As Britain heads towards recession, it is inevitable that companies will cut costs. Over the past week I have spoken to perhaps a dozen leisure sector bosses and they have all mentioned the ‘c' word. Until recently, I would have nodded sagely and agreed that cost saving is a good idea. But after my recent experiences, I am not so sure.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were fortunate enough to spend the night at a top London hotel. We were allocated a huge suite and, apart from the slightly questionable decor and a tiny bath, we couldn't help feeling rather pleased with ourselves.

Unfortunately, the service did not live up to the hype. When we went down to the lounge shortly before 5.30pm, our request for cakes or pastries to accompany our tea was greeted with a curt rejoinder that we were too late. The unsmiling waitress did eventually manage to rustle up some cookies but by then we were feeling thoroughly disgruntled.

Breakfast was even worse. The Italian (I think) waiting staff spoke so little English and were so clueless about the basics of service that we ended up in fits of laughter.

A couple of days later, we went out for dinner at a large food-led country pub with more than 20 friends. The companion who had arranged it had been attracted by an offer of a buffet for £10 and thought it looked like a nice place to go. He was wrong. Although the selection of antipasti was judged to be rather good, the spare ribs served up as the only main course option were almost inedible. Worse, there were so few staff that every time one of us went to the bar to buy drinks, it was fully 20 minutes before we returned.

In both these cases, it is clear that corners were being cut. The five-star hotel had hired cheap foreign staff and failed to give them even the most basic training. Similarly, the pub had pared its staffing levels to the barest mimimum at a time when it should have been gearing up for the extra business generated by the buffet promotion. At the very least, it should have had a member of staff serving drinks to the table, and the poor quality of the food was a serious own-goal.

Not only has a golden opportunity to generate repeat business been lost but those 20 or so customers will by now have told all their other friends never to go there.

The Academy of Food & Wine, the industry's professional training body for front-of-house staff, says that the impact of poor service is magnified in an economic downturn. Nick Scade, the Academy's chief executive, says: “In the current climate, it is more important than ever to make sure your staff are well trained and good at what they do. While there is not yet strong evidence of people cutting back on eating out, anecdotal reports from our members suggest that customers are looking for value for money and an all-round positive experience and won't tolerate anything less.

“Bad service just gives customers an excuse not to return but with the right training and a positive attitude, front-of-house staff can be a restaurant's biggest asset.”

Fortunately, there are plenty of people who are getting it right. I have had a couple of excellent experiences at Caffè Nero, despite visiting at busy times. I was also lucky enough to have lunch at The Ivy recently and the food and service were both superb. I'm sure it was no coincidence that, on a Monday in the middle of a financial meltdown, the restaurant was still turning tables.

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