Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Soaked by spilled drinks in restaurant

111 replies

Rae36 · 21/10/2020 15:31

Out for lunch, put a nice top on, haven't been out in ages. Waitress dropped a tray with 3 1l jugs of water, pint of blackcurrant and soda, pint of lime and soda and 3 open cans of coke all down my back. I was completely drenched.

They were very apologetic, gave us money off, told me to bring in the dry cleaning bill, I changed into ds14's jumper, and apart from a damp bum and bra we had a nice lunch.

The manager kept coming over to ask how I was and what they could do to make it better for me. I couldn't think of anything they could do really, what could they have done? He asked 4 or 5 times and he was clearly desperate for me to come up with something they could do.

What could I have said? Thinking about it now I'm home and dry, could they have offered to dry my top for me (assuming they have laundry facilities for towels and tablecloths)? Could I have asked them to get me a dry top from somewhere? There was no obvious shop or anything around. Should one of the staff have offered me their jumper from the staffroom? We had the car but a taxi home if we'd been walking? My jacket had been hanging over the back of my chair so was also soaked. A hairdryer if one of the staff had one in the locker room? I guess they didn't or they would have offered. Use of the staffroom to wash the sticky coke off privately instead of at the public sink in the ladies might have been good. I didn't think of that at the time.

I did say I thought the tray was way too heavy, one of the jugs hit me on the shoulder and it was heavy. They agreed and apologised.

If you've been a waitress what would you have done to fix up a really wet customer? I couldn't think of anything to say. Now we are back home the kids are coming up with more and more ridiculous suggestions.

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 21/10/2020 15:40

Spend the afternoon making up all sorts of ridiculous cliams then get your coat dry cleaned and send them the bill.

It happens and most restaurants will comp or discount a meal and pay for cleaning. There really isn't much more they can do.

And would you have accepted a strangers clothing these days?

clipclop5 · 21/10/2020 15:41

It was an innocent mistake and the restaurant rightly apologised and offered to pay. Stop acting so entitled, what else did you expect them to do? Imo they did the right thing. Thinking up things they could’ve done hours after it happened is just being pretentious.

Original poster
Rae36 · 21/10/2020 15:45

I didn't ask them to do anything at all @clipclop5
I was just a bit thrown by the manager keeping asking me what I wanted them to do when I couldn't really think up anything.

One of the kids' plans was a helicopter to take me home to get changed before the food arrived. But I didn't ask for that. Funnily enough.

OP posts:
WaltzingBetty · 21/10/2020 15:50

@clipclop5

It was an innocent mistake and the restaurant rightly apologised and offered to pay. Stop acting so entitled, what else did you expect them to do? Imo they did the right thing. Thinking up things they could’ve done hours after it happened is just being pretentious.
Try actually reading the OP before you start name calling @clipclop5

How is the OP entitled ? she behaved very graciously, got herself dry and asked for nothing.

She isn't planning on asking for anything and simply wants opinions on whether there's anything she could have suggested to the upset manager to make them feel better.
If anything that's the opposite if entitled!

Greenhairbrush · 21/10/2020 15:50

I actually think they done enough. They sounded extremely apologetic. They asked you how they could make it right and it was an accident. We’ve all cocked up. Also, given the current situation, which is tough going for restaurants (and many other businesses) I would just accept they said sorry and leave it at that.

Sexnotgender · 21/10/2020 15:51

You wanted the jumper from a staff member Confused

Accidents happen. They gave you a discount and will sort out your top. That’s plenty. Maybe a voucher to come back would have been nice on top.

AriettyHomily · 21/10/2020 15:52

I think they've done enough in a difficult situation tbh. It's an accident.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 21/10/2020 15:52

The manager was probably panicking. That was a lot to throw over a customer and the jug that hit you probably have him kittens.

All I can think of is that they could have offered you a fresh in the plastic chefs jacket.

foxessocks · 21/10/2020 15:54

They were probably mortified and kept asking you to try and make it very clear they wanted to do everything they could to sort it out. Which it does seem like they did everything they could. Poor you though!

