Seil Chat

Firstly may i say, my wife and i apart from the following instance, have really enjoyed our stay on the very Beautiful Isle Of Seil. We will be back to sample what has been a warm welcome, by most.

However, both being in the Hospitality/Pub trade we were disgusted by the attitude of the Bar staff in the Tigh an Truish on Sunday Afternoon. We arrived hopefully to arrange to meet friends there later on Sunday for a lunch for 10 of us. We did not even bother asking. We , My wife two children and myself walked in and out after waiting 10 minutes at the bar, the "young lady" behind the bar was far too engrossed in watching Andy Murray on the television than too see us.

If in this day and age any bar can not bother about customers then they must be doing well.. We certainly have to look after every Customer we have, and we are Town based.

What was there loss was The Barn's Gain, they were certainly happy with the £250 Bar bill that we settled at the end of our meal there.

We have enjoyed our celebrating our Silver Wedding on Seil, and will Return, and recommend to our friends, However we wont be recommending the Pub. But will The Barn and the Oyster bar where we had eaten on the two previous Nights..!

I just feel that this has to be posted..

Jon Martham

holidaymaker wrote: . . . the "young lady" behind the bar was far too engrossed in watching Andy Murray on the television than too see us.

That will have been the Wimbledon final then?

Did you actually ask to be served, or just wait to be noticed ?

I have to say I find the bar staff in the T&T all very helpful and friendly - it's a wonderful pub with a wealth of character. I suggest you drop in again next time you are on Seil as I am sure this was an isolated incident, whether caused by 'Murray fever' or something else.

I will let the staff know about this comment when I go to the pub this evening.

Sorry NickB, I agree with the OP. If you want to want the tennis then you should stay at home! A pub [or shop] should put it's customers first...sadly I have had similar experiences in the TnT.

Foxglove wrote:Sorry NickB, I agree with the OP. If you want to want the tennis then you should stay at home! A pub [or shop] should put it's customers first...sadly I have had similar experiences in the TnT.

Well, thanks for helping the tourist trade on Seil with another positive comment Foxglove. Always good to see locals supporting local businesses

Oh that's right...sweep everything under the carpet! Name and Shame I say! Perhaps with some constructive criticism they might pull their socks up a bit. The attitude that you can do as you like [watch television ] whilst being paid by someone to do a job has no place in a pub where people should be made to feel valued and welcome. No, it's not me who is ruining the tourist trade....

Foxglove wrote:Name and Shame I say!

A slightly strange comment from an anonymous poster.

There will be no 'naming and shaming' on here.

They just did...

Foxglove wrote:They just did...

The establishment yes, I meant the person.

The criticism was from a visitor, and therefore valid and made in a valid place - though this is not Trip Advisor.

Your criticism OTHO was vague and certainly not constructive .

When exactly was the last time you were in the T&T ?

NickB wrote:

Foxglove wrote:Sorry NickB, I agree with the OP. If you want to want the tennis then you should stay at home! A pub [or shop] should put it's customers first...sadly I have had similar experiences in the TnT.

Well, thanks for helping the tourist trade on Seil with another positive comment Foxglove. Always good to see locals supporting local businesses

As i said i run a succesful and a lot busier establishment between Siel and Glasgow, i am also in the process of buying a property on the Isle for rental to tourists.

Murray Fever or not, Service comes first. The "Young lady" behind the bar was far more interested in the TV than the guests.

If that is the attitude of the staff employ, well no wonder it has the quiet atmosphere, i must say the Older lady i /we had service form in the week was much more helpful.

Maybe a rethink of staff would help this quaint venue, if they can throw away money then they must be doing something right.

Personally i will be returning to the Isle, BUT DOUBT that i will cross the threshold of the T & T as you call it.

Jon Martham

It's of no relevance when I was last in the pub...given that I said on here a while ago that I stopped going for the same reason, poor service. Of course I do not want the person in question named..God forbid that they should forevermore be attributed to the downfall of the tourist trade on Seil . I do however think that a bad experience such as the OP had should be aired.

holidaymaker wrote:
Personally i will be returning to the Isle, BUT DOUBT that i will cross the threshold of the T & T as you call it.

