Dobbies Garden Centres - Gillingham Anmeldelser 470

Good store with plenty of choice.
Helpful staff and well organised cafe/restaurant.

Very clean considering seasonal changes going on. Staff friendly as usual

Went to Dobbies, in Gillingham, Kent, yesterday, Friday 20th January 2023. I was looking forward to fish and chips. Got to the restaurant and there was a very long queue. On top of that, because the hot food area is at the back of the restaurant, we had to queue through the tables at the front. Not nice for the customers sitting there having coffee etc.
We waited around 35/40 minutes to be seated, we were committed at that point as I had a school run to do so didn’t have time to go elsewhere. Once seated we waited for the waitress so that we could order. After waiting another 10/15 minutes the waitress I initially asked said that she was only a server and that she would ask one of the others to take our order.. Another few minutes went by.
All the time we sat there, and waiting to be seated, the were more than half a dozen tables that needed to be cleared. Not one of them was until after we had received our food, and even then a few were still left dirty. One of the waitress’s was going round customers tables complaining about the working conditions there, the excuse for the extremely slow service, saying how the staff weren’t happy, the management weren’t happy and about how they hadn’t had a pay rise. Not what you want to hear when you just want to have a bite to eat. In my eyes the grievances the staff had were no excuse for the laziness that I saw with not clearing empty tables, one of the reasons for the long wait/queue to be seated. I saw quite a few people leave the queue whilst waiting as they were so fed up. I wanted to write this as it was not the first time I have seen lots of dirty tables with staff continuously walking past and ignoring them. On a few occasions we saw the waiting staff huddle in the corner chatting, rather than clearing/waiting tables. It has actually put me off from going there in future.
On the plus side the food was very nice, but it was tainted by the service.

New layout for the restaurant is a bit confusing, but front of house staff were brilliant very helpful and happy to make changes as needed (not everyone loves cheese lol)

Nice place to meet friends, check out plants & gifts before finishing the visit with coffee & cake.

Good garden centre to visit. Friendly knowledgeable staff and easy parking
Suggest better signage re new layout in restaurant

Good choice and never had an issue with service. Great place to shop!

Had a coffee here today. Service has improved and the girls work so hard. The only problem was 3 customers spotted a friend in the queue in front of us and proceeded to pile their trays for 5 people. Can’t blame Dobbies for this but haven’t people got any shame. They jumped about 10 people.

Been coming for years but will think twice about returning. the cafe used to be slick. Now absolutely hate the cafe set up. If Ashford hasn't changed would happily drive the extra 20 minutes. Please get a new planner! Rest of the centre is great but will probably end up going to Bybrook barn instead. Huge disappointment after spending months with very little at a tea hut outside.

It was Sunday 11/12 the hot drinks queue was over 35 mins before our friend who we with got severed, yes it was very busy and it was around 13.00pm so she just put up with it she said to me"if he could go any slower we still be here tomorrow waiting for our drinks.
I went up again at 15.30 for more drinks quicker but only because there where two people working one male on female making the hot drinks this time it was only 25 mintues wait,it was never like this before the refub something has drastically gone wrong and it needs sorting because I will think twice about shopping at that store if I walk into that situation again.

This is only about new cafe.

Whoever planned the logistics needs to think about a different career. Only been twice since the changes.

Minimum queue time 30 minutes on each occasion just for a hot drink. Just ridiculous.
Even the monthly 2 drinks as a loss leader won’t remedy the desire to return. Thus collateral issue to all other purchasers once through the door.

Plus 2pm and out of supplies.

Please do something send to address this issue.

Unfortunately received several carbon copy messages as below, sadly as expected no other contact or action taken, albeit promised.

We take customer feedback very seriously and really appreciate when customers highlight an opportunity that allows us to improve. Thank you for taking the time to tell us and on behalf of Dobbies I apologise for your disappointing experience.

Dobbies had a great selection of real Christmas trees, at reasonable prices, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Terrific staff. So friendly and helpful. It was an event for the teenage cancer trust

Great place for plants ect. but new layout in cafe is terrible. Waited 30 mins plus to get served. Not the staffs fault. Nothing was wrong with layout before so why change it? It has made the experience stressful, not just for customer but staff as well. IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.

I’ve always loved going to my local Dobbies for a coffee and catch up with friends but, in all honesty, the new eating area in their Gillingham branch seems to have lost something of its charm, even though it’s all immaculately clean and tidy

Nothing wrong with the coffee and cake, delicious as always, and the two young ladies doing the drinks were friendly and efficient, but there was such a queue. I’m sure if it had been any longer, I’d not have bothered. Previously there were two sides to queue and then we funnelled down to the payment area, which kept people moving along.

And where are those lovely paninis? Sometimes change isn’t always for the better!

It is always a nice experience to browse around the garden centre at your own leisure.

Only one person doing hot drinks . People around filling and doing the till but they don't help. Space is too small behind counter.. gave up waiting

I was very disappointed at your newly decorated cafe/restaurant. There were no signs anywhere explaining how it now functions or anybody to tell you. The cafe was manned by a sour faced women who did not heat our toastie properly to which we had to ask a kind lady if they could be done so the contents were hot and edible. The cafe has no soul to it and not homely as it was before,no pictures or products that you sell which was always on display. I have always enjoyed my visit and as a member felt let down by the clinical atmosphere. Apart from the one member of staff the rest are smashing.

The new restaurant is very good it saves queuing up and a good selection of plants and products for sale