Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[Peter Sarf]

Something that might work is perhaps a throwback to the pandemic era of in room dining, small kitchen on site offers a limited menu of pub, classics pizzas, pasta salad, sandwiches, etc. Available for you to take back to your room with relevant plates, cutlery and condiments and maybe a fridge reception could offer a very basic bar service of bottled or canned beer, wine, cider and spirits in addition to the usual overpriced soft drinks vending machine. Actually, I think I might email Premier in and suggest this

I think it will be more likely people will resort to Deliveroo etc. Personally I would hate to eat in my hotel room. Decades ago I had quite a few courses where we were in a hotel Monday to Thursday night. I was depserate to stay out of the room as much as possible - not bad rooms but just felt isolated and lonely.

The thought of eating food or drinking in my room would put me off going anywhere in the first place. Like dining in a prison cell.

Me too.

There's an app called Deliveroo which can provide this more effectively

I think that is what Premier Inn will be hoping for. TBH I mostly choose hotels where more than one source of food is available near enough to escape to. Not much hotel staying since Covid though.

"You only fit double glazing once so fit the best - Everest"

Ah Everest - the best "double glazing" firm the marketing said. I was always lead to believe it was because all the competition fitted "replacement windows". That is because "double glazing" is a product name like Hoover make "hoovers", everyone else makes "vacuum cleaners". Only Everest have the right to use the words "double glazing". So I was told.

 

[brad465]

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc., are companies that deserve to disappear, although how quickly remains to be seen. Their working practices are very dodgy, both regarding workers' rights and who is liable when things go wrong somewhere, while the rise of e-bikes, particularly illegal ones, has made an already bad perception of delivery riders/drivers being reckless road users (when they even use the road) worse.

At the very least the gig economy/delivery sector needs regulating a lot more strongly, and if this means they go about of business, like what happened to Wonga when their model was regulated out of viability, so be it.

 

[Russel]

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc., are companies that deserve to disappear, although how quickly remains to be seen. Their working practices are very dodgy, both regarding workers' rights and who is liable when things go wrong somewhere, while the rise of e-bikes, particularly illegal ones, has made an already bad perception of delivery riders/drivers being reckless road users (when they even use the road) worse.

At the very least the gig economy/delivery sector needs regulating a lot more strongly, and if this means they go about of business, like what happened to Wonga when their model was regulated out of viability, so be it.

I was sat in McDonalds not long ago and while waiting for my son to finish his food, I did a quick numberplate check on a couple of the delivery drivers cars that came and went... It seems they must be exempt from tax and MOT requirements.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc., are companies that deserve to disappear, although how quickly remains to be seen. Their working practices are very dodgy, both regarding workers' rights and who is liable when things go wrong somewhere, while the rise of e-bikes, particularly illegal ones, has made an already bad perception of delivery riders/drivers being reckless road users (when they even use the road) worse.

At the very least the gig economy/delivery sector needs regulating a lot more strongly, and if this means they go about of business, like what happened to Wonga when their model was regulated out of viability, so be it.

A work colleague of mines best friend is a delivery rider and it would seem that they're slightly better to their workforce. But overall, I agree with you that a lot of the delivery sector is a total mess and in the case of both Uber eats and just eat, I have stopped using the former and when I use the latter, it's very often a bit of a leap of faith and the failure rate is fairly high or at least the rate at which I make complaints

 

[jon0844]

These companies encourage drivers to break the law (by getting illegal e-bikes with 1000W motors that can do 30-40mph or more) because they're always on the clock and penalised if they go off route (hence a big scandal when one company changed their mapping data and punished people for not navigating routes that didn't exist).

Because parking is often difficult, and clearly some can't afford to MOT or insure their vehicles due to the low pay, bikes are becoming more popular every month.

If hotels think they can axe their own food and drink service to save a few quid and then ask people to scan a QR code to download an app to order food from the nearby kebab shop, they may well come to regret it.

Or not, and it's a huge success as people get food to their room. I bet housekeeping will be chuffed to see all the food on the bed, floor, hall - especially when they're absolutely going to be paid more for the additional cleaning/clearing time.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc., are companies that deserve to disappear, although how quickly remains to be seen. Their working practices are very dodgy, both regarding workers' rights and who is liable when things go wrong somewhere, while the rise of e-bikes, particularly illegal ones, has made an already bad perception of delivery riders/drivers being reckless road users (when they even use the road) worse.

At the very least the gig economy/delivery sector needs regulating a lot more strongly, and if this means they go about of business, like what happened to Wonga when their model was regulated out of viability, so be it.

