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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..to expect something off the bill when the waitress spills red wine all over me?

27 replies

furrycat · 28/04/2008 14:42

I went out with some friends last night for dinner - we hadn't seen them for years, they live abroad and had recently got married so it was on us as a kind of belated wedding present.
At the end of the main course, the waitress removed my plate (from my left). I said thanks, picked up my (full) wine glass with my right hand and she somehow bashed the plate into it, sending a shower of red wine all over me.
She just kept repeating "oh, a collision!" and got me some paper towels to clean myself up with. About 10 minutes later she came up, apologised and said she'd personally pay for the dry cleaning..I said don't worry, it would probably come out in the wash (it would probably have been her entire wage for the night).
I was soaking wet and it ruined the last hour of the meal, but I didn't want to make a fuss and spoil it for everyone else. I thought they'd offer us at least a complimentary bottle of wine but nothing. It was an accident, and I accept these things happen, but surely the resturant should have knocked something off the meal?

OP posts:
hanaflower · 28/04/2008 14:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 28/04/2008 14:47

eR..YOU SAID 'dON'T WORRY' SO THEY DIDN'T.

MrsTittleMouse · 28/04/2008 14:47

I think that if nothing had been offered, I would have asked for something. I suppose that it might not have been the first time that the waitress did it, and she was worried about her job if she admitted it to the manager (which she would have had to in order to get a bottle of wine on the house for you). Still, it's not great service, is it?

MargaretMountford · 28/04/2008 14:50

a bit unreasonable, it was an accident and she did offer to pay for cleaning which you refused

colacubes · 28/04/2008 14:52

Nothing surprises me anymore, customer service is non existent these days, I went out for dinner with 2 friends to celebrate an engagement, and some drunken nutter stood not 2 feet from me and dropped his trousers!!! There it was right before my eyes, I complained, the waitress was "oh yeah sorry" so I asked for the owner, he said sorry nothing we could have done about it, not a free drink or anything, and this was a classy place, and very expensive.

Customer service is dead!

hifi · 28/04/2008 14:53

cola, it wasnt the restaurants fault.

DrNortherner · 28/04/2008 14:54

The restaurant should cover dry cleaning costs. Send them the bill.

scottishmummy · 28/04/2008 14:56

But you said don't worry and uhm they haven't.had you wished an alternative outcome or money off you should have spoken up

Whizzz · 28/04/2008 14:57

I think it was very nice of her to offer to personally pay for cleaning. After you said it was OK, I wouldn't then expect anything more from the restaurant.

cushioncover · 28/04/2008 15:03

I worked weekends in a large chain restaurant whilst at uni. We were encouraged to say things like, I'll personally pay for the cleaning, whenever things like this happened. We were never expected to but the company figured that fewer people would ask for it done if they thought the poor student waitress would have to pay. It never happened to me personally but clearly they were on to something.

Was the food Italian, perchance?

Original poster
furrycat · 28/04/2008 15:03

If she'd said the restaurant would pay for the cleaning, not her personally, I'd have accepted. It wasn't just the clothes, but the fact I was soaking wet, which i told her. Why is it that if you don't want to make a fuss and spoil a nice evening, they don't think they have to do anything to make up for it?

OP posts:
Original poster
furrycat · 28/04/2008 15:03

Cushioncover, it wasn't Italian, but it was a chain...

OP posts:
contentiouscat · 28/04/2008 15:04

Money off of the meal would have come from the restaurant - I doubt if they would authorise that.

She probably would have paid for the cleaning herself.

colacubes · 28/04/2008 15:04

Hifi, sorry but, No, they just let pissed idiots in to a supposedly classy joint to drop his pants and wobble his cock in my face, hardly a ambiance I would pay money to sit in, could have got that alot cheaper at the kebab shop!

scottishmummy · 28/04/2008 15:07

mmm yes wabbling cock NOT CONDUCIVE to an ambient meal or a kebab.was it a large one (the kebab!)

cushioncover · 28/04/2008 15:08

I agree, Cola. I would expect them to throw him out.

Furry, maybe your waitress was being genuine. It just sounded strangely familiar.

colacubes · 28/04/2008 15:09

lol no hardly worth a free drink to be honest!

chunkychips · 28/04/2008 15:12

If you want something off the bill and it doesn't happen, then you have to ask for it. She obviously didn't tell anyone what had happened and is a bit green. I would have had a quiet word with her when the bill arrived and said although you don't expect her to foot the bill for the dry cleaning, something off the bill would be good customer service.

2GIRLS · 28/04/2008 21:14

She offered to pay for the dry cleaning herself probably so that her manager wouldn't find out she was throwing drinks all over the customers

You said don't worry, but if she'd have taken something off the bill then her manager would have found out about it. She probably can't just take something off the bill, the manager woudl have to do it or ok it.

handlemecarefully · 28/04/2008 21:21

YANBU, and of course you didn't accept her (insincere) offer to pay for your dry cleaning, no reasonable person would....and if you said 'yes' how complicated would the arrangements have been for heaven's sake. Exchanges of address, receipts and phone calls etc

However like you say a free bottle of wine / something off the bill would have been easier to accept and an appropriate gesture from the restaurant

(the others are talking utter bollocks )

DirtySexyMummy · 28/04/2008 21:24

Furry -

you picked up your glass at the same time she was clearing your plate, and you bumped into each other as it were. It was a joint accident.

She offered to pay for dry cleaning, and you said 'don't worry'. Why did you say that if you expected something more to come from it?

And colacubes - if a restaurant or bar gave free drinks out to everyone whenever someone had a bit too much and behaved like an idiot, they would all go out of business. It happens everywhere, all the time. Its nothing to do with class i'm afraid to tell you. 'Posh' folk get drunk and lairy too..

colacubes · 29/04/2008 08:21

Thanks for that furry, but I cant say its not happened to me before everywhere I have eaten, and probably not a regular occurence for others either, plus quite sure its against the law to flash someone!! But of course, why would a customer expect a "sorry let me get you a drink" in return for lewd behaviour in an establishment I am paying money to eat in!

Plus I didnt see cock on the menu!

mumto2daughters · 29/04/2008 08:49

I think YABU, they had offered to pay for dry cleaning and you had refused.

yurt1 · 29/04/2008 08:59

You're lucky they didn't charge you extra for the floor show cola.

colacubes · 29/04/2008 10:34

lol, very funny yurt,

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