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

[Hannathy]

I agree with the posters who say it was an accident he tried to apologize and be nice but you were nasty and that was a nasty remark. I would have avoided you to, and not gone out of my way to give you anything. I do feel bad for the server who got jipped on the tip. Was their service bad? They could have given you more napkins or helped I'll agree to that. I wonder if you had accepted his apology if maybe things would have been different. I don't think you were owed anything unless the waiter did it on purpose.

 

[beattyfamily]

A drink was spilt on my niece at WDW at PSB breakfast and all we got were some I'm sorry's and a waitress that looked so embarrassed. I didn't expect anything more.

We didn't jip her on her tip and we've been back since. It was an accident.

A metal top from either cheese or olive oil was in my DH Chicken Parm dinner at Pizzaria Uno and the manager came over and asked what happened and what we wanted in return! My DH said nothing, just wanted to make you aware. He said sorry and thank you and we got our dessert for free. We didn't want or expect anything BUT an I'm sorry which we got; we have since eaten there again.

Mistake and accidents happen and all we want is an I'm sorry and we're satified. I never even thought to post it here...till now.

 

[azgal81]

I also think it was an accident and not something worth getting upset over. I think your comment to him was uncalled maybe if you were nicer he would have given you something free.

A case of not an accident. My family and I went to big boy I think and we had the worlds worst waitress she was so horrible and I swear it was on purpose. First it took her forever to come to our table. Then she came to fill our drinks she was pouring the drink didn't even leave the pitcher yet and she goes whoops and it completely missed the cup and splashed all over the table. Then we asked her for napkins to clean up the mess she didn't bring them to us. Then she brought our food out and we asked her for napkins again she pretended like she didn't hear us and just walked away. She came back we asked for drink refills she said what and walked away. We didn't tip her at all her attitude was so off. We never did get our napkins. I'm surprised she actually got our food order right!

 

[Deb in IA]

I guess I don't see the big deal here either.

It was an accident, and he apologized. End of story.

Something comped would have been a nice gesture, but I don't expect/demand these things.

Last winter, we were out with our in-laws at a Thai restaurant. The waitress was leaning over our son, putting down a platter of appetizers, and one of the bowls of peanut sauce tipped over onto his head and down the back of his shirt, and onto this coat that was on the back of his chair. She apologized, the manager was aware, we wiped it up. NO BIG DEAL. We didn't get anything complimentary, and we gave her an 18% tip.

 

[CathrynRose]

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,

Aint that the truth?

Sign me ~
Mom of going on 15 year old

 

[sha_lyn]

agree with the posters who say it was an accident he tried to apologize and be nice but you were nasty and that was a nasty remark. I would have avoided you to, and not gone out of my way to give you anything. I do feel bad for the server who got jipped on the tip. Was their service bad? They could have given you more napkins or helped I'll agree to that. I wonder if you had accepted his apology if maybe things would have been different. I don't think you were owed anything unless the waiter did it on purpose.

Very well said.
A while back a waitress was pouring a drink for DS (tea I believe) and wasn't holding the glass still. It turned over and went all over DS and me. Nope wasn't mad, it was an accident
When DS was little (3-4 probably, my grandmother was still alive and my cousins were still teens at home) my cousin david was standing in the kitchen holding a glass of iced tea about waist high. He turned around and the bottom of the glass hit DS on the forehead and pured out all over his head. Hummm... wonder what compensation I should demand from my cousin LOL...... We all still laugh about it to this day.

 

[RadioNate]

While I do think you are slightly over reacting I'll tell you my story.

When DS was about 2 we were at an Ihop in Memphis TN. After waiting nearly 20 minutes with a 2 eyar old who wanted pancakes a waiter came with a tray of 7 waters (3 for our table and 4 for the table next to us) and dumped the ENTIRE tray's worth on DS and DH. He apoligized, kinda, and got napkins. While DH was cleaning himself and DS up, I got the manager. Since we hadn't ordered yet our 'compensation' was a box of pancakes to go for DS and a $30 gift card.

If you are this upset I think you made a huge mistake not talking directly to the manager. As a former waitress I know that accidents happen and I agree that if he heard your comment (which I'm willing to guess he did) I would avoid your table at all costs. In most cases waiters don't have the 'power' to comp anything. They can just apoligize and move on.

Now all you can do is write a letter to their corporate offices. But next time I suggest talking to the manager and not waiting for him to talk to you.

 

[princess pooh]

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 had a drink spilt on my wedding dress and a simple apology did suffice. It was an accident and I wouldn't let someething silly like that ruin my night. Stuff like that just happens.

 

[Chuck S]

I had a drink spilled on me, many years ago, at Sea World in San Diego. I had just turned 21, my Mom, Grandma and Great Aunt (who was visiting from Texas) went to spend the day at Sea World. They had a restaurant sponsored by Hawaiian Punch, and we all order puch based alcoholic beverages. Well, when the server delivered the drinks, after taking the first drink off the tray, it lost its balance and came crashing down on the table, spilling over and hitting only me. I was wearing white pants that day, and was not covered in red punch. Of course, everyone laughed, including me, the server (her first day) sat down in the middle of the floor and sobbed. I told her it was OK, I had a change of clothes in the car. I ran out to the parking lot and changed, and she was still crying when I got back. The manager thanked us for handling the situation well, and gave us complimentary drinks and souvenir hurricane glasses. We paid for the actual meal, except for the drinks.

