Beware servers bearing bottles of water.
Here's my cautionary tale: I was out for a birthday celebration with a group of friends at a very nice Delaware restaurant. (I'm not going to name the place since it was a "my dime, my time" dining experience not paid for by The News Journal.)
Someone at the table asked for a bottle of water. No one paid attention and we all began ordering different appetizers, entrees, other drinks and later desserts and coffee. It was a very enjoyable evening. Then, the bill came - with a $30 charge for water. For water! Apparently, our server just kept pouring bottled water all night for everyone at the table. It was our fault; we got caught up in the celebration and didn't pay attention. But I still couldn't help feeling slightly taken advantage of by the server. I wanted to mention our concern very quietly and politely to the manager - we still were going to pay what we owed - but a friend at the table who is a Prominent Person didn't want me to say anything. We left a generous tip and enjoyed the rest of the evening somewhere else. But the "water situation" left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
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3 comments:
I am what I consider a Professional Server, working in one of the most highly regarded restaurants downstate, under the direction of former Chef from the Hotel DuPont, and I can tell you that serving the entire party bottled water for the duration of the evening would have been something I would have clarified at the outset. After the first individual requested the bottled water, I would have checked with each of you as to your preference. Perhaps it was an oversight, or the server in question simply assumed that you all wanted the bottled water. I try to think the best of everyone, but it was clear that bottled water was going to upsell that check...Just my lil two cents worth...
As a chef/owner of a Delaware restaurant, bottled water is an option we offer to guests, just like desserts, cordials, etc. We don’t continue to bring drinks when they are empty, nor do we refill someone’s soup bowl when they are done. Each time a guest or guests finish a bottle of water, no matter what point in the meal, we ask them if they would like to ORDER another. We don’t assume they are going to continue throughout the meal. If they tell us to continue bringing the water, that is a different story. Otherwise, we are to check with the person who ordered the first bottle and ask if they would like more.
I also feel that the server was inexperienced and should not have given you water that you did not know you would have to pay for. Bottled water is very inexpensive and I would call the restuarant after the fact and mention it to them and ask for my money back and would not feel that I was hurting the business but helping. There are many area non profits who could use this money.
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