Taste card - Don`t ask for free water

bestyman

Got my MSE 1 month free tastecard today.

Also came with a free lesson in etiquette. Apparently its bad form to ask for water and we should buy drinks.

I`m sure that`s not very MSE and not what Martin said?

Its also bad form to renew membership when customers don`t expect it, but that wasn`t mentioned.

PasturesNew

I always have water.... most places don't sell a good variety of decent drinks for non-drinkers.

"Bad etiquette" my 4rse.

I'd only have a free tastecard if I needed a free windscreen ice scraper.

robin58

Actually I believe you can ask and be given free tap water with your meal if you ask. I think it is by a law (license?) but don't know on what grounds.

I know I would never go to any restaurant again who said I could not have water and must buy any form of other drink.

Hazzanet

Mandatory licensing conditions introduced by the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010

* mandatory provision of free tap water

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-licensing

pd001

Hazzanet wrote: »

Mandatory licensing conditions introduced by the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010

* mandatory provision of free tap water

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-licensing

Its a fair old scroll down the page to find it si i have copied and pasted part of the relevent section, as below.

The other conditions apply in respect of premises licensed for the sale or supply of alcohol on the premises, and are:

• a ban on irresponsible promotions
• a ban on dispensing alcohol directly into customers’ mouths
• mandatory provision of free tap water
• the mandatory provision of smaller measures (see below for further details)

Bigphil1474

Yep, free tap water is mandatory at any premises licensed for on-sale (restaurants, pubs, clubs etc.) - the key being that its tap water. You aren't entitled to any fancy bottled stuff. You can't request it from the local off license or take away though.

Ingah

bestyman wrote: »

Got my MSE 1 month free tastecard today.

Also came with a free lesson in etiquette. Apparently its bad form to ask for water and we should buy drinks.

I`m sure that`s not very MSE and not what Martin said?

Its also bad form to renew membership when customers don`t expect it, but that wasn`t mentioned.

I agree with auto-renewal being bad form, so I never joined after the free trial - I had the Gourmet Society do an auto-renew when i'd explicitly told them I wanted a one-off membership, and i've been wary of this sort of thing ever since (I got the money back via the bank, but that's not the point).

I think the point they are trying to make is that restaurants make their profits on drinks, and someone who goes out for food, especially in a cheaper restaurant, on a BOGOF no less, and doesn't buy a single drink, is not really helping encourage the restaurant to participate in Tastecard as they're likely to be making a loss from these customers once overheads are factored in. Although I certainly wouldn't feel uncomfortable ordering a soft/alcoholic drink (or two) and then asking for tap water from that point on though - that feels sufficiently fair to me!