In your situation, I think it could have been handled better, they should have comped an appetizer or something, but now that the situation is over, let it go, it should have been addressed at the time.

 

[LauraR]

Once, when my husband was a waiter, he spilled a glass of iced tea on a U.S. senator! Then he brought him the wrong check---twice! (The senator was a good sport about it) I can understand a waiter getting embarrassed and stressed, but it's always better to deal with a situation by overcompensating than undercompensating. I would have taken your comment, "No but Mommy is mad at you," as a joke, depending on how you said it. And either way, I think that would have been a clue that a little more effort should be made to smooth things over. Definitely the manager should have stepped in and apologized, too, and offered the little guy a free dessert or something.

Of course accidents happen, but it's how you deal with them that makes the difference...

BTW the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs are killer!

 

[disykat]

I'm still amazed at this. Apparently people think the waiter can barely mumble an apology and that's okay - but for the patron to mumble under their breath that they are mad is "nasty"?

 

[yeartolate]

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

So are you saying that if a parent spills milk on a child at home he will need to run away?


I think a child learns from things like this, and the lesson he just learned is to get angry for innocent mistakes and not to accept apologies that are sincerely given.

 

[ElizaB39]

When I was a waitress in high school (around 16 years old) I dumped a glass of ice water into a ladies purse! Thanks goodness it was zipped closed and there was nothing inside the side pocket (except the ice water of course). I apologized profusely, was appropriately embarrassed and I have no idea if the boss comped anything on her ticket. However when I said "Sorry!" and ran to get cloths to wipe it up, she said, "it's only vinyl!" in a very cheery voice.

 

[yeartolate]

I'm still amazed at this. Apparently people think the waiter can barely mumble an apology and that's okay - but for the patron to mumble under their breath that they are mad is "nasty"?

Did the waiter mumble an apology?

 

[TurboKitty]

So are you saying that if a parent spills milk on a child at home he will need to run away?


I think a child learns from things like this, and the lesson he just learned is to get angry for innocent mistakes and not to accept apologies that are sincerely given.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying...

Way to pull something completely outta the air and try to put words in my mouth. Thanks for playing.

Let's see, at home the child can change into dry clothes immeadiately rather than remain in the wet ones and suffer through being cold and damp for the entire meal as the drinks were delivered first. The parent and chuild have a long standing previous relationship and can better judge if jokes or apologies are indeed sincere.

I know kids don't come out of a machine and every one of them is not the same. One of my kids would never want to go to that place again. The other would laugh and ask for another tea shower everytime we went out. Both points if view are completely valid.

Re-read the OP. Especially this part...

"Some of our drinks came out, and our waiter spilled a whole iced tea on my 3 year old sons shirt and jeans. it JUST missed his head.... Cue the crying, and off I go to the bathroom to try to clean him up....I rolled up his sleeves as best i could ( had on a nice polo shirt too) and wiped him up. He was cold & damp. He stopped his crying though. We went back to the table, everything had been cleaned up and we just got an " I'm sorry" only once. and then an "is he mad at me?" to which i said " i don't know, but mommy sure is"....That was it. The manager saw the whole thing & didn't even come over to see if everything was ok....It was a total accident, and i know that these things happen, but i was just a bit disappointed on how our waiter handled the whole thing..."



Mistakes happen. I am just rather stunned by the minimal effort shown by the staff towards it's patrons. As I said before, it's not a huge deal, but I thought it was handled badly by the staff. I do not think her response was nasty or rude.

 

[crazee4mickey]

Your poor son...now that's definately what you call putting a "damper" on your evening.
I would say it was an accident, the waiter apologized (he was probably very embarrassed that this happened) and plus he knew you were mad at him so if I was him I would've probably gotten someone else to finish waiting on you as well.
Just forget it, its really not worth stressing over

 

[MouseWorshipin]

If the sequence of events in the post are correct:

Waiter accidentally spills drink on kid, waiter apologizes, mom doesn't accept apology and tells waiter she is mad at him...

Of Course the waiter is going to turn the table over to someone else. If the customer has a problem with the waiter, the table should be turned over to someone else.

IMHO, if you never have accidents, you can refuse to accept apologies. Otherwise, accept the apology.

 

[lulugirl]

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 could not agree more.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think it is so much the accident as the passive way it seemed the waiter was pretending it had never happened.

The restaurant put its head in the sand.

In customer service--there is a lot you can do to defuse a customer. It is not what you say, but how you say it. His paltry "I'm sorry" and no further mention of it except when he asked if the little boy was mad at him....obviously his "I'm sorry" probably didn't sound too sincere.

 

[goofygirl]

Life is short....forget about it.

I agree.

Your kid, who was the victim, probably forgot all about it by now. So should you.