Free tap water denied - complaint

Bamber19

cooldude255220 wrote: »

I always thought that they had to in case you had took heroin/ecstasy(i cant remember which.)

There are byelaws in some areas requiring nightclub's to do this but not heard it for cafes and restaurants

dacouch

BTW side tracking a little bit, in the age of sensible drinking why (generally) does it cost more for say a pint of coke compared to a pint of lager/bitter? And why does a pint of non-alcoholic lager (2 bottles) work our at twice the price of a pint of lager or more (on some promtion nights in my city it can cost £6.00 for 2 bottles on non-alcoholic and just 99p for a pint)?[/quote]

Most bars that serve cola etc from their "guns" have a large container of cola syrup(Highly concentrated cola) in their cellar. When they sell a glass the gun mixes it with soda water which is what comes out of the tap. A pint of this costs the bar around 15p a glass.

The reason bars tend to charge more for soft drinks / non alcholic drinks is that normally people who are drinking alchol will buy far more drinks than someone buying soft drinks / non alcholic drinks so they charge more to make up the difference.

Have you ever tried to drink more than 5 pints of water? Its impossible, however you can drink pints and pints and pints of beer as it dehydrates you.

BlueAngelCV

KittyPryde wrote: »

I think that's to do with pubs/clubs, not restaurants hehe.

I asked my bf his opinion on whether places should provide free water and he said he thought that pubs/clubs had to as they serve alcohol etc.

So maybe pubs/clubs rules are different to restaurants?

I always thought that pubs/clubs had to. I assumed that that related to restaurants etc too.

I can't believe that someone would say no to a paying customer. That's ridiculous really & I would boycott somewhere for that reason.

GreyPilgrim

Timmne wrote: »

we had so many tight @rses come in and thinking because they were paying for a meal, that their water should come free.

Nice to see a such a warm attitude towards your customers.

chuckley

last I checked sandwich shops sell sealed drinks and may not have the facilities to give tap water, ie, cups to put the water in.

but regardless u aint entitled to tap water in a food place. u can ask and they can deny. all this 'customer service' talk is trash, if u are that desperate go drink from the tap in their toilet as its fom the tap is it not?!

and I am in utter shock that OP decided to write a letter to head office about tap water.... whats even more shocking is that OP feels its a god given right they get tap water on demand.

bookworm1363

Croydon's George Street, 2 chinese buffet restaurants, one at each end of the street.

One (closest to the High Street, so more convenient) refused us tap water once even though we all had already had a Coke (it was indeed for fizzy tablets), the other one brings us cold water whenever asked.

That one time in the 1st restaurant was the one and only time we set foot in it, the other one has had our custom dozens of time since.

Work out how much that refused free glass of water has cost the 1st restaurant.

vikingaero

I think it's mean of a food establishment not to give tap water if you are already dining there or purchasing food.

If you walk into a food place and ask for a glass of tap water then it's only acceptable to ask if they are not busy.

Caterina

madmuppet5 wrote: »

I'd never waste £2.89 on a sarnie. If you did that five days a week over the year that would be over £700! It don't take long to knock a couple up in the morning

It was not a regular occurrence, in case you need to be reassured! I was on a day out and it was a rare treat, for which I had budgeted. So there!

Caterina

discobaby wrote: »

The thing I would find more insulting would be the way the woman spoke to you, I would have demanded to speak to the manager there and then! Wether she should have given you the water or not is by the by, but I am sure she is not employed to be rude to customers! People that find the need to be rude and patronising to the customer, quite frankly are in the wrong job and need to learn some people skills!

I agree, I can understand (although not justify, on environmental reasons more than financial!) a no-free-tap-water policy but the rudeness was inexcusable. Unfortunately this was a franchise and from the way the woman was carrying out I was under the impression that SHE was the manager. This is why I contacted the main offices in the USA. As I know that US customer service is quite hot, I hope to get minimum an apology, maximum a voucher for another visit (and I shall ask for tap water again if I go :rotfl: ).

Caterina

JackieO wrote: »

In my college where I go the tap water is charged at 20p a cup whether its hot or cold.
BTW thames water has supposedly been recycled 'through the system' IYKWIM at least three times when you drink in, but as I grew up on it and I'm still around I guess its pretty well filtered by the time you get to drink it anyway. I always take a small bottle of my own drink with me when I am at college ot out in the car I object to paying silly money for a bottle of water

It is 7 times Jackie! :eek: That's quite common knowledge. The sewage water is filtered and purified and recycled several times - no wonder people from out of London are wondering why any of us would want to drink the water! But I suppose you get used to the idea, after a while, no?

I think that charging for a cup is justifiable (although 20p is a lot for a paper cup) to a point, especially in a college where they are short of funds etc. and where otherwise dozens of students asking for water would keep the staff running around.

Mind you, a lot of educational establishments have water fountains that are perfectly adequate for people's needs.

In a way the whole thing for me is cultural, I come from Rome where at every corner there is a fountain with fresh free water and you can stop at any bar and ask for a glass of water, which is never denied, so I find all this palaver very mean and miserable.

BTW I haven't had a response yet, will let you all know (who are waiting with baited breath no doubt) if I ever get one!:p