The Globe, Covent Garden

I went into this pub on Christmas Eve with my fiancée and two friends. I have never, ever been treated so poorly by any publican, in any pub or bar in my life. The four of us went to the Globe Christmas Eve at about 7pm for a pre-Christmas get together and drink, one of us was driving and not drinking the other three of us had just left work and not been drinking. We turned up and I ordered a round, I asked for a "JD and Diet Coke, a Coke, a larger (Carlsberg I think) and an Ale". I gave my fiancée the money for the round while I went to find a seat.
Upon my return I noticed that the coke we had ordered had not turned up. I went over to my two friends to check they had not taken it over to their seats and then returned to the bar and said to my fiancée "We still need to get a coke". The bar tender (who was serving other customers) saw us still standing at the bar and said "is there a problem?" and I said "oh, we didn't get our coke". He replied (very abruptly) "you didn't order a coke" I said "I did, I ordered a..." and he instantly interrupted and exclaimed "no you did not, you ordered a JD and diet coke and then changed it to a JD and coke". I have worked and ran pubs for many years, this is a very common mistake for both bar staff and customers to make and I just assumed the bar tender hadn't heard me so I tried to explain again that I had ordered a coke. He got very angry and told me off for not listening to him and stated, incredibly abruptly that I therefore had the wrong coke in my JD. To this I replied that I didn't really mind, I just wanted a coke when he had a minute. He replied "well you have to wait until after I served these customers". I replied that that was "no problem". My fiancée and I carried on chatting at the bar while we were waiting. After a short interval the barman asked us "what’s the problem" and I said "nothing at all, we are just waiting here for the coke". He then started to raise his voice loudly and said "I told you have to wait, for f***'s sake what is wrong with you".
The whole bar began to fall silent and as he continued to shout at us my friend came over to see what on earth was going on. I couldn't actually believe it. Drinks get muddled all the time; I really did not know why he was so angry and why he was swearing. The people he had been serving (three men who I think were his friends) began to make suggestive kissing noises at me and asked me to "ignore him and come and sit with us" and "you can sit on our laps". The whole situation felt very intimidating and unpleasant and I did not have any idea whatsoever what had riled the bar man so sufficiently.
I asked to speak to his manager to which he replied "I am the manager" and I asked him whether he spoke to all his staff and customers like this. The barman/manger (??!) then said to my friend (who by this point was even more gobsmacked and flabbergasted than me and stated that if he was going to continue we would leave) "F*** off then, I don't care". I asked for my money back for the drinks (as we had not had chance to touch them) and he gave us the money back. My friends then left. I faltered back and asked (because I really could not understand what on earth had just happened and I really wanted to know how I had offended him to such a great extent in such a short space of time) "Do you mind if I just ask what on earth I just did there to offend you so much" to which he replied "you would not listen, you are one of those women who just won’t listen". The three men at the bar then started to make lurid comments again so I asked for the card for the bar (so I could make a complaint) and promptly left.
I just could not believe it. I still can’t! Apart from the fact that it was not my job to listen to him (in fact, in terms of customer service I am sure it is the barman's job to treat the customer positively and be a least a little polite) I do not see what there was to listen to in that situation! This event completely ruined the evening. I left incredibly upset and quite shaken up. It felt as though the barman, for some reason was spoiling for a fight and decided he wanted this fight with us. The parting comment he made had clear sexist overtones. This comment coupled with the men at the bar's comments felt intimidating and hostile. I will never be setting foot in this bar again and would assume that at the very least an apology is due from yourselves.
I will be posting this on other sites and writing a letter with a formal complaint to Nicholson's against this barman/manager as it is frightening to think how he may be treating other customers or staff. I think this man has some anger management issues perhaps should be addressed if he is to continue working safety with the public.

27 Dec 2013 18:55