Tap water experiences

lynneinjapan

macaroni wrote: »

I have in the past asked in Asda and Sainsburys restaurant with no problem, just a bit of hassle actually getting the drink as its not on tap (no pun intended) where they serve you

I was refused tap water in Sainsbury's in Coventry a few months back - can't remember the reason given, but the woman was quite apologetic about it.

I used to go to ceroc classes; at my usual venue (a comedy club in central Birmingham) they always had big jugs of tap water on the bar for people to help themselves to, but at another venue that I occasionally went to (a workers' social club in Solihull) they charged 30p for a pint.

jiblets1

My school-teacher colleagues and I go out for lunch in the pub every friday dinner time. We have a pub at the end of the school's street that we used to go to, but they tried to charge one of us a pound for a pint of tap water a few months ago. We argued that all establishments had to serve you tap water on request and he told us that it was his pub and he could do what he wanted. I really didn't see his problem, as everyone of us bought food there every week, and most of us bought a drink to go with it as well. His attitude was attrocious, and he has now lost our regular trade as we have never been back and drive 5 minutes to another pub instead.

eeyores61

Zizzi's have brought a glass with ice - nice!

kittykitten

tj34 wrote: »

Back on topic....
My local Chinese all you can eat buffet has a letter from Newcastle City Council saying that they have no obligation to provide free tap water - you have to buy their expensive drinks. I guess that is why there is a need for this campaign.

Now I'm intrigued...I'm a Newcastle girl and I've probably been to most if not all of the chinese buffet restaurants in the city - who are the skinflints who have gone to the trouble of getting NCC (another bunch of skinflints) to provid them with a letter saying they don't have to give you free tap water?

I quite often ask for tap water in the pubs and restaurants around Tyneside and I've never had a problem with getting it - I tend to be the driver in our group, and mentioning this often works wonders - publicans will give you tap water no probs if they see that your friends are helping their profits by buying alcoholic drinks because you're there to drive them home!

grufter6569

I'm a waiter at my local pub/restaurant, and we have never had any problem serving water to any PAYING customer, as long as someone in the party has ordered food or drink of any value then we allways serve food. We've only turned someone down once, and that was when they wanted to sit and watch the football with only a glass of tap water, very rude if you consider that staff wages, heating, sky subscriptions (EXTORTIONATE), general upkeep etc etc have to be paid for.

Also, we normally offer a jug of water when wine is ordered, or if someone hasn't ordered a drink with their meal, at they end of the day its our perogative to try and win your repeat business, so a jug of water is hardly an unacceptable hit with a meal/bottle of wine etc.

I do like the 20p to charity idea mentioned earlier, may mention that to my boss later...

Smiley_Mum

Was in M&S Cafe, Inverness the other day and saw a chap asking for a glass of tap water and he was given it no problem at all.

I've never thought of asking for tap water before. I drink it all the time at home but when we go out I usually have a soft drink, and the boys have sparkling water, so about £4 for drinks.

ladywag_2

I used to own a restaurant in the North West of England and we served jugs of tap water, with or without ice and lemon on request - free of charge to the customer.
But for all those who think that it should be an entiltlement. I would just like to say :-
and remember we did serve it free of charge to the customer!

We had to pay rent on the building - we had to pay water rates, gas to cook with electric to light with, ongoing maintainance and redecoration to keep the surroundings nice for the customer, buy jugs to put the water in - pay either to buy or freeze the ice, pay whoever poured it and served it to you and washed up your jug and glasses afterwards.
So really - taking all of that into consideration - the water was not free!

Most ordinary restauranters do not make a huge profit - but they are still a "business' we don't do it just for fun you know! ( even though it is fun)
I have had people come to eat in our restaurant - eating only from our cheapest menu available (two for one early diner) and ask only for tap water so they didn't have to spend on drinks. I would have closed down very quickly if everyone did this - but still I wouldn't refuse - I don't know their circumstances - maybe this was a treat to them and they were sticking within a budget! Maybe they don't drink or just didn't want to drink.

I totally agree that tap water should be available - and that a sticker campaign would enable reasonable venues to show that they are just that.

But I just don't agree that tap water is necessarily "free"

steveb121_2

Having spent some time in the USA, where jugs of water are provided without asking and topped up all the time, it would be good to have the same thing happen here in the UK

Whenever I have asked for water, I get looked at as as I have said something nasty!

Time to wake up and not smell the coffee!

Steve

delluver

get a life people! lOl:money:

delluver

ladywag wrote: »

I used to own a restaurant in the North West of England and we served jugs of tap water, with or without ice and lemon on request - free of charge to the customer.
But for all those who think that it should be an entiltlement. I would just like to say :-
and remember we did serve it free of charge to the customer!

We had to pay rent on the building - we had to pay water rates, gas to cook with electric to light with, ongoing maintainance and redecoration to keep the surroundings nice for the customer, buy jugs to put the water in - pay either to buy or freeze the ice, pay whoever poured it and served it to you and washed up your jug and glasses afterwards.
So really - taking all of that into consideration - the water was not free!

Most ordinary restauranters do not make a huge profit - but they are still a "business' we don't do it just for fun you know! ( even though it is fun)
I have had people come to eat in our restaurant - eating only from our cheapest menu available (two for one early diner) and ask only for tap water so they didn't have to spend on drinks. I would have closed down very quickly if everyone did this - but still I wouldn't refuse - I don't know their circumstances - maybe this was a treat to them and they were sticking within a budget! Maybe they don't drink or just didn't want to drink.

I totally agree that tap water should be available - and that a sticker campaign would enable reasonable venues to show that they are just that.

But I just don't agree that tap water is necessarily "free"

usually the people that do that are loaded, but really tight!