You know what really grinds my gears…
Going to a restaurant, spending almost a few hundred bucks on food and drinks combined and then the class of the joint all comes crumbling down when you ask for a glass of water. "Sure no problem sir, if you just go over to the end of the room there is a water station setup". I can understand why restaurants do it to a certain degree but I thought the goodwill would be worth more than what they are saving in 'time'
That's the perfect situation in my book. Bring you one straight away and tell you where you can easily get more :)
Water is my preferred drink in most instances and my wife doesn't drink alcohol so I almost never have it with a meal either. Water or a juice all the way please :)
It's better than being asked if you'd like sparking or still mineral water, and then appearing offended and removing glassware from the table when you ask them for tap water (because tap water clearly can't be served in the same glasses as 'mineral' water!).
Yes, that's what I thought this thread was about. I always ask for tap water and you have to get used to some waiters acting all snooty about it.
I rather enjoy municipal water personally, personally I like the taste over any commercial water.
reason why is so when the waiter is refilling he knows if you have tap or mineral/sparkling. im sure a customer wouldn't want tap water in their sparkling water
That's a fair point - although some places do manage with the same glasses. If that's necessary then a better way may be to bring the glasses they want to use with the water.
I like that episode of Roseanna -
Rich Guest - "do you have mineral water?"
Rosanne - "well, we've got tap water with minerals in it"
And I would reply, "Thanks for pointing that out. Now you know where to get my water from."
and i would reply "get out of my restaurant, you obnoxious c**t of a customer"
Wow. OzBargain roid rage.
Good CS would be to say that they would provide a complimentary bottle of sparkling since you are such a great customer. I am sure you would be impressed and most probably make you come back..give you that 'I feel special' feeling.
All good points. Spose my gripe is that you go to a half decent restaurant with excellent service only to fall A over T for providing water. Almost kills the whole atmosphere of the place IMO
perhaps the restaurant would argue that you are ruining it by asking for tap water?
I love it being out and easily available. Saves me having to ask and lets me get as much as I want without having to flag down some busy waiter and then wait for him to remember to bring it out.
What state are you in? I've literally never seen a 'water-station' set up in Melbourne, ever, and I eat out pretty often. Most joints in Melbourne wouldn't want to waste the space that a water-station would occupy, when there could be an extra table there! I reckon any restaurant that is not a 'serve yourself/ buffet style' place should bring you a jug of tap-water and the required number of glasses, if you ask for it; i.e. set up a 'personal water-station' on your table.
Agree Gnarly. I am in Qld and apart from Coffee Shop, cafe, club type places I have never seen a water station and never in a half decent restaurant. Never in Melb, SE Qld, Northern Qld, NSW. Most ask , and want you to have 'premium'water but either fill you glass or bring over a bottle of water (most cafes do this as well) I have never been asked to get tap water myself.
Also in Melbourne and I agree. I've only seen them in cafe-type eateries or bars. Can't recall any "proper" restaurant doing this… Unless the OP, has a different standard when referring to a restaurant.
Wasn't a cafe was an actual restaurant. Standard meal price of $30 I think we earned a water server :P
That's pricey and a "real restaurant". Curious to know the restaurant name and location, if possible.
Will say it's a south melbourne restaurant. Wont go into deets because I know the owners (not well but enough for them to link any naming and shaming)
@bemybubble:
I guess if you know the owners, it sounds like it's worth providing them some gentle feedback.
and then they wonder why no tip was left….
There should be no tip left at all in Australia, unless service was exceptional!
Many restaurants don't even have filtered water which encourages patrons to buy their liquid refreshments. I usually do not go back or bring my own bottled water. Once, we brought our own bottle of wine which upset management and they charged full price of their cheapest wine bottle as corkage, even though we ordered many other drinks that evening. I guess we have to put up with our hosts policies if we wish to dine there, right or wrong.
And when restaurants dont get enough patrons they cry foul and complain wages are too high. Restaurants forget they are businesses too. Any business will tell you that if u have too many unhappy customers, you will fail long term regardless of who you think you are.
Yea I must admit i'm with Skimpywallet here. It's not good business IMO. Service first, money will follow. Not the other way around…
What next? "May i have an extra napkin?"
"You may certainly retrieve it yourself from the restrooms"
It just comes with the service
Just take the entire jug, they appreciate that.
Wait, you mean you're not meant to take the entire jug/bottle?
at some RSLs you're not, but i do anyway.
thug life.
If a member of staff looks like they're about to stop you, do you wink and say "you always have great jugs here", and walk off?
Thought there must have been a restaurant owner or 2 on OZB that might have had 2 cents to throw in about this. Their POV
not an owner but a manager… i think having a water station in a table service restaurant doesn't make sense and is very impersonal. they are your guests and you treat them accordingly.
we give a bottle of water and required number of glasses to every table upon seating.
however i have been wanting to change this rule to only give it to the customer if they request it. table water obviously reduces money spent on drinks.
Makes sense. Good to see your POV
i should add, in some busy places with lots of staff on, adding a jug of water and glasses to a table lets the other waiters now that this table is already being looked after by someone so you don't get 10 different waitstaff going to their table.
I actually prefer self serve myself, so it doesn't bug me, but having said that, customer service should be the first time you ask for it they should bring it to you and then point it out with something along the lines of
"Sir, if you would like a refill, there is a self help station for water over there."
Just my thoughts.