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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

soup incident at posh restaurant- advice pleasexx

20 replies

lizzy33 · 23/12/2013 11:03

My brother-in-law has his own business and my husband and I were gratefully invited to the 2013 Christmas party at a very beautiful (and very expensive) hotel. Upon the serving of the tomato and basil soup starter, the waitress, whilst bumped by a male waiter tipped the whole bowl of very hot soup over my jacket, dress, foot and shoes. There was even soup in my closed handbag that was under the table.

A suited gentleman came to me when he saw the commotion and asked "if it got me"... now baring in mind, there is literally soup everywhere... including my outfit, hair, the floor and my husbands trousers too... If I had been sat right back in the chair, it would have hit full bare shoulders.. not just burning my bare foot.

I was desperately trying not to make a scene, but my husband certainly had a lot to say when no medical attention was offered and I had to wait for all of the starter courses to be served to over 200 people before anyone even came back to offer me a damp cloth whilst I tried to save myself the embarrassment of walking across the packed restaurant to the restroom covered in soup. The suited gentleman, very roughly I may add, scrubbed the soup from my jacket and a glass of cava was offered to me for the inconvenience. I asked for confirmation in writing of what had happened to me and the dry cleaning was completed by and paid for by the hotel.

I live about 100 miles from this hotel, so there was no option in coming home and redressing to try and salvage what was left of the night. I am in no way an unreasonable person and am aware that accidents happen. I think they could have handled the fact that I was burned and no treatment was offered better, but I was ok and really did not want to cause a fuss at my in-laws party.

The problem is... my jacket has come back from their drycleaners and the colour has seriously faded on the left shoulder, arm and front where the soup was. Whether damaged from the soup or gentlemans scrubbing of the jacket, I don't know.

I don't know what to do now... the jacket has been worn only four times but is a few years old so I cant easily buy or actually afford to buy a new one. Surely there should be some form of compensation from the hotel other than the drycleaning?

Can you help me further please,?, photographs show the damage on the jacket but to the naked eye it is much more obvious.

OP posts:

ChatNicknameUnavailable · 23/12/2013 11:07

Find a replacement and wrote a letter asking for the cost to be covered.

3littlefrogs · 23/12/2013 11:13

When a waiter spilled a couple of drops of wine on my shoulder I was immediately offered a free bottle of wine, plus the cost of dry cleaning or replacement of my jacket.

This was in nice, but not particularly posh, restaurant.

You should have been offered the same, as well as immediate medical attention if your foot was scalded.

Make a written complaint asap, and if possible, a letter from the cleaners describing the original damage.

BerryChristmas · 23/12/2013 11:22

Oh FFS - just write to the hotel and tell them the dry-cleaning didn't work and the jacket is now ruined and can you please have the money for a new jacket and it would be most appreciated. And breathe

Apart from ^^, what do you WANT to do?

WilsonFrickett · 23/12/2013 11:46

What Berry said.

Interested though as to what medical treatment you expected?

Ifcatshadthumbs · 23/12/2013 11:49

What berry said and if you felt you needed "medical attention" why didn't you say so?

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 23/12/2013 11:57

Don't most commercial kitchens have 'burns kits'? Scalds should be treated immediately. Don't the cats-bum-facers on this thread know that?

A colleague was scalded when hot gravy was accidentally poured on this hand and such a kit was produced and the 'cooling sachet' poured on his hand.

OP... think about what you want and write to the hotel. Come back and ask if you want help with a letter. Hopefully the CBF'ers will ignore the thread.

AnnieOats · 23/12/2013 12:01

That sounds awful. Did they ask if it had scolded you as putting your foot under cold water straight away would be needed if it had. I've splashed soup on me and it hurts so I would have expected them to check that you were OK.

Is it a chain. Could you write to head office and tell them that your jacket has been ruined.

3littlefrogs · 23/12/2013 12:11

Every work place and anywhere where the public are paying for food/entertainment etc must have a first aid kit and a trained first aider.

Hot soup can cause a bad burn, the quicker the skin is cooled the less damage is done.

A restaurant should have instant procedures in place to deal with spillages and scalds.

