waiter spilled a drink on my 3 yo son....WWYD?

[jenks0718]

Are you kidding me????!!!! This is something that you are actually still even thinking about?????

I am amazed at what people think they are entitled to for the little "oops" things that happen in life.

I'm sorry, but I agree with what this poster said

 

[Momma Rabbit]

Here is my story:

While dining at the Rainforest Cafe @ DD. I had a plate of BBQ ribs dumped on me. The waitress was mortified and apologized over and over. The manger came over, we got our meal for free and I got a tee shirt. It was quite embarrassing, as my hair had BBQ sauce in it and my shirt and pants had huge stains. My family and I laughed about it because we knew it was an accident. Now, I would probably feel differently if the waitess would have blown me off.

 

[Minnesota!]

Are you kidding me????!!!! This is something that you are actually still even thinking about?????

I am amazed at what people think they are entitled to for the little "oops" things that happen in life.

Agree 10000% with this. It was an ACCIDENT!....GET OVER IT!!

 

[RC Fan]

When I read a post like this, I can really see the differences in Canadian (especially Maritimers) and Americain.

We here take customer service as a high art...We fawn over our clients and if this was to happen here, we would have gotten an apology from the Manager/owner and the food would have been free...probably the new shirt too.

Now let me tell you that we would not even have to complain. The waiter would be apologizing and we would be saying it's alright, he would apologize some more and we would apologize for him having to apologize...etc.etc....You get it. Also, the other patrons would be helping and getting the manager, cleaning the table and seeing if they had anything in the car or diaper bag for the little one to wear etc...

I would be very peeved if this incident happened to me...It's not the accident that is the important thing, it's the attitude...

I would write a small note to corporate, saying what happened and suggest that it could have been handled better. I would not really want anything from them but if they offered, I would accept and be super nice to the wait staff the next time...but that is us...

When I see the "get over it" comments, I think to myself, that sounds easy to do if it did not hapen to you on your special outing, but people are allowed to feel what they feel.

I am not in the get something for nothing crowd but I would want an apology and my son's supper for free...since he had to sit there cold and wet, it's the right thing to do. THE RIGHT THING TO DO...when did this become an ancient practice?

Here if a restaurant ignored the customers that way, I would not go back even if it had happened to the next table.

Just my 2 cents...and I am not saying that only Canadians think the way I do but I was reading the majority of the posts and that was my FEELING, and of course I may be wrong, if so I apologize. Apologizing is definately a Canadian trait...lol

Guess the people must be nicer in your part of New Brunswick!

I personally find a good waiter/waitress is hard to find these days regardless of where you are. It makes you really appreciate the good ones!

 

[liamsaunt]

On our first trip to Disney together, back in the early nineties, DH and I were at a pancake place outside the Lake Buena Vista gate. DH had ordered pancakes, and when they came out the waitress brought a pitcher of "special pomegranate syrup" that she invited him to try. He agreed, she poured...and the lid to the syrup container came off, spilling syrup all over DH, his shirt and pants. It was pretty upsetting (and sticky!). The waitress actually started laughing, maybe from embarrasment, I don't know. She apologized, but nothing else...no comp, no offer to pay for the cleaning. At the time, in our naive youth, it did not even occur to us to ask for compensation. If something like that happened today, I certainly would.

I don't think the OP is being unreasonable in expecting that the restaurant should have done something to smooth over the situation. Even something as simple as a dessert on the house probably would have made a difference in how she felt about the situation. Yes, spilling the drink was a mistake, but by making an additional gesture of apology, the OP probably would have felt that they were truly concerned about her dining experience, and this could have made the difference in whether she and her family chose to return to that restaurant.

However, I do agree that this should have been addressed while the OP was actually at the restaurant. At this point, I would let it go.

 

[momof2inPA]

When I read a post like this, I can really see the differences in Canadian (especially Maritimers) and Americain.

We here take customer service as a high art...We fawn over our clients and if this was to happen here, we would have gotten an apology from the Manager/owner and the food would have been free...probably the new shirt too.

Many places in America are very customer oriented. My friend recently had slow service at a new restauarant in our area. The entree's are $20-$30 each. The manager apologized and comped the meals for their entire table of six.

IMO, they should have given something to the OP for free or paid for the outfit, since tea often stains, but the OP should have addressed the situation last night instead of fuming about it today. Let it go.

