More of a WWYD... Waitress dropped dish of olive oil onto my phone, now it's broken.

[MaryPoppinsPenguins]

She was very appoogetic, and I wiped it over with a napkin and turned it upside down, but the oil has obviously got in to the piece where you hear people talking to you and you can't hear anything. So essentially, I can't make or receive calls.

Is there anything I can actually do about this? I mean, they're not going to replace my phone are they ... Is it just bad luck and move on?

You mean victim-blaming like when people say that women get raped because they're drunk? Good grief.

No. As in "you left your phone on the table so it's your fault that it got food spilt on it".

Make a fuss on social media. Twitter is especially useful for this, I've found.

I don't think that keeping it next to me on the table is disregard... The lady I was having dinner with is thinking of holidaying somewhere I've just been so it was out because I was showing her photos... Also, I don't know many people that don't keep their phone handy! In case the babysitter calls / school / partner / someone is running late... To check in?? As restaurants (including Ask encourage you to do.

No. As in "you left your phone on the table so it's your fault that it got food spilt on it".

There is victim blaming and then there is not taking care of your possessions.

In this case I think the OP should pursue the restaurant, however I am always astonished at the laissez-faire attitude so people have to very expensive and delicate pieces of electronics.

But you say the waitress was clumsy before she spilt the oil, so why not pick up your phone to prevent an accident while she was carrying liquids? Surely it's common sense?

I don't think that keeping it next to me on the table is disregard... The lady I was having dinner with is thinking of holidaying somewhere I've just been so it was out because I was showing her photos... Also, I don't know many people that don't keep their phone handy! In case the babysitter calls / school / partner / someone is running late... To check in?? As restaurants (including Ask encourage you to do.

Sure, I keep my phone on the table if the kids are at home with a sitter. Otherwise it's in my bag.

Mobile phones can also be put in pockets or bags and checked periodically. Saying ASK encourage you to pay using a phone isn't an argument towards having it on the table as you don't pay your bill when food is being served.

You don't need your mobile on the table when a waiter/waitress is trying to serve you food.

People become used to them so they become complacent. That's how thieves make their living. I'm careful with my belongings but I can't say it's never going to happen. If someone took my handbag the cost to me would be eyewatering. My bags are expensive. That's where my phone lives, usually £50 in my purse, keys and often a utility bill so I'd have to change the locks, even the contents of your make up bag adds up.

be sure to tell them that the phone started malfunctioning immediatly after the oil was spilled.

But that's a lie, so why would the OP say that?

It's not like the OP carelessly left it in the middle of the restaurant floor to be stood on! It was placed on the table right next to her.

Which is going to have food and liquid placed on it.

After each customer, a restaurant table is wiped down or tablecloth changed. Why? Because food and drink are spilled!

You don't need your mobile on the table when a waiter/waitress is trying to serve you food.

I didn't need to be wearing a £500 cashmere jumper when the waitress accidentally spilled tomato sauce on it, but I was. I got an apology and the manager immediately offered to pay for dry cleaning. I asked what would happen if my top was ruined (there was no need to say how much it cost) and he said to try cleaning it and let's cross that bridge when we come to it. I soaked it in the toilets and they gave me me a plastic bag to carry it home in and I enjoyed the rest of my food in my coat. They didn't charge me for my meal. The stain came out with a bit of Vanish and a hand wash.

They dealt with it so well so well I should say their name. It was The Parcel Yard in Kings X Station. A chain pub, not somewhere fancy.

I should have emailed head office about the manager. They might have given me a voucher too

If it was left in a coat pocket then somebody could have slipped it out, people would be saying she should have had it where she could see it

I would contact someone higher up, say that you appreciate it was an accident but that you have been left without a working phone, explain what you can and can't do on it since it happened, and tell them exactly what you want from them whether that's repair or replace.

If there was victim blaming on the thread wouldn't that mean that the phone was damaged deliberately and maliciously intent?

which is clearly not the case.

OP unless you reported this at the time I (like others) don't think that you will have much luck claiming off the restaurant, but I would be prepared to take it up further and up the management chain.

I wonder if the OP moved her phone out of the way when the food arrived.

Tables in places like Ask are often too small and have far too much stuff on them, so moving a phone to make space for food and drink would seem the sensible approach.

Lol at the 'victim blaming' accusation. I'm sure there needs to be some malicious intent on the part of the perpetrator for that to be possible, otherwise I was victim blaming DS1 this morning when I said to him, "I told you the dog would nip your finger if you didn't stop trying to pull that bone out of his mouth".

Ask used to have a policy on this - you claim on your insurance and they'll refund your excess when your insurance contact them. It took about two weeks when they damaged my work phone.

It might not still be in place but I'd be surprised, it was only a year or so ago. I don't think they'd have helped if I didn't have insurance though.

OP did you get anywhere with this and the restaurant?

I find this a difficult one. I do leave my phone on the table occasionally, so am not criticising the op.... however a colleague knocked a woman's phone on the floor recently by accident (in maternity) breaking it and the woman went mad demanding that the HCA pay for it, she was really unpleasant. I understand that she must have been upset, she may well have had pictures of her new baby on there and no doubt needed to be able to make calls etc. However the HCA clearly did not see the phone. I have knocked phones off beds too when assisting with breastfeeding and stuff as you don't see them in the sheets. I kind of think people need to take responsibility for their phone and have it appropriately insured. No one ever does these things on purpose.

That being said, I wouldn't blame the op for pursuing this, though I think we can expect to see restaurants putting up signs in the future saying 'leave valuables on the table at your own risk'

I've emailed head office but no response yet.

I work on Insurance, this will be covered on their Public Liability cover. However, it may take them a little while to process, I'd give them to the end of the week then chase. In the meantime maybe see if a repair is possible?

its fair game if it's on the table totally agree if my phone is on the table and I or one of my party spills a drink and it drowns my phone, that's our fault not the restaurant.

But having worked as a waitress myself when I was clearing a table I once dropped a dirty fork off a plate into a lady's lap and it stained her skirt, I apologised profusely and we (the restaurant) offered to pay for dry cleaning. The restaurant is liable, a member of their staff has broken your phone, if they knocked your phone off the table and the screen smashed, yes it's an accident but I would be expecting them to cover the cost of the repair