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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have thought we should have been allowed another cup

393 replies

lakia · 01/06/2015 19:39

Was in a restaurant today with my parents they wanted a cream tea we saw on the notice board that it came with a big pot of tea and two generous sized scones with cream and jam.
My parents seeing the size of it decided to order the one between them it wasn't stated as either been for one or two people.
Anyway so we ordered paid and one cup was put on the tray and of course we asked if we could have another cup and the guy who happened to be the manager refused we was bit taken back by this and thought maybe he had misunderstood so again we said we want another cup to which he refused again.
We asked why and he said this is a cream tea for one person and I said its too much for my parents and they want to share he replied that he is a business and that if we want another cup then we have to buy a separate cup of tea I said that's ridiculous and he said no it isn't and he would not budge. He then said that its like him giving one cream tea to a load of people to share and its not good for his business.
Just interested in your thoughts.

OP posts:

spicyfajitas · 01/06/2015 21:06

He should have given out the cup and then changed his marketing so that he could then sell a cream tea specifically for 1 or 2 people.

usualsuspect333 · 01/06/2015 21:09

It would have cost him extra milk and sugar and lost him the price of a cup of tea.

CluckingBelle · 01/06/2015 21:11

I don't think it was unreasonable. What if they only had a fiver to spend? They chose what they wanted and decided to share it. If i buy it is then mine to do what i wish with, is it not? I'd have given them the cup without a second thought. No slating them in the kitchen, nowt.

I often buy one child sized meal for my 2 and 3 year old to share. They won't eat 2 meals so why would I buy two meals? I've even been known to ask for an extra plate !!

whatever22 · 01/06/2015 21:12

Why would 2 people sharing a pot of tea require more milk and sugar than one person drinking twice as much??

An empty cup would have cost him nothing and earned him goodwill for the future.

Doilooklikeatourist · 01/06/2015 21:13

YABU

A pot of tea for one is for one person
You can't have a pot of tea for one , with two cups

They should have ordered a cream tea for one and an extra pot of tea , and whatever you had

The manager has probably been asked for a pot of tea for one ( with 2 cups ) too many times

There's a big difference between sharing a dessert ( one plate /dish 2 spoons ) than sharing the tea ( extra cup , saucer , spoon , sugar and miilk , more hot water )
can you tell I work in a cafe in a touristy location

ChocolateWombat · 01/06/2015 21:13

I think the manager could have thought to himself that you were being rather cheapskate, but should have smiled and given you the cup for the sake of customer service - the adage 'the customer is always right' is worth bearing in mind and business owners do well to foster positive customer relations.
Yes he is there to run a business and make money, but if you plan to work with the public in a customer-facing role, you have to be prepared to accept all kinds of odd, rude and peculiar behaviour and far stranger requests than for an extra cup.
If you went into a National Trust cafe or similar and asked for an extra cup, no-one would bat an eyelid. If you go to a quality restaurant and ask for a doggy bag for the left overs, no one will bat an eyelid. Tbh, only a poor, shabby kind of establishment would kick up a fuss about such a request.

steff13 · 01/06/2015 21:14

How big is a scone? The scones I've had here (US) are about 2" in diameter. I could definitely eat two of those, and I would think that most people could.

If I were the manager, I would have given you another cup, but I guess I can see why he didn't. If the whole cream whatever only cost 4.99, you could have sprung for an extra cup of tea.

SilverBirch2015 · 01/06/2015 21:15

It sounds like there is a large section of people on MN who have not been trained on Cream Tea etiquette.

In most cafes (the higher class 2 scone ones, that is), it is perfectly acceptable to share a cream tea. You however need to explain that when ordering and pay extra for a second drink. They will then bring said cream tea to table with 2 plates, 2 knives, 2 cups and a larger pot of tea. They may also bring extra hot water, and extra milk later if you run out.

I suspect the 1 scone people on here are people buying a scone instead of a cake rather than having a cream tea, in which case they would pay for the tea separately.. A quality proper cream tea has 2, majority of people share in the way described above,

RubyMay82 · 01/06/2015 21:17

The man was being a prick & I would have politely told him where to stick his cream tea for one.
Kids / old people generally have smaller appetites & business or not it would have done no harm to give an extra cup.
The way some are acting on this post you would think you asked for an extra pot of tea.
It's bad customer service & you were buying the cream tea anyway so still money in his till.
I'm sure now you won't go back either.

Tamar86 · 01/06/2015 21:17

Wow, I never realised sharing drinks was such a faux pas!

If I go to a cafe with the DC, I often ask for one hot chocolate divided between 2 cups. Because otherwise they just spill them.

And usually if I am with DH, I just sip his coffee rather than having my own, (and he has bits of my cake).

