Dash of milk. €€€€

Tech Overhaul · 10-04-2009 1:53pm #1

A few friends and I were in a bar in Carlow recently and my wife was drinking Tia Maria and milk. When my round came I had a look at the receipt. €4.50 for the Tia Maria and €1.50 for a dash of milk!! :eek: I nearly fell off the chair. I don't mind paying for the milk, 50 cent maybe or perhaps at most 75 cent but €1.50 is a rip off.
After that my wife said she only have one more as like myself she was disgusted at the price. When she got the next one the price was €1.70 for the milk because it was after 23.30. What a joke, this country is a total rip off, it's no wonder more people are drinking at home. This was in Carlow so I imagine that Dublin prices must be even worse.

ntlbell · 10-04-2009 1:54pm

did you bring this up with the manager?

or did you just keep paying it and mumble at your friends back at the table?

Tech Overhaul · 10-04-2009 2:36pm

ntlbell wrote: »

did you bring this up with the manager?

or did you just keep paying it and mumble at your friends back at the table?

My wife brought it up with the manager the following week as he wasn't working that night and the reply she got was "You're in a pub what do you expect?" He just didn't care or want to listen.

ntlbell · 10-04-2009 4:50pm

Wizard Archer wrote: »

My wife brought it up with the manager the following week as he wasn't working that night and the reply she got was "You're in a pub what do you expect?" He just didn't care or want to listen.

I hope she didn't have a drink when she went back...

coffee_cake · 10-04-2009 4:53pm

Wizard Archer wrote: »

After that my wife said she only have one more as like myself she was disgusted at the price.

if you're disgusted with the price, stop buying them. Don't mumble angrily at each other and keep paying. Why would the manager give a damn when he knows you keep paying anyway?

ch750536 · 10-04-2009 5:29pm

Was in Tobyworld Tralee today. Ordered 2 meals + 4 rounds of bread & butter. No charge for the bread & butter.

Then asked for a glass of milk for the kids.

No charge.

Fantastic. Repeat custom guaranteed for the price of 4 rounds of bread & butter and a glass of milk.

drunkmonkey · 10-04-2009 5:34pm

your well within your rights to haggle (before you drink it) the price, I would have thought the dash of milk was free (included in the price)....like the cream in an irish coffee...

orourkeda · 10-04-2009 5:35pm

Why wouldnt you pay a British company if they are less expensive than their Irish counterparts. After all, this is rip off IRELAND we are talking about.

There is a reason that people from the republic are heading north to do their shopping and this should play a major part in forcing companies down here to reduce their prices.

mikemac · 10-04-2009 5:37pm

orourkeda wrote: »

Why wouldnt you pay a British company if they are less expensive than their Irish counterparts. After all, this is rip off IRELAND we are talking about.

There is a reason that people from the republic are heading north to do their shopping and this should play a major part in forcing companies down here to reduce their prices.

Yes but the OP is talking about a pub in the midlands.
How does that help them?

pebbles21 · 10-04-2009 5:45pm

i dont know whats more shocking the price for the dash or the fact she actually drinks tia-maria and milk

ntlbell · 10-04-2009 5:48pm

pebbles21 wrote: »

i dont know whats more shocking the price for the dash or the fact she actually drinks tia-maria and milk

it's actually a nice drink especially when you're a bit "delicate"

do they charge 1.50 for a dash of milk in their tea?

jhegarty · 10-04-2009 9:22pm

ntlbell wrote: »

it's actually a nice drink especially when you're a bit "delicate"

do they charge 1.50 for a dash of milk in their tea?

Order a cup of tea and keep the milk jug for the night....

10000maniacs · 13-04-2009 4:36pm

Wizard Archer wrote: »

When she got the next one the price was €1.70 .

Here lies the problem.
I was waiting for you to say "When she bought the whole carton of milk for €200 thats when she complained to management.":rolleyes:

rubadub · 13-04-2009 6:12pm

Wizard Archer wrote: »

After that my wife said she only have one more as like myself she was disgusted at the price. When she got the next one the price was €1.70

Yep, thats the problem, if you were truely disgusted why would you buy it again. If you really did need it I would have made sure to make a point of it. e.g. ask outright how much would a shotglass of milk be, so they have to actually say it out, then laugh at them.

Pubs get away with this crap because most people do not ask the price in the first place before buying. But you already knew the second time.

I said in another thread a great plan would be to get a gang of lads into an empty pub that you know is overpriced, all them start picking up food menus saying they are starving etc, all settling in as though they are going to eat & drink the place dry. Then ask how much for a pint of whatever and ask if they are serious, then just say "come on lads, this place is a f**king ripoff" and all leave.

Blue_Wolf · 14-04-2009 8:50am

I go to costa nearly everyday and they fill up a cup of milk for me so I can have my own coffee in work. Our fridge doesn't work so cant store milk over night. This isn't really to boast Costa but really it's down to the management of the retail unit as opposed to the Franchise name.

I see where you're coming from OP, 50c would sound fairer...but will that pay for the overheads. The manager is right in the sense that it's a pub you pay over the odds, his/her attitude on the other hand was wrong.

