The Brick House.

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tamada
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by tamada » March 31, 2018, 2:12 pm

Drunk Monkey wrote:
March 31, 2018, 9:56 am
ajsp9 wrote:
March 31, 2018, 9:35 am
Eaten there 3’times this week - foods fine, price is fine, great decor but geez the service staff are terrible. Not wanting to diss the place completely but if the owner wants to message me I can elaborate.

I’m fully aware of staffing issues etc in Thailand and I wish the business well but if it’s any chance of success they do need to sit their staff and communication issues out and PRONTO
I have known Max for many years from the old days in Patts , our wholesale company supply the BHI with some beverage products so i do talk to him regularly ..after many years in the trade here in Thailand (Witherspoons Pattya) he is fully aware of the issues you mention and is working on them .. i can confirm from my own experiences STAFFING PROBLEMS are the main cause for concern when operating a business here....the Thai workforce here in Udon are very transient , no sooner have you found a good reliable one trained them up ..then they disspear quicker than a Yorkshireman at check bin time and you are back to square one.

DM
I reckon you best get those pesky Yorkshiremen on a pay-as-you-go system, no 'bins' to abscond on.



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semperfiguy
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by semperfiguy » March 31, 2018, 2:28 pm

My biggest complaint with most of the Western style eateries in Udon is the poor level of service. I enjoy Thai food on occasion, but I go to Western restaurants not only for the food but in the hopes that I can experience the kind of customer service that I receive back in my home country. Unfortunately, I generally get the same type of service that I would get in any Thai restaurant, and for me that is just not acceptable, sadly lacking and downright discourteous.

One is generally approached by a waiter/waitress without any kind of greeting and only a smirk on their face as if to say “what the hell are you doing here”? The order is taken and inevitably there is always a misunderstanding or miscommunication. In one particular restaurant last week I ordered a hot coco when I was asked for my drink order, and instead I was served a dinner salad. How any waitress can screw up such a simple thing is beyond me. Most often the waitress returns with the food and hasn’t a clue who ordered what dish if there is more than one patron at the table, and this only adds to the confusion. I believe most Westerners expect that their dirty dishes will be taken away after the food is consumed and the remainder of the dining experience can be spent finishing off a drink at a clean table without all the clutter. However, what generally happens is the waitress disappears never to be seen again. Management should teach employees that the simple taking away of dishes represents an opportunity to sell additional food and drink items to the patron. When was the last time you witnessed a Thai waitress ask if you would like a dessert or another drink? In my estimation huge profit opportunities fly right out the window daily because waitresses neglect to “SELL” food and drinks. Westerners never feel like their privacy is being invaded if the waitress comes around occasionally to see if we need anything else. As a matter of fact I think we all expect that kind of service, so why should they feel so timid to do so? Again, it all boils down to proper training by management. Next comes the arduous task of getting the attention of the waitress in order to get a bill. Much of the time they are away talking to other employees or playing on their cell phones and are paying no attention to the customer. Last but not least is the mistake that comes very often with the calculation of the final bill. I always expect it to be wrong and it generally is. One thing I really like about The Brick House Inn is the presentation of the bill in that little wooden bucket before the meal is served. If there is any discrepancy in the bill it can be dealt with in short order before it turns into a catastrophe.

When I go out to eat I expect to have a pleasant dining experience, and that encompasses more than just having good food. What’s just as important is the manner in which one is received into the restaurant and the caliber of courteous and respectful service. The presentation of the dish is paramount and so is the manner in which the bill is settled and the pleasantries that are exchanged when I leave the premises. I shouldn’t have to go to a 5 star restaurant to be treated like a 5 star customer. Any restaurant owner that desires to have a successful venture has nothing to lose by taking the time to teach his employees such simple techniques and courtesies. It’s not rocket science!

Having said all that, I am very happy that The Brick House Inn has opened in Udon. As is the case with any new restaurant there will be a learning curve for the employees. Unfortunately, most patrons don’t have unlimited patience and many will apply the “three strikes and you’re out” rule. First impressions can make or break a new restaurant, so let’s just hope that Max can get it all together because I’m sure we are all rooting for him to succeed.
Last edited by semperfiguy on March 31, 2018, 4:37 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Drunk Monkey
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by Drunk Monkey » March 31, 2018, 3:39 pm

Delivered to the BH earlier today and i cant see the place NOT succeeding , Brief chat with Max and informed him of this topic and in his words .. QUOTE , im on it , it will all come together just takes time.

Whilst i was waiting for him to remember the combination of his safe room i had a nosey around ..must say its a blooming loverly design and fit out.

DM
Claret n Blue all way thru .. Up the Iron
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papafarang
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by papafarang » March 31, 2018, 5:48 pm

one thing about running a place . back in the uk if I was running a restaurant and a bunch of Chinese walked in not speaking a word of English it would be hard for me to work out if they ordered cod and chips or asked to use the toilet.
if you can speak fluent thai that's the best way to order it, unless your waitress has a masters degree in English literature and can understand the huge variety of accents then it has potential to go wrong will be there. as a thai guy once said to me "you speak very good English" :shock: seemed swiss, french and Brazilians speaking English is really hard for them to understand :lol: like me wandering into a Peruvian restaurant and asking for biscuits and gravy or pie and mash
Hansa village clubhouse . Tel 0981657001 https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Han ... 5851?hl=en

minimiglia
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by minimiglia » April 1, 2018, 6:24 am

This is too easy to anyone with a nounce of business accumin!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a good menu with pictures, descriptions in Thai and English, too easy \:D/

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karonsteve
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by karonsteve » April 1, 2018, 6:37 am

It's even easier just to number the items on the menu.

minimiglia
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by minimiglia » April 1, 2018, 7:01 am

why?? must have description and picture for all the idiots

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papafarang
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by papafarang » April 1, 2018, 8:03 am

from what I understand they are trying different dishes so unless they want to print a new set of menus every week for the "idiots customers" none of it works , putting numbers won't help if you have flexible menu .fixed menus are a pain and won't help if the customer wants specifics kai dow, kai nam ect. best one I have seen is tablet menus, easy to change the food , specials,price changes and no finger pointing like an chimp hoping your waitress understands English with a Geordie accent
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Joe69
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by Joe69 » April 1, 2018, 9:32 am

The beer on tap is why I go, great breakfast, burgers and pasta. The staff has a lot to learn and if you are watching Max is working with them and trying to train them in proper service. I like many places in Udon for dinner or lunch and the Brick House is very good. Love that Hoegarden draft.

