"Ever get the feeling like you've been cheated?" So said the Sex Pistols, as they ended their short career in spectacular style on a San Francisco stage in 1978.
It was certainly a feeling that Derek Elliot, a 69-year-old pensioner from Cornwall, understood when he was short-changed five pieces of chicken in a Wetherspoon pub and then kicked out and barred for complaining about it.
Derek was out with his pal Mike, 76, in Camborne, Cornwall, when his mate's ten piece chicken meal came back with just five pieces.
Derek said he regularly visits the John Francis Bassett, usually without any issues.
Advert
He was out with his pal Mike on the day of the incident and decided to take advantage of the lunchtime chicken special.
"After a short time I received my triple chicken feast with no problems," said Derek. "But my friend Mike's meal only contained a bowl of five chicken breast bites whereas the menu clearly stated 10 battered chicken breast chunks."
"I politely called over one of the staff and asked if my friend could have the other five missing chicken pieces. He rudely ignored my request and insisted that Mike would have to pay another £1.45 for the additional pieces," he added.
"I showed him the lunchtime menu, which we had ordered from, which clearly indicated 10 pieces of chicken chunks. The staff member started to walk away and ignored our comments, I started to again ask that he looked at the menu but he refused and continued to walk away.
"As by now several customers were looking and I felt embarrassed so I raised my voice asking him to look at the menu but he just continued to go away insisting that my friend should pay another £1.45 to get his total of 10 pieces."
Advert
Derek was emboldened by the support of his fellow customers and walked up to the bar to speak to the manager. When he approached the bar, however, the same member of staff who had been rude to him before was waiting.
"As he arrived and stood next to me one of the bar staff came from behind the bar and apologised for making a mistake with our dinner order," said Derek. "I thought the gesture was very admirable, praising and thanking them for their apology I again thanked them for their apology."
"However, as there was still no apology from the manager I had to tell him how disappointed my friend and I had been with his complete refusal to investigate our complaint to which he replied that my friend and I had to leave.
"I asked why we had to leave and he again requested that we had to leave. I told him we had not even finished the drinks which came with our dinners but he just went to the till withdrew around £4.50 and insisted we left.
Advert
"When I went back to our table, two or three people were watching and asking me what was going on when I told them we were being thrown out they could not believe it."
Derek left under protest but resolved to write an email to Wetherspoon. He said he sent one that was ignored - but continued to complain and eventually got a response, though it was not the one that he was expecting. Wetherspoon replied, upholding their staff's decision and barring Derek from the pub.
The pensioner added: "I'm absolutely shocked. I'm a quiet person and the worst part is he wouldn't come over and look at the menu when we had the evidence of how much chicken Mike should have had right there in front of us in black and white.
Advert
"After I emailed them they didn't even ask for my point of view before banning me. I've done nothing wrong whatsoever."
Eric Gershon, a spokesman for Wetherspoons, commented on the issue, saying: "We appreciate there was an issue at the pub. However, the reason the gentleman has been barred is that he was abusive towards staff. We will not tolerate this behaviour and back the decision taken by the pub manager."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: Wetherspoon, UK, Pub,