The Cornish Arms has hit the headlines after a disparaging critique of a customer made it onto the receipt, which was then shared on social media.
On 22 July a group attended the Hotel in Brunswick, ordering a selection of dishes and beverages, including a glass of pinot grigio, to be served with ice in it.
Finishing their visit and receiving their receipt, the customer was shocked to see a note about the ice in the wine, being for the “fucking bogans”.
The customer shared what they described as the “lovely note” on Reddit.
The pub has confirmed a complaint was received on 25 July, a few days after the incident.
It reports that staff were reminded of their workplace responsibilities, and that the junior staff member responsible for the note confessed, very apologetic, apparently not realising the remark would appear on the receipt.
She was reprimanded and put on three months’ probation.
The Arms stressed that the comment “in no way reflects [its] values”, and that it will continue to educate and train staff in proper behaviour.
And management has spoken to the customer at the centre of the drama, who is to be returning “for a meal on us” soon.
Reactions on social media were mixed, but a number came to the defence of the server, assumedly plonk purists. One suggested the pub should “Give that girl a pay rise, she’s a legend” and another that they would find it “hilarious” to find on their receipt, but that it was “also very amateur” to leave such a note.
While back-of-house staff commentary on patrons is nothing new, some offered that a major part of hospitality is to allow people to (within reason) “have their order as they want” and that this is the real meaning behind ‘the customer is always right’.
