To ask how you'd HONESTLY react if a waiter spilt beer all over you and your phone

[EnlightenmentwasaPassingPhase]

Was in a pizza and pasta chain restaurant the other day. The hapless waiter dropped a glass of bear on a table with a family at it. The glass smashed and one of the diners (woman with young kids) got absolutely drenched. Whilst she didn't exactly laugh it off, she calmly wiped herself down with napkins, dried her phone and her kid's tablet, then sat down and waited for her meal without a face on.

Hopefully, the meal was on the house but I was impressed with the way she handled it. I was with my SiL who said "by God I would've kicked off BIG time"

And she would indeed. Once she'd finished creating a scene in the restaurant, she would have been on Twitter, FB and TripAdvisor.

This happened to me but it was my coat.

I surprised myself by staying calm.

Waitress was utterly mortified
They gave us a round of drinks free and £30towards dry cleaning which I thought was fair enough 🤷‍♀️

Accidents happen, id maybe ask for a towel and do a few quick checks with my phone to make sure it was working but it’s not like the waiter smashed the gas over them deliberately.

DP on the other hand would’ve melted, I think it’s how each individual person deals with stress.

This month we had a roofer come through the ceiling, my first words were “are you ok” even though he was stood perfectly fine, albeit with his tail between his legs. My DP was immediately focused on how they’ll need to replace the full thing.. He panics about money/things where as I don’t really.

Accidents happen. I am sure he apologised. Whilst your sister in law may have kicked off perhaps she would be better reminding herself how bad she would feel if she was that waiter and it was an accident

I would probably be very upset and find it hard to enjoy my meal because the smell of beer makes me feel sick, but would outwardly react as the woman did. If they weren't at least a little apologetic I would probably tell myself/DH that I'm going to email the manager and then end up not bothering to.

Accidents happen so I wouldn't get angry. If it was a restaurant I went to regularly I would probably leave a slightly larger tip to make sure they knew I knew it was just an accident.

If you're a mum you've had lots of experience of spilt drinks and much worse without making a big deal of it,this is the same.

I would be pissed tbh. Stinking of alcohol and I don't even like beer.
Especially if it damaged my phone.

I probably wouldn't make a big fuss there though. Just leave and inform them they will be paying for dry cleaning and phone insurance excess if needed. Then give them a crap review online.

I once dropped a tray of champagne over a guest at a wedding (I'd never waitressed in my life and was helping out a friend who was let down at the last minute).

She didn't kick off, thankfully, as I probably would have cried!

It was an accident. I wouldn't react like a dick, either.

I work as a bartender and have never, ever dropped a drink/broken a glass etc. You just have to be careful otherwise it's taken out your wages. If the waiter was carrying to much he has a responsibility to do 2 trips.

Obviously if he fell himself or hurt himself dropping it then I would be more sympathetic.

A waitress once dropped three plates with leftovers and cutlery on me and my then 8 month old who was sitting on my lap.

It was so obviously an accident and it had crossed my mind earlier that the restaurant was quite crowded ie tables close to each other for a buggy etc.

I was so sleep deprived that I scarcely reacted, other than to ensure ds was okay. He was, apart from a dob of humous on his ear.

I felt so embarrassed that I helped pick up the cutlery.

I wouldn't have kicked off, why would you as it was an accident. I would have asked for confirmation that my phone/tablet would be repaired or replaced if needed though.

I’ve had it happen, red wine across the table and onto my lap. My first reaction was to feel sorry for the poor girl, who looked like she wanted to cry. Second reaction was to be glad I was wearing dark colours, but regardless, not going to make someone who is having a bad day feel worse.

Kicking off doesn't undo the fact you have beer all over you. So pretty pointless.

As long as my phone was OK I'd be ok-ish about it. Not exactly happy but no point making a scene, better to just get dry and try and enjoy the rest of your meal.

Why would SIL 'kick off' over what was obviously an accident?

Yes, I would check phone/tablet still worked and would expect meal to be free if that much liquid was involved. But there's no point being horrible to the poor waiter, even if they are hapless.

I had a waitress chuck a glass of red wine over me by accident once, was on a date and had to sit there with a big damp, red, splodge over me. They gave me wine for free (the replacement glass) and apologised. I said it was fine.

I was a bit surprised I didn't get the meal free. If the dress had been ruined I would have gone back and complained/asked for money for a new dress but it washed out ok.

I'd do exactly the same.

I would behave exactly as the woman in the restaurant did. I would probably genuinely not be too bothered. Like her, I've had young children and you get used to having all sorts spilled on you. Beer is not the worst thing she's been covered in, I'm sure!

If I were on my way to a business meeting or anywhere else where I'd be very embarrassed to be stinking of beer, I would inwardly feel very annoyed. But I would try to hide that fact from the waiter, who doubtless already feels bad enough.

I wouldn’t kick off because these things happen but I would be inwardly furious about living with the stench of beer all evening, and I’d definitely claim the cost of a new phone from them if necessary.

A guy knocked a wine glass of red wine all over my top a few years ago in a pub. To be fair, it was probably 80% his fault and 20% mine, busy pub we were both moving. He looked absolutely shit scared, and was v surprised when I shrugged and said never mind it will wash! It was an accident and getting shitty with him wouldn't have helped matters.

I would do the same, I just don’t have it in me to get angry about an accident. I just don’t get angry about much.

I’m terribly British, I would have probably apologised to him for getting in the way...

I'm happy to report I would have done the same as the woman did.
I wouldn't go out with someone like your sil as I would be embarrassed if they kicked off over an accident.

Happened to us in weatherspoons. My partner got covered so while he went to dry off under the hand drier I dried the phone and helped the poor waiter clear the mess. We got a free round but it really wasn’t needed it was an accident and these things happen.

If he had deliberately poured it over us that would have been a different matter!

I would ask for a straw to slurp up the spilt beer. Hate wastage.

I've waited on tables. I once poured gravy on a customer's legs. I wouldn't kick off. And being a cack handed type, I have my phone in a super sturdy case that's drop, water, snow and dirt proof so I wouldn't be worried about that anyway. As for smelling of beer, well, not that great but I've got three kids, I've been puked on, weed on, vomited on, covered in snot and spit and so on... a bit of beer isn't a tragedy. And I don't wear clothes that can't cope with wet spills unless I am going to be in a 100% baby and toddler free zone so I wouldn't have been demanding dry cleaning or anything.