When I was a waitress I tripped and the huge tray of little pots of condiments went into a customer's lap Blush I was so upset about it, I kept going over to say sorry again and again so they probably got fed up with me apologising in the end!! Their meal was paid for and their dry cleaning. Actually their meal came out of my wages I think (was a long time ago) Sad

earthtopluto · 21/10/2020 15:54

I got the impression from this thread that the OP was being lighthearted with her suggestions and wanted funny ideas of what she could have asked them to do to compensate.. Not getting an entitled vibe at all.

Hokeywokey · 21/10/2020 15:54

They did all they could do. This thread is weird.

Sexnotgender · 21/10/2020 15:55

@earthtopluto

I got the impression from this thread that the OP was being lighthearted with her suggestions and wanted funny ideas of what she could have asked them to do to compensate.. Not getting an entitled vibe at all.
Not what I understood at all from the OP but each to their own.
Hokeywokey · 21/10/2020 15:56

Can you imagine how that waitress felt?

ScrabApple · 21/10/2020 15:57

Not really much more they could do. Probably fill out an accident form as it could have injured you. Had I been the manager I would have comped the entire meal and probably given you discount vouchers for those next one.
I'd have been stuck as my DD clothes certainly don't fit me!

JuliaJohnston · 21/10/2020 15:59

God, it's over. They did their best to compensate for what was a complete accident.
Let It Go.

magicstar1 · 21/10/2020 16:05

Why are you all having a go at the OP? It’s obviously lighthearted...a joke. Her kids are joking about helicopters etc.

dottiedodah · 21/10/2020 16:08

For everyone saying Get Over It ,For being thoroughly saturated and spoiling an enjoyable lunch maybe a free meal? and then some vouchers! Also perhaps they could stop treating their poor waitresses like pack donkeys and not load them up quite so much!

Oldraver · 21/10/2020 16:10

You were very gracious OP

I had a hot jug of gravy spilt in my lap and the server laughed. Not been back there since

LittleMissLockdown · 21/10/2020 16:13

Its bloody obvious the OP didn't actually want them to give them a staff members jumper or pay for a taxi etc she was juat lightheartedly wondering what else she could have asked for as they obviously wanted her to think of something to make them feel like they had gone above and beyond.

I agree OP I'm not at all sure what else they could have done, maybe a complimentary pudding or a voucher to come back at another time for another meal?

theemmadilemma · 21/10/2020 16:14

Gave you money off? Personally I'd have expected to eat free, and my dry cleaning bill paid.

2020hasbeenbloodyawful · 21/10/2020 16:17

I'm really sorry OP, but this made me laugh out loud.

I'm having a shitter of a day and this cheered me right up - we've all been there. The first night DH met my family we went out for tea and the waitress dropped a tray of cokes all over his lovely stonewashed jeans.

It makes for a funny memory - just send them the dry cleaning bill. Was it a nice meal? I bet the poor waitress was utterly mortified - it could have been worse it could have been down your front and your DS may not have had a spare jumper!

diddl · 21/10/2020 16:19

@Hokeywokey

Can you imagine how that waitress felt?
Dry?
GnomeDePlume · 21/10/2020 16:21

Quite obviously the manager should have offered you his own clothes!

Were the staff in uniform? You could have asked for a spare. Obviously you would then have had to spend the rest of the meal fending off demands for drink orders etc....

Could the manager have whipped up a fetching little number using napkins and table cloths?

Could the manager have constructed a time machine using component parts of the coffee machine and the dishwasher so that he could throw himself in the path of the spilled drinks?

I remember reading somewhere that a test of good hospitality is not that nothing goes wrong but what they do when something does go wrong. Sounds like they did okay.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 21/10/2020 16:21

It sounds like they did enough. It was an innocent and unfortunate accident. Must have been very uncomfortable sitting with soaking wet clothes though and the waitress must have been mortified!

AintPageantMaterial · 21/10/2020 16:24

It sounds as though you were really nice about it. I have been a wobbly waitress who could barely manage her tray. It never actually ended with a wet customer but I was constantly worried about it. She must have been really upset and, in telling the manager that the tray was overloaded, you may have done all the staff a favour