happen in a cafe that, until now, has been a firm favorite of ours. read more