Advice please - tricky situation with restaurant

[hairbearbunches]

Any advice on this welcome. I'm not sure what to do next other than chalk it up to a poor experience and move on, but I'm pretty cross about it. Went to a pretty upmarket restaurant last week not far from where we live. Second time I've been. DH has been a few times more with work colleagues. The waitress dropped some cutlery behind my chair as she was clearing away the plates of the table next to us - group of 5 women. Loud noise, nothing more than that or so I thought at the time. As we were leaving, DH went to loo and asked me to take the dog who had been sitting underneath his side of the table the entire meal. I took her lead and she started paying serious interest in my coat which was hanging off the back of the chair. When I looked down, it was covered in grease marks, there was pretty much a perfect imprint of a greasy knife up the left hand side of the sleeve as well as other biggish greasy marks. It was quite obvious what had happened so I went and told the waitress who had dropped the cutlery. She looked a bit rabbit in headlights and I got the distinct impression she knew it was already there and had been hoping we weren't going to notice. The coat is a waxed coat from Toast. I got it in the sale but it still cost £175. It can't be dry cleaned, hand wash cold only. I've tried to get the grease out and made a decent stab of it, but it's not the same coat. There are still stains on it.
Anyway, long story short, I finally got an email back from them tonight saying they'd spoken to the waitress and the knife (singular) she dropped was nowhere my coat and therefore they believe that my coat was already greased up before I got there and the dog licking it has made it worse (the dog licked it once).
What would you do? Put it down to bad luck and accidents happen or pursue it further. I'm pretty hacked off with their dismissive attitude. I walked in to their restaurant with a pristine coat and walked out with it in a right mess and they've made me feel like I'm trying to pull a scam on them.

You should have said it was a service dog. That would have changed the tone.

Tbh I assumed it was when I read your OP and would never have waded in slagging you off on this basis.

Still, I think you're right to be annoyed. It's the lying I can't stand. I simple apology might have gone a lot further than lying and blaming you and your dog.

Let's see then!

Fairy liquid is excellent at taking oily/greasy stains out - could you cold wash it with that?

As a teenager a cafe wrecked my coat with neat bleach, they paid for a new one. I’d push this.

If you push this you know they will end up making the waitress pay.

I would complain again.

Ok, here's the coat sleeve.

“You lost me at upmarket restaurant but you’d taken your dog tbh. Why would you do that?”

Yep I agree. People make restaurants scruffy and dirty by taking dogs in, so you reap what you sow I think.

Fuck me there are some right arseholes on this site. Her coat is ruined, say it was casmire, wool, or even Primark. It makes no difference.

Op go on line to the small claims court. You can register a complaint with them for £110. But before you do that go to the restaurant, put a letter through the door telling them they have 14 days to sort the issue to your satisfaction, explain that you have tried cleaning yourself, that you are prepared to allow them to have the coat professionally cleaned, but if you are not satisfied you would like the cost of a replacement at today's market value. End of.

also if they are a chain approach head office with the same message at the same time

The trouble is that even if they admitted it, there is no satisfactory solution, such as the cost of dry cleaning (if the coat were dry-cleanable, which it isn't).

Legally, even admitting 'guilt', they wouldn't be responsible for the full replacement cost of a used coat, you'd be lucky to get £50 [in the unlikely event this went to the small claims court].

I just can’t fathom how one drop of a dirty knife can cause that much damage. That looks like it’s hard neat oil poured on it

Years ago, at a work do, a colleague was wearing a brand new cream trouser suit and the waitress accidentally knocked a full glass of red wine that she'd just poured from the bottle all over her. It was really upsetting for her and dry clean only. The waitress was profusely apologetic. The manager offered to pay for a replacement. It would have come out of the waitress' wage so my colleague declined as it would essentially mean the poor woman would have had to work several shifts for nothing for a genuine accident.

It's a shitty thing to happen but she didn't do it on purpose. I'd let it go as it's likely to come out of the wage of someone poorly paid already but understand if you feel differently and want to insist on compensation.

Have you contacted Toast with the picture to ask if they have any advice?

@Katrinawaves @SnarkMode thanks for fairy liquid tip. That was first thing I tried. It has made some difference, but hasn't got it all out.

Yeah, actually, could be worth threatening small claims court. Court fees to apply are £35 for a claim up to £300. And a letter before action costs nothing, and could encourage the restaurant to offer to settle.

Ask forthe cctv under GPDR

As frustrating as it is, I think you have to just drop it.

@hairbearbunches Have you asked a dry cleaner for an opinion (or even a place that does 'wet' cleaning - the new eco version of dry)? (Also ask Toast)

I ask because care labels can sometimes be misleading/arse-covering. I've washed cashmere etc with labels that say dry clean only.

Surely, you can't take a dog into a restaurant? That sounds like a grubby greasy spoon to me. Madness

I don’t get why it matters what type of restaurant it was! Could have been ASDA Cafe! They can’t just wreck your clothes?

How did grease stain a waxed coat? Everything wipes off them, isn't that the point?

I would try ironing that with a bit of brown paper it it will get quite a lot of the grease out

I would be seeking further compensation. At least to have your bill refunded. You knew that the accident happened then and there and they should be making amends. I'd be horrified if my clothes were damaged by a waiter who then denied it.

That looks like a knife stain but the other ones look like something more liquid has been spilled. I think asking if they have cctv is a good idea too.

Sorry OP lots of people jumping down your throat here

I would call and speak to the manager, explain that your quite sure that the waitress was aware due to her reaction etc, you don't want to get anyone in trouble but you also don't want to be out of pocket for an expensive coat and can they suggest an appropriate course of action?

Never been to a nice restaurant that allows dogs tbh but either way they should be more concerned that your coat was ruined by a member of their staff. I'd go back to them again and state you are unhappy with the response.

Looking at the image it either isnt a waxed coat or the wax has been compromised- for example by washing and not fully rewaxing (or possibly washing and re waterproofing which can be done in a machine but not rewaxing which is a slow process by hand)