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Drunk Monkey
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by Drunk Monkey » April 1, 2018, 9:37 am

IMO ... Small fixed menu .. 20 items , numbered with pics ..then a few special menu items chalk boards dotted around the premises with another 6 or so specials dishes that can be changed easily as a new special takes over.

I PAD menus were the next thing we were going to try at the Tap but never happened as we sold up so not our decision to make now. IMO the jury is still out as too if the I PAD menu would work here i have my reservations . For the real tekky places like MK the waiters use mini pads that send the orders direct to the kitchen tv screens which does away with any confusion en route ...maybe.

Im sure Max will get all his ducks in a row very soon , in the meantime looks like the BH is doing pretty dam well regardless.

DM
Claret n Blue all way thru .. Up the Iron
L2 Season 19/20 Codheads 0 Scunny 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2qrsItFUug
8 minutes is the point of lift off !!!!!!!

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papafarang
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by papafarang » April 1, 2018, 10:02 am

spot on jon, apparently the optimum menu has 6-7 starters, 10 main and 6-7 desserts. I like the tablet idea as very flexible ,plus works like a pos system so adds totals up automatically and you get stock control. no real point for me but I got a brand new tablet sitting around so I might have a play to see how good they are. all very techy but its the future as they say
Hansa village clubhouse . Tel 0981657001 https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Han ... 5851?hl=en

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BobHelm
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by BobHelm » April 1, 2018, 10:40 am

Wetherspoons in the UK have taken it a step farther with an Android App.

Free wi-fi at all Wetherspoons so you just go in, find a table, start up the App on your own phone & confirm which Wetherspoons premises you are in (it suggests which from the phone location). The time of day menu comes up (they have different menus depending on the Day & time). Order your food/drink, say which table number you are at & your order gets transferred to the kitchen & bar staff.
You can even pay for it all over your phone with a debit/credit card too..

Maybe a bit early for Udon but technology is altering most businesses...

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Wee Jimmy
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by Wee Jimmy » April 1, 2018, 10:52 am

When l go to the UK there's a place doing a similar thing. However once you have entered your details your inbox is plagued with advertisments.

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AussieBoy
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by AussieBoy » April 1, 2018, 12:07 pm

Had Tablet menu in Oz at a local joint, hit and run robbers sitting down and doing a runner with pad, people picking there Nose, ass dirty hands, swiping screen, No thanks, I like service, let the waiter do the swiping, unless you carry alcohol rub, those little squirt bottles, which I do, gets easier to get bacteria as you get older. keyboards are dirtier than a toilet bowl, swiping would be the same, full service for me prefered, or a quick spray on the finger tip first
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papafarang
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by papafarang » April 2, 2018, 6:52 am

AussieBoy wrote:
April 1, 2018, 12:07 pm
Had Tablet menu in Oz at a local joint, hit and run robbers sitting down and doing a runner with pad, people picking there Nose, ass dirty hands, swiping screen, No thanks, I like service, let the waiter do the swiping, unless you carry alcohol rub, those little squirt bottles, which I do, gets easier to get bacteria as you get older. keyboards are dirtier than a toilet bowl, swiping would be the same, full service for me prefered, or a quick spray on the finger tip first
same with a paper menu mate, think about how many people handle those and they never get cleaned. one of the tablet menus I looked at has the ability to change to 26 languages , I once wandered into a place in patts and the whole menu was thai/german.but not being able to read the menu i could always resort to pointing at the menu and hopefully they might understand "not too spicy" :lol:
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thighlander
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by thighlander » April 2, 2018, 5:49 pm

Too many menu items is a curse of death for restaurants here. Confuses the staff and makes the language barriers that much worse. It is an invitation for rotten food, too, and no one likes seeing the girl jump on her motorbike to go to the market after she takes your order...looks unprofessional. The best restaurants I have ever been in, and longest lasting have streamlined menus. It is a good chance to find out if your date should be dumped if she complains about something like that. Kind of like how the vegans make asses of themselves at most restaurants, and again enhanced by the language barrier.

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Re: The Brick House.

Post by Rockfossil » April 3, 2018, 9:53 am

As I am not a member of facebook, would someone like to tell me the name of the Soi the Brick House is in, or its co-ordinates, so I can find it.

Cheers

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BobHelm
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by BobHelm » April 3, 2018, 10:06 am

Opposite side of the road, but just over the road & up a bit towards @Home at Udon, from the Irish Clock on this map..
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rct
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The Brick House.

Post by rct » April 3, 2018, 6:54 pm

Our first visit here today for lunch. Great food, service, atmosphere, all five in our group agreed.

Would be a nice place to hang out even if not meal time, eg for a coffee or a drink etc.

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UdonThaniPete
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Re: The Brick House.

Post by UdonThaniPete » April 3, 2018, 8:33 pm

I drove past the place today for the first time, the place was packed, I will certainly give it a try when I can. Well done to the new owners and wish them every success, it’s great to see here in Udon.
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