My bold. Er reckless PAVEMENT users more like. They go quite fast on the pavement past me, I really expect to get hit sooner or later.

These companies encourage drivers to break the law (by getting illegal e-bikes with 1000W motors that can do 30-40mph or more) because they're always on the clock and penalised if they go off route (hence a big scandal when one company changed their mapping data and punished people for not navigating routes that didn't exist).

Because parking is often difficult, and clearly some can't afford to MOT or insure their vehicles due to the low pay, bikes are becoming more popular every month.

If hotels think they can axe their own food and drink service to save a few quid and then ask people to scan a QR code to download an app to order food from the nearby kebab shop, they may well come to regret it.

Or not, and it's a huge success as people get food to their room. I bet housekeeping will be chuffed to see all the food on the bed, floor, hall - especially when they're absolutely going to be paid more for the additional cleaning/clearing time.

You can sense the urgency. Food delivery is inevitably going to get regulated but how many people have to be injured (or die) beforehand I wonder. How long did it take for coach/bus drivers hours to be regulated and tachometers fitted.

Low pay and pressure to up productivity has to lead to corners being cut. I have never used Deliveroo, JustEat or UberEats. In fact it is probably ten years since I last had a meal delivered. But then my missus or me usually goes to the fridge and cooks or heats-up something. My grandmother would never eat out, I have not got as far as letting the cooked meal come to me. (conjours up vision of a fat me slouched on the sofa with the missus waiting on me hand and foot).

 

[LowLevel]

I always find it funny that we have an asylum seekers camp on one of our routes, which of course comes with the stipulation that you're not allowed to work, except in certain circumstances that do not generally I believe cover being a Deliveroo rider.

Every day quite a number of them catch the train into the city, paying cash for their train fares, wearing the jackets and carrying food delivery bags and head back to the camp later.

Personally I think they should be able to work and contribute but it doesn't say much about their systems and processes!

 

[brad465]

My bold. Er reckless PAVEMENT users more like. They go quite fast on the pavement past me, I really expect to get hit sooner or later.

That's why I put in brackets "when they even use the road".

You can sense the urgency. Food delivery is inevitably going to get regulated but how many people have to be injured (or die) beforehand I wonder. How long did it take for coach/bus drivers hours to be regulated and tachometers fitted.

Low pay and pressure to up productivity has to lead to corners being cut. I have never used Deliveroo, JustEat or UberEats. In fact it is probably ten years since I last had a meal delivered. But then my missus or me usually goes to the fridge and cooks or heats-up something. My grandmother would never eat out, I have not got as far as letting the cooked meal come to me. (conjours up vision of a fat me slouched on the sofa with the missus waiting on me hand and foot).

I confess that in 2017 I was a Deliveroo rider myself for 5 months, between finishing Uni and going into office work. Back then it wasn't so bad as e-bikes hadn't taken off and the network of such companies wasn't as large. It was useful as a short term job to gain work experience and some money, but I'd never do it long term, and given the change in times since I left it's not somewhere I'd rush back to without major reforms in the sector.

 

[skyhigh]

I always find it funny that we have an asylum seekers camp on one of our routes, which of course comes with the stipulation that you're not allowed to work, except in certain circumstances that do not generally I believe cover being a Deliveroo rider.

Every day quite a number of them catch the train into the city, paying cash for their train fares, wearing the jackets and carrying food delivery bags and head back to the camp later.

Personally I think they should be able to work and contribute but it doesn't say much about their systems and processes!

I saw a news article on the BBC this morning that said a rider who had been convicted of GBH for biting off a customer's thumb was back working for them, so I don't think they really could be described as having any processes at all...

 

[jon0844]

I remember many years ago people were killed by moped/motorcycle Pizza delivery riders who had to get food to someone before a certain time, or the pizza was free.

I don't recall exactly what rules came in, but eventually we saw the end of the '15/30 minutes or your food is free' offers.

But now it seems that we're very much back to that racing, just now with illegal bikes with no lights racing on the payment and alleyways, to promise food quickly - and in the case of some new firms, including Amazon and Tesco, very much implying you can get your order in 15 or 20 minutes. You may not get the goods free if they're late, but I bet the delivery person gets grief.

 

[GoneSouth]

Something that might work is perhaps a throwback to the pandemic era of in room dining, small kitchen on site offers a limited menu of pub, classics pizzas, pasta salad, sandwiches, etc. Available for you to take back to your room with relevant plates, cutlery and condiments and maybe a fridge reception could offer a very basic bar service of bottled or canned beer, wine, cider and spirits in addition to the usual overpriced soft drinks vending machine. Actually, I think I might email Premier in and suggest this

Sounds ghastly!

