Wortley Roadhouse They had me at hello

(This is how I usually write, and all the "experts" say stuff like don't write in the 1st person, and it needs to be cut back to 100-200 words for the internet. Bugger off, experts; George Carlin did it his way and so will I)

I was having some issues with installing my new TV/Internet and activating a new phone, so after 52 minutes of a wonderful tech support call with a great contact at Freedom Mobile (in Canada and speaks very clear English), we ultimately decided that visiting a store needs to be done to get the new phone working and get the SIM card out of the old one. The old phone just freezes up when one tries to update Chrome, and that is needed to download an app.

Long story short, (I’m working on writing shorter stories, but that is another story), I decided to make my first visit to Wortley Roadhouse which would be a 47 minute walk (according to Google Maps) and the local pub I visited for the first time in 6 years (7 minute walk) each day for the last 9 days in a row has changed dramatically from what I remember from before the pandemic. (Still too long, I know).

So I called a cab and went to Wortley Roadhouse for the first time. It was raining, and the WR’s website showed it was quieter than normal, so that was perfect for me to catch the folks who work there, ask some questions, and not interrupt other customers’ service experience.

So I did a fair bit of research on their site beforehand last night, preparing to go in on Monday, but today was Sunday, so I changed the plans and had a nice meal and a pint or two, and stayed for a couple of hours of research and meeting new folks.

So I arrive, and the first thing is a staff member who works in the kitchen (I’m sorry I forgot his name, and older adults like me do that a lot) is holding the door open for me to let me in. Customer-first attitude already.

So I walk up to the bar area because that is where the conversations go on with new people if you let them develop at the right pace. Approximately 36 stools (only 14 sort of in my local pub), and sadly I can’t find one that works for me, but I have short legs for a 6-foot-tall obese but pleasant guy. I’m working on the obese thing, so what I eat and drink shortens the list a little. So I sit more to the left of everything and not too close to others but right next to the cash register.

So a pleasant guy named Dave says, "Hello, what can I get for you today?" So I explain this is my first visit to WP’s and that I can already see this being my primary bar in London for the rest of my life (still 77 and getting younger every day). So I said I would like a glass of water and a menu and try to find what fits my life patterns right now, and ultimately Davey (Dave is the boss, so the use Davey for Dave 2). And so Davey suggests the Chicken Caesar Wrap with fries (which he eats a lot himself), and we can work on what beer you like later. So no pressure to get you in and out; take your time and enjoy.

So the rain starts to let up, and here they come trickling in maybe 1-6 at a time. Folks with happy smiling faces and looking to have some fun, and it’s still ‘arainin’. And I got to meet a few, trade names, trade thoughts on life, talk about golf, found a fishing hole near Lambeth that works for me and my balance issues on sloped riverbanks, and a whole bunch of other nice stuff. I mostly don’t use real names, but Colin, Lohan, and Spears were nice folks for sure, and we will meet again because, in a short space of maybe 2 hours or less, my decision was made: I will find a way to get to WP’s at least 2 times a week.

I still have only scratched the surface of what they have to offer to their valuable customers. Live bands (I think I am a musician with a pretty good voice for an old fart), an extensive menu that has lots of options and is very competitive with other restaurant environments or bars, which is tough to do in today’s inflating economy for everything, quite frankly.

So, I’m now trying to stand at the bar and sort of getting uncomfortable since my left leg is swelling and I want to get home to write this story because it was going to be super easy to do (less than an hour between composition, editing, and posting on my blog). So, Davey, I think it's time for me to settle up. A meal and a drink (I had 2 because Davey asked if he could buy me one (who refuses that!)) for $25 (he was off by 3 cents and wouldn’t accept a tip “The tip was me meeting you today”. So, trying to hold back the tears, I said that I will be back probably Tuesday because I have to go to a Freedom Mobile store in the south end of town tomorrow to fix my cell phone issue and finish the install of TV/Internet service. That’s about another 3-10 posts on the blog, quite frankly lol lol.

Cab shows up in like 30 seconds, and I spend more time wrestling with getting in and out of those tiny cabs. Bring back the Checkers, you dumb@$$*# in the taxi business, and maybe talk to the wonderful folks at Wortley Roadhouse because they fully understand the importance of excellent customer service and customer retention, and all the benefits that bring to the business, which are not just monetary.

I think you can see why they had me at hello.

Y’all have a wunerfull day, yahere.

(Grammarly found 67 things they want to fix or change, but I will dismiss them on the last line. I failed at correctness but got 100% in engagement, liking that)

Continuation in The Wortley Roadhouse Day 2