Once I spilled a pitcher of iced tea on someone at a firemen's festival where I was volunteering as a teenager. I was mortified and haven't waited tables since. The lady I spilled on was very sweet and an adult tried to say it was her fault that she had bumped me, but she was just trying to make me feel better.

 

[yeartolate]

It was an accident. He said he was sorry.

I would have laughed it off and joked with him the rest of the night.

 

[TurboKitty]

When I read a post like this, I can really see the differences in Canadian (especially Maritimers) and Americain.

We here take customer service as a high art...We fawn over our clients and if this was to happen here, we would have gotten an apology from the Manager/owner and the food would have been free...probably the new shirt too.

Now let me tell you that we would not even have to complain. The waiter would be apologizing and we would be saying it's alright, he would apologize some more and we would apologize for him having to apologize...etc.etc....You get it. Also, the other patrons would be helping and getting the manager, cleaning the table and seeing if they had anything in the car or diaper bag for the little one to wear etc...

I would be very peeved if this incident happened to me...It's not the accident that is the important thing, it's the attitude...

I would write a small note to corporate, saying what happened and suggest that it could have been handled better. I would not really want anything from them but if they offered, I would accept and be super nice to the wait staff the next time...but that is us...

When I see the "get over it" comments, I think to myself, that sounds easy to do if it did not hapen to you on your special outing, but people are allowed to feel what they feel.

I am not in the get something for nothing crowd but I would want an apology and my son's supper for free...since he had to sit there cold and wet, it's the right thing to do. THE RIGHT THING TO DO...when did this become an ancient practice?

Here if a restaurant ignored the customers that way, I would not go back even if it had happened to the next table.

Just my 2 cents...and I am not saying that only Canadians think the way I do but I was reading the majority of the posts and that was my FEELING, and of course I may be wrong, if so I apologize. Apologizing is definately a Canadian trait...lol

This is the post I agree with and I'm American.

To all you people who insist "it's an accident, get over it." Imagine a different scenario. Imagine you were sitting there in, oh your wedding dress and had iced tea dumped all over you. Would a simple apology suffice or would you hope something might be offered for cleaning?

I think the OP has every right to feel miffed by the lack of concern. I wouldn't be comfortable sitting in wet clothes, and I expect her child wasn't either.

 

[RickinNYC]

Unless there was actually any physical harm to your son, I don't see that this is a huge issue frankly. I'd have accepted the apology and have expected very minor compensation, i.e. comping an appetizer or an entree. But anything else beyond that, I wouldn't expect them to do anything.

It was a simple accident. It'd be different if the waiter were laughing like a maniac, holding a pitcher of iced tea over your son's head, and slowly pouring the tea on purpose. But that's a different story...

 

[bamajill]

This morning in our local paper there was an article about a 3 year old who was killed when he was out with his grandpa, working in the yard.

The grandpa cut down a tree and it fell the 'wrong' way and it killed him instantly.

Now that....that's worth getting upset over.

A drink spilled on your three year old? Let it go and be thankful that he's here and he's healthy. Accidents happen and maybe try and think how you would want it handled if YOU were the one who accidentally spilled something on a stranger.

 

[CathrynRose]

I think waiters should take extra care in serving HOT items and carrying huge trays of food over their heads and our chairs....

Have you ever served???

You think they DONT take extra care carrying ANY tray theyre carrying??? Do you have any idea how heavy trays are, and how strong server's arms are to be able to carry them, at all!??

Accidents happen. I served and bartended for YEARS and accidents happened allll the time. All the time. It certainly wasnt from the servers not paying close attention to how theyre carrying their trays!!!

He could have been more apologetic, but I personally think *you* blew it with "Mommy is mad at you" He was attempting to lighten the situation by asking if he was mad at him... you didnt allow him to do that.

I would'a had another server take over, too.

 

[MzDiz]

I once spilled an entire tray of beers on someone. He laughed. I felt like an amazing idiot. I gave him free stuff all night.

One night at a Mongolian Barbeque (the place where you make up a bowl of stuff and take it to the large communal grill) some of the cooks thought it would be fun it they had a few customers grill the food. That would have been fine if it were their food, but it was ours. The two giggling bimbos just stood there, laughing, while making a mess out of our dinner.
We complained to a manager, who said "that's just the way we do things around here - it's FUN", then gave the bimbos free t-shirts. Whee, fun.