I have to agree with majority of the posters here that there's no point sitting back and moaning. It's good that your wife went back and complained. Remember to tell your friends not to go there. One bad experience for a customer is 10 potential customers lost for that retailer...so the statistics say.

Nothingbetter2d · 14-04-2009 5:02pm

mikemac wrote: »

Yes but the OP is talking about a pub in the midlands.
How does that help them?

last time i checked the ireland map carlow was in the south east

btw OP was it The Med Bar? the increase all drinks by 10c every hour after 11pm

cheapskate · 15-04-2009 1:01am

Depends really on your pov! I would say midlands as it doesn't border the sea but if yoi want to be pedantic then NW europe!

CS

robo · 15-04-2009 1:09pm

Is there not an issue here on displaying the price of the milk?
Was the price of the dash displayed?
The pub can charge what they want, once it is displayed and you can then decide whether you willpay for it - it is your choice to pay that price.

Richard Dower · 15-04-2009 2:26pm

Note to OP...bring in your own milk!, swipe a few of those Cafe thingies.

rubadub · 17-04-2009 1:39pm

robo wrote: »

Is there not an issue here on displaying the price of the milk?

No, they do not have to, the vast majority of stuff in pubs is not on the legally required pricelist at the door. People tend not to ask prices beforehand in pubs and they take advantage of this, but the OP was once bitten and not twice shy, they willingly paid again knowing it was a ridiculous price.

DOS · 17-04-2009 8:31pm

Had the pleasure of visiting Biddy Earlys a few years ago in Kilkenny. Bought vodka and OJ for herself. Charged €2.25 for a dash of St Bernards OJ, 69c per litre at the time in Dunnes Stores. Thankfully it was a rather busy night, so I leaned in over the counter and took a whole carton of it. Four of her friends came in and they were drinking the same. I advised them just to order a straight vodka. After the second round, the barman copped what had happened, we all raised our glasses and wen't CHEERS!

kippy · 17-04-2009 8:43pm

One point.
If you think that asking the staff what the price is, or getting a gang of lads into a pub to look at the menus and leave because of the price is going to change anything you'd be generally mistaken in a large amount of cases, particularly in large town and city center pubs.
You'd generally only be making your point to a staff member and not the owner, who eventually takes the hit if they lose your custom. Most pubs in towns and cities (especially the "popular" ones who in general charge the most) are usually owned by one or more people who have nothing to do with actually running the pub. They may also own more than one pub, which is defo the case in the bigger cities. They may also meet with each other through the VFI or otherwise to agree on pricing.
They really dont care about the guys who make a deal of pricing as they'd generally go back there again because thats where "everyone" goes.
It really is shocking the price differences between the "flashier" more pupular bars and bars which may only be a few metres away.
One bar on Eyre Sqr in galway charges 1 euro more for a bottle of cider than a bar across the street from it. Thats widespread in galway. The dearer bar is the more popular bar but I doubt the owner ever steps foot on the premises.
Just stay away from these places, no point making staff feel awkward or haggling with someone who has no authority to reduce prices just for you (which they dont if they are members of VFI)
It sickens me, let me tell ya, the high prices and the ramping up of prices after the standard hours.

Kippy

rubadub · 18-04-2009 6:08pm

kippy wrote: »

If you think that asking the staff what the price is, or getting a gang of lads into a pub to look at the menus and leave because of the price is going to change anything you'd be generally mistaken in a large amount of cases, particularly in large town and city center pubs.
You'd generally only be making your point to a staff member and not the owner, who eventually takes the hit if they lose your custom.

True, but in many pubs the manager is also around who could take notice. And to think the staff do not care is ridiculous, unless they are complete idiots. I know the staff in my local are extremely concerned, their hours are being dropped and their jobs are at risk. If I was a barman and that happened I would certainly relay it to the owner or manager to let them know about lost custom.

kippy wrote: »

They really dont care about the guys who make a deal of pricing as they'd generally go back there again because thats where "everyone" goes.

That is why I was saying a quiet/empty pub to do it in. My local used to be packed on a saturday night, mates went the other week and counted 15 people in the place in total. Another mate in Ardee said his local had only 5 people when it used to be packed.

kippy wrote: »

Just stay away from these places, no point making staff feel awkward or haggling with someone who has no authority to reduce prices just for you

Asking the price for a drink is not "awkward for staff", I never mentioned haggling. It is the same as going into a shop and asking how much a chocolate bar is and deciding not to pay. It wakes them up to potential custom which they lost. They might not realise there is so much potential custom out there.

I was in Cassidys pub yesterday near the bleeding horse. Pints were around the usual price, it was about 6.30 or 7pm and the barmaids came around with bowls of free cocktail sausages for all customers. Thought it was a refreshing change for once. I have seen them do this down the country but never in a city centre pub.

DOS · 18-04-2009 11:13pm

rubadub wrote: »

it was about 6.30 or 7pm and the barmaids came around with bowls of free cocktail sausages for all customers. Thought it was a refreshing change for once. I have seen them do this down the country but never in a city centre pub.

LOL, salty sausages to make you all thirsty and drink more!

Seriously, what is it going to take for Diagio and Publicans to lower, yes lower their prices?

Dash of milk. €€€€

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