 

[TPO]

I've never had a bad experience and people I know who have got refunds. For many years we've had family rooms that are often in a different part of the hotel or floor and therefore quiet (yes you might hear kids in the evening but not stag and hen parties stomping back at 4am).

I accept that post Covid and due to inflation etc, the experience may well have dropped. I haven't used Premier Inn more than twice in the last two years.

I use a Premier Inn business account for work trips, they seen good at putting the business travellers in one end of the hotel, leisure in the other.

Post Covid, breakfast isn't as good as it was although still acceptable, but the evening meal never returned from the slimmed down offering standardised across the Whitbread group.

There's an app called Deliveroo which can provide this more effectively

My point is that the restaurants were loosing a lot of money. They are not commercially viable just for hotel guests.

Deliveroo can be used as an alternative to eating in the hotels restaurant, and is probably better.

The amount of people staying in a rural location that isn't walking distance to restaurant and don't have access to a car is a tiny minority and one that PI have decided isn't market they want to cater for.

Indeed, I can see the logic. For the midweek trade of contractors, there's just so much more available via delivery than the same half dozen items from the onsite eatery. And leisure travellers may well eat out anyway.

Be interesting to see how this pans out. However, Premier Inn has historically shown very good understanding of their market and demand pricing, so I suspect this has been very extensively worded out.

TPO

 

[Ianigsy]

I once counted 12 delivery riders outside my workplace waiting for instructions- my office is in central Leeds and probably equidistant from most of the well known takeaways.

A few years ago I did once see a Deliveroo rider who’d taken a turn too quickly and come off- there must have been some explaining to do when somebody received a pizza with the toppings all at one end!

 

[jon0844]

I once counted 12 delivery riders outside my workplace waiting for instructions- my office is in central Leeds and probably equidistant from most of the well known takeaways.

A few years ago I did once see a Deliveroo rider who’d taken a turn too quickly and come off- there must have been some explaining to do when somebody received a pizza with the toppings all at one end!

The Telegraph has a story about these high-speed illegal e-bikes, and I was shocked to see police photos of these being stopped on motorways now!

I've seen one of these crazy bikes on a train and when the owner alighted at Welham Green he flew up the platform at an incredible pace. No lights, and no care for anyone else who got off.

It was a bit disappointing to see a bicycle group arguing that at least they're taking a car off the road. I am all for reducing car traffic, but bikes that can do 40mph need to be road-legal, used on roads only, with proper lights and so on.

 

[Busaholic]

Ah Everest - the best "double glazing" firm the marketing said. I was always lead to believe it was because all the competition fitted "replacement windows". That is because "double glazing" is a product name like Hoover make "hoovers", everyone else makes "vacuum cleaners". Only Everest have the right to use the words "double glazing". So I was told.

Having done a bit of research, I think you were misled. The concept of double glazing originated in draughty Victorian Scotland. It was commercially patented in the USA in the 1930s by C J Haven as Thermopane, and its introduction here was aided by new government regulations in 1965 which encouraged it. I've found no evidence of any particular company having even a theoretical monopoly of use of the term, though Everest would have been one of the first, and certainly the largest, firm to make use of it. From my memory, Alpine was another of the larger firms, so a theme emerges!

 

[Gloster]

Double-Glazing is not marked as a tradename in Chambers Dictionary (printed version), which is pretty thorough.

 

[Russel]

I once counted 12 delivery riders outside my workplace waiting for instructions- my office is in central Leeds and probably equidistant from most of the well known takeaways.

A few years ago I did once see a Deliveroo rider who’d taken a turn too quickly and come off- there must have been some explaining to do when somebody received a pizza with the toppings all at one end!

I see this in Birmingham a lot, near Snow Hill station there is a McDonalds on Cherry Street, opposite there is a sheltered area where at times you can find 30+ delivery drivers from various outfits waiting for jobs...

 

[Yew]

I use a Premier Inn business account for work trips, they seen good at putting the business travellers in one end of the hotel, leisure in the other.

Post Covid, breakfast isn't as good as it was although still acceptable, but the evening meal never returned from the slimmed down offering standardised across the Whitbread group.

I will admit tht before covid, I did have a preference for premier inn, as the on-site restaraunt was fairly good, and it had a nice all-you-can-eat breakfast. If the offer is indeed still slimmed down, I wonder if that is the reason for the lower profitability; that they've simply made the restaraunts less attractive to go to.