Jon Martham

That's your prerogative of course. However, I can assure you that the 'welcome' you received on that occasion was not typical. Frankly I doubt it was even intentional . . . the 'young lady' in question will no doubt be mortified to read this.

If you are looking for a website for your Seil holiday property then may I recommend my own local company, Webcraft UK Ltd? We have created attractive and successful sites for many of the holiday properties on the island.

NickB wrote:

holidaymaker wrote:
Personally i will be returning to the Isle, BUT DOUBT that i will cross the threshold of the T & T as you call it.

Jon Martham

That's your prerogative of course. However, I can assure you that the 'welcome' you received on that occasion was not typical. Frankly I doubt it was even intentional . . . the 'young lady' in question will no doubt be mortified to read this.

If you are looking for a website for your Seil holiday property then may I recommend my own local company, Webcraft UK Ltd? We have created attractive and successful sites for many of the holiday properties on the island.

Thank you for your offer, but as we run 7 bungalows, 19 roomed hotel, and a busy bar, i am sure we know what we are doing already!.

Am sure you are correct THAT the person would be mortified, but I know any member of my staff would be sacked watching any tv on duty. Customers come First and foremost!

I can only re-iterate that in this day and age a pub that can loose business must be doing well, and from what i saw and heard it isnt. But that is there loss, on my return to Seil, i will frequent the Oyster Bar and also The Barn..

Hopefully the 'young lady' IS mortified! I certainly would be! A valuable lesson learned hopefully. To leave a customer waiting while you watch television is unacceptable. Think how many other tourists go away with negative memories of a visit to this pub...something needs to be said.

Perhaps service is commensurate with attitude.

The T and T is a great pub and very welcoming. I personally love it. Yes, I know that the television was on but Andy Murray was playing and this is Scotland.

I have had nothing but friendly and excellent service at the T n T. I had a meal last night. It was busy but you know that you will get served. I did and my food was out promptly.

I hope anyone who reads this thread will understand that we are ALL human and when you are Scottish and Andy Murray is in the finals - big, especially after his previous Wimbledon tries.

holidaymaker wrote:
Thank you for your offer, but as we run 7 bungalows, 19 roomed hotel, and a busy bar, i am sure we know what we are doing already!.

I wasn't aware that I had implied anything to the contrary. However, if you know what you are doing then you also know you need a professional website and representation in the local accommodation listings. Good luck with that.

holidaymaker wrote:Am sure you are correct THAT the person would be mortified, but I know any member of my staff would be sacked watching any tv on duty. Customers come First and foremost!

I can only re-iterate that in this day and age a pub that can loose business must be doing well, and from what i saw and heard it isnt. But that is there loss, on my return to Seil, i will frequent the Oyster Bar and also The Barn..

I for one will not miss your company in the T&T with that sort of attitude.

MsAnnThrope wrote:Perhaps service is commensurate with attitude.

I was wondering the same thing . . .

NO AnnDurley!..if you are running a business then your customers come first..or should do. So what if a Scot is in a tennis final?,give that shift to someone who does not care. Bad manners at least to treat holidaymakers like this.

And as I said we are ALL human. We ALL make mistakes. Perhaps saying to the member of staff that you were waiting... ... That is what I would have done. So, in part you are responsible because you did not speak up and now you are slagging off my Local.

We have people who have come up and down for years, Who love the T n T. Everybody has their off days. Ooh, isn't anyone allowed to make mistakes. So you run a pub. Have you never had an off day?

Anybody who posts and doesn't put their name when they are complaining smacks of cowardice to me.

I would give any place a second chance.

Yes...humans make mistakes, you might give the wrong change or the wrong drink...that is an acceptable mistake, annoying but fair enough. To sit and watch a television whilst customers are waiting for service is in a different league altogether! In my book..a sackable offence. But, as someone has inferred, the person is young so hopefully a flea in their ear and a good pep talk will suffice.