 

[yeartolate]

He could have been more apologetic, but I personally think *you* blew it with "Mommy is mad at you" He was attempting to lighten the situation by asking if he was mad at him... you didnt allow him to do that.

Yes. It seems like he was making initial attempts at smoothing it over and he ceased when his attempts were not appreciated.

Sadly, I have to wonder if the rest of the night focused on anger over a mistake or the irthday celebration.

 

[mickeyfan1]

This is the post I agree with and I'm American.

To all you people who insist "it's an accident, get over it." Imagine a different scenario. Imagine you were sitting there in, oh your wedding dress and had iced tea dumped all over you. Would a simple apology suffice or would you hope something might be offered for cleaning?

I think the OP has every right to feel miffed by the lack of concern. I wouldn't be comfortable sitting in wet clothes, and I expect her child wasn't either.

But it wasn't a wedding dress.

 

[MICKEY88]

it was an accident, he said he was sorry, you said you were mad, he was probably afraid to say anything else, you even said he was frazzled.....

in the grand scheme of life, this is a small matter, trust me, with a 3 yr old boy, their will be many larger accidents to deal with,

let's put this in another perspective, I remember an 8 year old{my stepson}, who spilled drinks regularly in restaurants, he would simply say he was sorry as we cleaned him and the spill up, should we have been upset or angry because he only said he was sorry once....had someone at your table spilled a drink on your son, would a simple apology have been enough...???

we are all very protective of our children and sometimes become over protective, over reacting when something happens to them,




to all those who think something should have been comped....it was...a glass of iced tea....

 

[MICKEY88]

To all you people who insist "it's an accident, get over it." Imagine a different scenario. Imagine you were sitting there in, oh your wedding dress and had iced tea dumped all over you. Would a simple apology suffice or would you hope something might be offered for cleaning?

QUOTE]


not many people go out to dinner wearing a wedding dress, but if that were to occur, I would expect a different reaction in that situation, there is a big difference between a wedding dress costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars
and a 3 year old boys outfit,

unless a 3 year old boy is kept on a leash and forbidden to play, an outfit rarely stays clean and stain free for more than one or two wearings....

 

[TurboKitty]

But it wasn't a wedding dress.

And, IMHO, the waiter and management of the restaurant really dropped the ball by thinking that way.

Is it a huge deal? No.

But, I'll bet that child won't want to go to that restaurant again for quite awhile, if ever.

 

[CheshireVal]

And, IMHO, the waiter and management of the restaurant really dropped the ball by thinking that way.

Is it a huge deal? No.

But, I'll bet that child won't want to go to that restaurant again for quite awhile, if ever.

Oh, geez. I hardly think the little guy is going to be traumatized over this incident. That's going a bit too far!

 

[RealMickeysGirl]

Well, replies are already up to page 4 and I am not taking the time to read them so this may have already been said.


Depending on the age of the waiter and the amount of experience waiting tables, he just may not know how to handle the situation. I think he was checking out the situation when he asked if your DS was mad at him. When you told him that you were, it probably unnerved him and that is why he had someone else take care of your table. He may not have enough experience to know that he could talk to the wait staff manager, explain what happened and ask to have your ticket adjusted. As for the small tip, wait staff work hard and make way below minimum wage - I think it is somewhere between $2 and $3 now. I have had so many family members wait tables that it is automatic for me to tip 15%, if the service isn't great I usually still tip 15%. If the service is good, I tip 20%.

I have seen wait staff work their buns off - for example one time I saw someone get a tip of the change (coins only) from the bill and she had gone out of her way to keep the kids happy and the adults happy this was a large group (about 8 people - including 2 children). She actually started to cry when she saw what they left her. Do you think you would be motivated to go out of your way for your next table? I don't know if I could.

And as much as I wish it weren't true, there will be worse things in your son's life than having a cold drink spilled on him (someday someone will break his heart, a pet will die, a loved one will die, a friend will move away, etc.) - that's just the way life is.
I hope it didn't ruin your evening and that you give the restaurant and the wait staff another chance.

 

[disykat]

I think the waiter handled it poorly and the OP has a right to be irritated. I don't get why people have to act like "if no one's dead, there's no reason to be the slightest bit upset". An actual sincere apology and offer of help or a free dessert would have been all it took to change the scenario.