My response to ?Zak?s? posting.
On behalf of myself and other loyal customers I would like to say the following.
I am surprised to read his negative posting about the relief manager.
Zak claims to have had to climb over piles of tab ends outside the pub and wait 15 minutes to get served. Trust me this guy is obviously exaggerating and just bitter his friends have been sacked. I spend more time drinking in the pub than this Zak and know exactly what?s been going on. He fails to tell you that the ?Relief Manager? for this particular pub had to travel at least two times a day about 2 miles each way to work.
As she didn?t drive she had to walk or catch the bus. When we had all the snow and roads where blocked and no transport running the ?Relief? walked 2 mile in to get the pub cleaned and open. Then she had to walk back the 2 miles through the bitter cold and snow to get home. This was all due to the last managers refusing to leave the accommodation after being dismissed. So the relief has been trying to run this busy pub from October 2008 till the end of March 2009 single handed on the reduced hours and was not even living in. If the original managers had moved out instead of refusing to leave then the relief could have managed the pub fully. If anyone is to blame it is the ex-managers as they ran the pub down.
She amazed me how she put up with all the travelling from her own home to work twice a day. She did it because she is dedicated to her job and is not frightened to work hard.
I think she has done a bloody good job to keep the pub running smoothly and Zak is simply talking a lot of manure. I know Zak is a customer, but in this case the ?Customer is wrong? and out of order too.
As for opening hours this pub does not shut in the afternoon like a lot of Sam Smiths pubs, its open all day up till close. As for New Years Eve opening times she did not break the law and Zak doesn?t seem to understand the new licensing laws. As customers will agree with me last New Years Eve was a great night and included party poppers supplied by the relief manager.
The relief manager has been working for Sam Smiths for over 9 years I think at this particular pub and to my knowledge the hardest working person in the pub. She is experienced, in fact been in the pub trade for over 25 years she tells me.
Zak wrote: she can't be bothered to sweep up a mounting pile of fag ends, it perhaps says a little bit about their own standards.
I can tell you her living standards are high and along with her husband they are a well groomed and well liked couple and all this reflects in the pub.
All her hard dedicated work and patience has paid off as she is now the official new manager along with her husband. They have the pub looking fantastic. Nice and clean and customer service is A1. It?s nice to see enthusiastic managers for a change. This pub is one of Sam Smiths flagship pubs. Well done to both of them.
?Zak? a good friend of the ex managers fails to mention that the place was dirty and untidy before the relief manager took over and that the majority of the locals hated the previous managers. It?s so nice now to see managers working behind the bar now! That?s what Mr Smith wants the managers to do! The last managers where never seen behind the bar serving. In fact you will find that they where sat down talking to Zak most of the time!
The food is great and the staff are nice and polite. The pub is busier than ever before, standards are up and are continuing to get better. All thanks to the new management. I noticed that ?Zak? despite complaining and moaning still came in to the pub drinking and is still coming in to the pub and being nice in front of the new managers. Personally I think they should ban Zak for slagging them off. When you next walk through the pub doors I think you should go and apologies to the manageress. Better still I think it wise you go to another pub. I don?t know how you can show your face there again. I will certainly be pointing you out when you come in.
I wish the new managers the best of luck and I hope that Mr H Smith and the rest of the company will look after them.
However hard anyone works or how dedicated they are to a company they can still loose their jobs. However if one tries to put 100% in to their work and does as their told then they have more chance of keeping their jobs. The new managers are putting in 200% effort!
The decision for not having an entertainment & music licence was a great move for this particular pub. The place is busier than ever and is just how an old traditional pub should be.
Oh dear, beerman1, more than a year on from your nasty attack on me, and your "friends" at our local have now moved on themselves. Your comments are all water under the bridge, but I do recognise that they made a huge effort with the pub and I wish them the very best at their new venture with Marston's in Altrincham...
That said, though, a lick of paint and a tub of flowers are not the only way to improve the atmosphere in a local - a friendly approach to the regulars in the tap room as well as in the best room might have helped - banning money spending locals on a whim and sticking officious notices up everywhere does not create a relaxed atmosphere. They may have been loved in the best room, but as recently (moderated) posts illustrate, the tap room unfortunately celebrated their going - a shame, really, because, as I said, they made a real effort in some ways.
But there is one thing that puzzles me, beerman1 - why have you deleted two of your posts - one a rather sychophantic praising of "Mr" Smith and his fantastic vision for his pubs, and the other praising "S & D at the Emmotts"?
Could it be that your views of the wonderful Humphrey have now changed, given that your friends were treated no differently to any other managers ie as expendable slaves?
Or is it that you actually are one of the managers that has now moved on?
Either way, the best of luck to them, and let's hope that Humphrey doesn't completely ruin a great local...
P.S. The previous managers, M & J whom you so despised are thoroughly enjoying their new pub in the Welsh borders - there is life after Humphrey!
