Giving a negative review is something many people do with a heavy heart after feeling hugely let down. Quite often, taking the time to call out a bad experience is done as a last resort.

But there is one golden rule – and that is to get all of the facts right before authorising its publication.  One unhappy customer who seemingly fell foul of this was a lady called ‘Jo’ who posted about her experience of The Cowshed at Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

The woman had been to the restaurant for her sister-in-law’s 50th birthday in 2020. She claimed her party spent approximately £700 between them on drinks and pizza before being asked to leave by “staff with awful attitude” for being too drunk, reports The Mirror.

In the review Jo wrote, she said: “[They] didn’t mind taking the £700 though, I have never been spoken to in such a way. Maybe they should open reviews [on their website].” 

She added: “And, yes, our family member was sick, and yes, we cleaned it up so no members of staff were affected by this. Maybe a course for your staff in customer service wouldn’t go amiss – rude staff, huffing and puffing because they had a large round to bring out.” 

But the restaurant, which now in 2023 has a 4.8 out of five star rating on Google, shared their version of events from the night on Facebook which went viral at the time. Firstly, it said that Jo hadn’t spent the amount of money she claimed she did.

The Cowshed said: “You ordered nowhere near this, Jo…not even close. What you and your party spent, Jo, was a far more realistic and believable £280 (£225 on 5 rounds of drinks and £55 on 8 pizzas).” 

It added: “You all acted like belligerent, entitled little toddlers from the moment you walked through our gates. At 4:30pm you showed up with the tables you wanted already taken, but not to worry, we shuffled other customers about at your request in order to accommodate you.

“Then you proceeded to pull our light fittings loose off our boundary fence in order to hang your birthday decor. We cleaned up all the smashed pint glasses you broke and birthday cake you dropped and smeared all over our tables and benches, and tolerated the many loud family rows you were having with each other.” 

The group was also said to have treated The Cowshed’s staff like “personal servants.” The response continued: “Clicking your fingers, shouting, swearing and barking your orders at [staff], to the point one was almost in tears and refused to deal with you any more.” 

It went on to say that one of the party “decided to vomit everywhere but the toilet” adding “the staff member that you nearly had in tears earlier on cleaned it up for you.”

It added: “So now consider this your official barring..don’t you or your group ever set foot through our doors again.”