An American-style diner located at a service station an hour from Greater Manchester has been inundated with complaints from disgruntled customers slapped with unfair parking fines.
The OK Diner, known for its classic 50s fare "on the great British roadside", has seen its online reputation plummet in recent weeks due to the introduction of a new parking system.
On 1 May, the Northop Hall site implemented a parking camera system managed by Smart Parking, requiring customers to register their vehicle details on a tablet to avoid a £100 fine. This change has sparked outrage among many diners, who claim they were unaware of the requirement or had registered their vehicles but were fined regardless.
Social media platforms have been flooded with negative feedback from disgruntled customers. One family embarking on their annual trip to Llandudno complained about the exorbitant cost of their meal: "Breakfast for 4 people including a person in a wheelchair... £265." The family received £100 parking fines for both vehicles, effectively doubling the cost of their breakfast.
OK Diner maintains that the new system was implemented due to the increasing number of non-customers using their car park, stating that signage is in place to inform motorists of the restrictions. However, numerous customers, including MBE recipient, have disputed this, claiming that there were no clear signs indicating the need to register their vehicles.
One woman expressed her anger on the OK Diner Northop Hall Facebook page: "I decided to take the family for a meal at this place for a Father's Day treat. We didn't see any signs about registering our car and at no point did any staff make us aware that this was required. I received a fine yesterday of £100. I was absolutely shocked and angry. This experience has completely put me off going to this place ever again."
A Google reviewer echoed this sentiment, stating: "Brilliant customer experience. Their reviews are going down the drain because of it. Not sure who signed off on the contract but theyâve destroyed their reputation over it."
Despite some positive reviews praising the food and staff, the overwhelming majority of recent feedback has been negative. One holidaymaker, kept waiting for a table and ultimately leaving without eating, was fined £100 for returning to her car after her trip. She labelled her TripAdvisor review "Not OK Diner" and vowed not to pay the fine.
Similar stories abound, with multiple families, including pensioners and disabled individuals, fined despite being frequent customers and unaware of the new regulations. Many have expressed their disappointment and vowed never to return to the OK Diner.
While the diner has attempted to address customer concerns by offering to help on Facebook and directing them to an online contact form, many remain sceptical about the effectiveness of this approach.
Smart Parking, the company responsible for managing the parking system, maintains that the measures are necessary to prevent parking abuse and ensure genuine customers can find parking spaces. They highlight the clear signage in place outlining the parking restrictions and encourage those who believe they have been incorrectly fined to contact them directly.
The situation underscores the ongoing tension between businesses seeking to manage their car parks effectively and customers seeking fair treatment. The OK Diner faces a significant challenge in rebuilding its reputation and regaining the trust of its customers.