 

[jupiter]

Compulsory uniform for delivery riders to complement the black electric mountain bike silently capable of 50mph, is black shoes probably trainers, black trousers, black hoodie (pulled up) and black ski mask. In Canterbury you see little else, not sure anyone is doing anything apart from terrorising other off-work delivery drivers by careering up and down the pedestrian area in the centre.

 

[johntea]

Not a “company” in the traditional sense I guess but it looks like the ‘Prime’ drink craze is well and truly done and dusted, supermarkets struggling to shift them even after several reductions…

…also I just walked through Manchester Piccadilly station where people were on the concourse handing out free bottles of the stuff! (500ml bottles at that not even a smaller sample sized bottle!), even they seemed to be struggling to hand them out to passers by…

 

[Russel]

Not a “company” in the traditional sense I guess but it looks like the ‘Prime’ drink craze is well and truly done and dusted, supermarkets struggling to shift them even after several reductions…

…also I just walked through Manchester Piccadilly station where people were on the concourse handing out free bottles of the stuff! (500ml bottles at that not even a smaller sample sized bottle!), even they seemed to be struggling to hand them out to passers by…

The ingredient list may have something to do with that...

 

[Blindtraveler]

This post got me messaging several friends with preteen and teenage kids. Out of all of them, only one said that their little darling had lost interest. The rest still seem as keen on it as ever

 

[Trackman]

I will admit tht before covid, I did have a preference for premier inn, as the on-site restaraunt was fairly good, and it had a nice all-you-can-eat breakfast. If the offer is indeed still slimmed down, I wonder if that is the reason for the lower profitability; that they've simply made the restaraunts less attractive to go to.

There's a new thread about budget hotels here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/budget-hotels-discussion.267076/

 

[Jamesrob637]

Not a “company” in the traditional sense I guess but it looks like the ‘Prime’ drink craze is well and truly done and dusted, supermarkets struggling to shift them even after several reductions…

…also I just walked through Manchester Piccadilly station where people were on the concourse handing out free bottles of the stuff! (500ml bottles at that not even a smaller sample sized bottle!), even they seemed to be struggling to hand them out to passers by…

Just seen them. A bottle would last me several days given what's in it. Really a "moderation" drink.

 

[DelW]

Not a “company” in the traditional sense I guess but it looks like the ‘Prime’ drink craze is well and truly done and dusted, supermarkets struggling to shift them even after several reductions…

…also I just walked through Manchester Piccadilly station where people were on the concourse handing out free bottles of the stuff! (500ml bottles at that not even a smaller sample sized bottle!), even they seemed to be struggling to hand them out to passers by…

This is a bit of a cross-over with the "You know you're getting old when ..." thread, but I had to do an internet search to see what a Prime drink is, as I'd never heard of it.

I assume it's an "energy" drink, as seem popular with some anti-social types round my way, from the number of Red Bull and Monster cans that get thrown away on my estate's roads and footpaths. The stuff smells disgusting to me when I collect the discarded cans for recycling. I wouldn't drink either of those even if they were free too.

 

[Busaholic]

Carpetright, a private company, have announced a 25% cut in head office (Thurrock) jobs following two years of increasing losses, but no other jobs as yet, the Times reported today.

 

[SteveM70]

Carpetright, a private company, have announced a 25% cut in head office (Thurrock) jobs following two years of increasing losses, but no other jobs as yet, the Times reported today.

Interesting. My dad (retired company secretary) was telling me a few weeks ago he'd bought a new carpet there and the whole feel of the place was a company in its death throes

 

[Dai Corner]

The podcasts prefixed 'Toast' in the following BBC Sounds playlist tell the stories of failed businesses and may be of interest to readers of this thread.

BBC Sounds - Sliced Bread - Available Episodes

Listen to the latest episodes of Sliced Bread on BBC Sounds

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jon0844]

Just seen them. A bottle would last me several days given what's in it. Really a "moderation" drink.

Prime was a drink that simply went out of fashion, and sales were only huge because people bought to resell at a profit. But once the kids moved on to the next thing, it was effectively doomed.

I am sure it was very profitable and the creators knew they couldn't just keep launching new exclusive flavours forever!

 

[johnnychips]

Prime was a drink that simply went out of fashion, and sales were only huge because people bought to resell at a profit. But once the kids moved on to the next thing, it was effectively doomed.

I am sure it was very profitable and the creators knew they couldn't just keep launching new exclusive flavours forever!

It was £15 a can at one stage in my local shop. It is now down to £2.