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.

@Claryfray - you ok, hun?

I think it says an awful lot about a person if they would “kick off big time” about something that’s clearly an accident. I cannot abide that kind of attitude.

If it was food or a soft drink i would laugh it off. If it was alcohol i would actually be extremely upset as i can't bear it and would have to go home immediately and might even cry.

But i wouldn't kick off as accidents happen. If anything was ruined i would get in touch with the restaurant manager directly.

My BIL managed to do similar to me at a family party, except it was a tray of glasses of champagne.

He was completely horrified and apologetic, but I couldn't stop laughing!

He offered to get me another glass but I said that's OK I'll just suck mine out of my skirt

That's the spirit, OnGoldenPond!

Honestly? Probably crease myself laughing!

Wouldn't expect anything other than the spilled drink replacing to be honest either - can't see the need for a free meal etc

Everyone who has worked in catering has a story along these lines.

My worst was a dish of shellfish shells. I’ve heard of red wine and a white angora jumper.

Yup have witness a waiter drop a lobster on a woman's head. She was very dignified

A phone should be in a closed handbag in a restaurant. Aside from that it was an accident.

Waiting staff are poorly paid and work hard. The key issue is, was any lasting damage done?

I was a waitress a few years ago when the kids were young and once I spilt a tray of drinks I was placing on the table ...it was horrible I still cringe about it now and the people at the table weren't very nice about it - lots of 'oh for God's sake' and sighing - I was so mortified and apologetic and was nearly in tears. People make mistakes and they got a big discount and I spent my whole break washing and drying the cardigan that had got a bit of wine spilt on it
You can tell a lot about people by how they treat you when you're a barmaid or a waitress

You can tell a lot about people by how they treat you when you're a barmaid or a waitress

So true. In fact, how people treat people in the service industries in general. I've waited tables and worked in pubs and shops and I would never, now I'm 'on the other side', throw my weight around in an unpleasant way because of a genuine accident. It's all about how the waiter/manager deal with it.

Accidents happen. My reaction would depend on the waiter's and the establishment's response.

My phone is waterproof so a quick rinse and it would be fine and it wouldn't be my first meal soaked and stinking of beer. 😁

@MeteorGarden92

You're the type of person I love serving! Have played dodge the kid, toys, buggy on many occasions! And seen accidents like that, it's always someone else that usually ends up with a drink down their neck too - and they're usually the calm ones about it!

I have had a few incidents in many years in hospitality. The worst was when I was glass collecting, luckily I hadn't got any glasses in my hand at that point, but someone cannoned into me and I then crashed into a table. Drinks went flying. I got called a useless, clumsy bitch. Yup, for ya know, allowing myself to be knocked over by someone else. I wonder if it was your sil OP?
Apologised and replaced the drinks, and nursed my bruised knee for a few days.
Never fails to amaze me how some people are so scathing to wait staff, and have a superior attitude towards them, yet expect some kind of robot like perfection from them at the same time. Baffling.

The only time I'd say something is if the drinks/meals aren't replaced and there's no apology forthcoming. Accidents happen when you're dealing with humans, it's a fact of life.