Diner shocked over bar’s policy to give no change
It’s wrong. Depending on how close it is to pay-day, some people might not have a lot left on their card and yet they might have some cash in their purse. Bunny Bush
A Bath woman has slammed the “no change” policy she encountered at a popular bar in the city.
Bunny Bush went to Hall & Woodhouse on Old King Street for a quick drink and bite to eat with her partner.
But the visit left a bad taste in her mouth after she tried to pay with cash and was told she wouldn’t get any change.
The 52-year-old said: “When I went in there, I had my mask in my bag and I didn’t put it on because I saw that none of the staff was wearing theirs.
“Then I watched them making the cocktails and noticed that they were sprinkling the garnishes on with their fingers, not tongs.
“So, on seeing that, I thought right, Covid doesn’t seem to be a big deal in here.
“I ordered a Peroni and a shandy and held out two £5 notes to pay. That was when the guy behind the bar said that if I paid with cash, he couldn’t give me any change.”
Bunny said she was shocked to hear this and that there were no signs making people aware of the policy before they ordered.
“I asked to see the manager and he told me that it was because of coronavirus. But none of them were wearing masks and they were using their fingers to sprinkle things in the drinks.
“I said ‘you can’t cherry-pick which rules suit you and discard the rest’ and he just shrugged his shoulders at that.”
Ms Bush had also ordered ham, egg and chips for herself, and a burger for her partner, but said she had to send her meal back as it was “very greasy”.
When it came to paying for the burger, the bill was £13.95 so Bunny decided to pay £10 in cash and the remainder by card, to avoid losing her change.
She said: “It’s just wrong. Depending on how close it is to pay-day, some people might not have a lot left on their card and yet they might have some cash in their purse.
“Then you’ve got older people who maybe aren’t comfortable using card and prefer to use cash.
“The ironic thing is, I went around the corner to a takeaway afterwards, and their card machine was broken so they could only take cash.
“It’s not a perfect system just expecting people to use card for everything all the time.”
In response Hall & Woodhouse said it was “not currently possible” for customers to pay with cash in their pubs.
Trevor Hartin, operations manager at Hall and Woodhouse, said: “In response to the Covid pandemic, Hall & Woodhouse made the decision for all its managed public houses to introduce a cashless policy to minimise the risk of transmission when guests make payments.
“This approach ensures the safety and wellbeing of our guests and our team members. It is not currently possible for our teams to take cash payments in our houses.
“This policy has been in place since pubs were able to reopen last year. As such, we ensure this is communicated to our guests upon arrival and is clearly signposted around the building.
“Guests are also advised that card-only payments can be made when making an online booking.”