RiffyWammal · 23/12/2013 12:11

Was the incident logged in the Accident Book? It should have been. And they should have offered cold water/burn treatment immediately.

hardboiledpossum · 23/12/2013 12:18

Did you stay in your seat and not rush to the bathroom to put cold water on yourself? I can imagine if you stayed in your seat they might have assumed you were ok? Still not great. I would definitely ask them yo pay for a new jacket.

KaFayOLay · 23/12/2013 12:30

Treatment for burns is to run tepid water over for 20mins.
If you were too embarrassed to get up and go to the toilet, how on earth could a first aider carry out said treatment?

Ring hotel, tell them about coat, ask if they will fund a new purchase.

SirChenjin · 23/12/2013 12:31

Write to the hotel, tell them that the dry cleaning didn't get the stain out and that you'd like to make a claim on their insurance for a replacement outfit. Maybe accompany that with a note from the dry cleaner to confirm the stain was not able to be removed?

Your burn should have been treated there and then, and recorded in their control book - not sure what you can do about that now though, sadly, other than to point out the error in your letter. Hope you get it resolved

pictish · 23/12/2013 12:41

I think you were treated with terrible disregard! You were very lucky you were not badly burned (hot soup clings and the burns can be terrible as a result), never mind the ruined jacket, and the embarrassment of being covered in soup and made a spectacle of!

Now accidents do happen of course...I was a waitress myself years ago, and managed to tip a plate of pasta into a man's lap covering the crotch of his tan trousers in tomato based sauce! I was mortified! His meal was free and his trousers replaced.

Being scrubbed down and handed a glass of bloody cava does not cut it.

I would get back in touch and ask for the jacket to be replaced. It's the very least they can do.

WilsonFrickett · 23/12/2013 12:43

Highly unlikely the trained first aider would be on duty at night though 3little - ime they tended to be office-based, permanent staff - high % of hotel workers in corporate banqueting type events will be casual-type staff. (Disclaimer it has been a while since I was a cater waiter so things may have changed).

Point is, how were they to know Op wanted or needed medical attention if she just sat in her seat and said nothing?

Saurus72 · 23/12/2013 12:53

We were at a Michelin star restaurant on Saturday and the desert took 10 mins longer than they state. They gave us that for free, plus two complementary coffees, we didn't complain or have cat's bum faces. Be clear about what happened, when and state your requirements. Also state when you expect to receive a response from them. Be cool calm and collected, and don't get worked up.

rookietherednosedreindeer · 23/12/2013 13:00

YANBU OP. I went out for a Christmas dinner with the school Mum's and one of them managed to tip a glass of white wine all over my top and skirt.

I didn't want to make a scene and spoil other peoples night, but it was seriously annoying as I was wet and wearing a new top I had bought that day. Also if I had done something like that I would have fallen over myself to apologise - she did in a bit but her reaction was very delayed so I felt she could have been a bit more sorry about it.

I can't imagine how upset I would be if my posh dress and jacket were covered in hot soup and I then was expected to rush to the bathrooms -in front of everyone. The hotel could have acted a lot better - and to ruin your jacket takes the biscuit. Demand to speak to or email the manager.

pictish · 23/12/2013 13:01

I worked in an Edinburgh hotel as banqueting staff one Christmas. When I took the job I was told I would be given training when I arrived.
It was horrendous. I turned up on my first shift, only to be handed a fucking bow tie and a waistcoat, before I was ushered into a line of 20 or so other waiting staff and sent out there!
200 diners sounds about right.

If I'd dropped hot soup on someone at that point I wouldn't have a clue what to do, except get cold water on the foot asap!

The hotel are liable.

BakerStreetSaxRift · 23/12/2013 13:23

Yes the hotel are liable and should replace your jacket. Try taking the photo in different light to see if that does up the colour difference better.

If you were burnt too then you have the right to claim compensation through their public liability insurance, if it is a bad burn. I Kew what you mean about not wanting to get up and do the wall of shame covered in soup, I'd be exactly the same, I'd probably sit and let the burn get worse before doing that, although I know that is pretty silly.

Write them a letter about your jacket and the burn, they should offer you a new jacket (plus a free dinner or a night's stay or something) to avoid you claiming for personal injury.

BakerStreetSaxRift · 23/12/2013 13:24

Kew =know*
Wall is walk

Original poster

lizzy33 · 23/12/2013 14:09

Thank you for your messages...very much appreciated.

OP posts:

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