I don't mind paying more really, I'm not doing it to be stingy. If they want to charge me for 2 hot chocolates half-full, I'm not that bothered. But I don't want full cups. And I don't want my own cup of coffee, it's too much for me.

This scenario would be the same, I'd only want one scone. I wouldn't want a whole pot of tea, just half a cup.

whatever22 · 01/06/2015 21:22

extra cup , saucer , spoon , sugar and miilk , more hot water

Had the op expected all that they would have been unreasonable. But op didn't ask for any of those things. They just wanted an empty cup.

WowProjectingMuch · 01/06/2015 21:23

I think it was cheeky and a bit tight of them to ask for another cup but I would have probably given them one if I was the restrant owner.

I often share cream teas but I always order an extra tea. Ive never had any problems splitting the food and we always get an extra plate.

AGnu · 01/06/2015 21:23

All this talk of sharing is making me . Surely the "normal" thing to do when having a cream tea is to enjoy one scone, carefully prepare the other & then wrap it in a paper napkin to save for later! I had to do that recently in John Lewis when I'd only got one scone. It was about the size of my hand & so rich that I could only manage half of it. Took the rest home for my lunch. Now I'm wishing I'd bought half a dozen & brought them home to freeze. I really want one!

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 01/06/2015 21:24

Sorry, I got distracted up thread by someone asking if the scone was sliced ! Goodness me...

Afraid Im on the YABU side of the fence, op.

Starlightbright1 · 01/06/2015 21:24

I have gone for a meal with my DS when he was a toddler and shared a meal with him...so yes I see it as unreasonable

SilverBirch2015 · 01/06/2015 21:25

I think most places are happy to be accommodating with children, that is different in my opinion.

Frankly I would think you were a bid odd as adults, sharing a cup of tea. But each to their own.

ChocolateWombat · 01/06/2015 21:26

I agree that it is poor form for a large group to take up a table in a cafe and buy just 1 drink or 1 cake. However, cafe owners selling the cream tea experience need to be prepared to accept the occasional bit of poor form for the sale of good customer relations. Smiling and offering good service is so important and a key secret to running a good tea room.
Not only will the OP have been put off by the manager, but other customers will have heard the discussion too and the attitude of the manager, which won't have sounded endearing.

There are types of cafe where you have your drink (one per person) and then need to leave immediately and lingering isn't acceptable - think Iain Beale in Eastenders. Tbh these aren't the places to go for a cream tea.

A decent cafe such as a National Trust one, or in a Deprtment Store would give you a second cup without worrying. If you were in Fortnums or the Ritz you would buy the cream tea based per head.

Personally I wouldn't go for a cream tea to the kind of place where the workers or managers are officious, but I also would be prepared to pay a bit more for a nicer atmosphere and perhaps a smiley, helpful worker comes with that. Good customer service should be available everywhere though.

RubyMay82 · 01/06/2015 21:26

Cup one cup two cup feck the cups

"How big was the scone?"

Brilliant !

Stealthpolarbear · 01/06/2015 21:26

yes silver you're right. I'm talking about ordering coffee and scone separately. I don't like tea and I don't like all the jam and cream palaver. the scones tend to be huge too. I think that's the difference, this is specific to cream teas

expatinscotland · 01/06/2015 21:28

'However, cafe owners selling the cream tea experience need to be prepared to accept the occasional bit of poor form for the sale of good customer relations.'

Yeah, but, for sake of argument, should a business owner want a pisstaking customer back repeatedly?

fastdaytears · 01/06/2015 21:29

Stealth Scone without cream and jam? unbelievable.

Has the OP said what she ordered? It may be that cafe owner was fed up about a very low spend for three adults taking up a table if OP wasn't having anything herself?

Lozy79 · 01/06/2015 21:30

I really want to try one now, ive never had one before :

fastdaytears · 01/06/2015 21:33

Oh Lozy do it! It'll change your life...good scones though and way more cream than you think you'll need. Trust me.

ChocolateWombat · 01/06/2015 21:33

No, they don't need to want them back repeatedly in order to be polite and deliver good customer service.
I think business owners need to accept some customers will spend more and some less. The cream tea probably cost more than 2 or 3 drinks with no food. The business owner needs to not sweat the small stuff - if they get upset by a customer asking for an extra cup, and have to make a thing about it, they are in the wrong business.

Being gracious towards customers is really important. Either refusing to give a cup or doing it in a tight-lipped, disapproving way prevents the customer having an enjoyable experience.....and providing the customer with an enjoyable experience should be the aim of the business owner........if they do this, their business is more likely to thrive.

SilverBirch2015 · 01/06/2015 21:35

IME it is often the older generation (over 65s) who are the bigger piss takers when it comes to any customer service environment, they can be unreasonably demanding in their expectations.

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