Can a restaurant refuse to serve you free tap water?

[J T]

This got me thinking about a movie called "Flow: For Love of Water" that I saw a trailer for awhile back. It's about the dangers of privatization of water distribution and allowing companies to own and sell water.

I did a google search to find the trailer, and I ended up finding the whole movie:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/flow-for-love-of-water/

[Golgo 14]

Since the manager was your waitress, just take the money out of her tip and let her buy you the water. I'd still be pissed and never come back though.

[flex wood]

Not making any money off the wings? What are they pricing them at, 5 cents a wing?

This is a good question but still is trumped by the fact that you bought two beers at 4.50 each. No matter what price the wings (they were probably just sysco wings anyway) the restaurant made more than enough off of the two beers (tap beers right not bottles? taps are cheaper duh). Is this a chain restaurant?

I also have a feeling that your server was not the manager.

If it was me I'd remember the servers name and keep going there just to find out if she was actually a manager. Unless we are talking about a tiny neighborhood place I doubt it.

Some servers will try and pull shit like this to get bigger tips. They think and are told by management that the higher the bill the higher the tip. Idiots tips are for service and should never be based purely off the total of the bill.

*please don't became a thread arguing over tipping*

[gtmtnbiker]

When I was in college, I worked at a pizza place that charged you for a paper cup if you wanted tap water. I don't remember the cost but it was probably $.25 or maybe it was $.10. I would never charge the customer this fee because I thought it was ridiculous. Ditto for some of my co-workers. My manager (who was also a good friend prior to my working there) would give me a hard time for not charging. I think I lasted 6 months before I quit.

[gtmtnbiker]

*please don't became a thread arguing over tipping*

Have we had a thread on tipping? I can't seem to recall one. It would be a good one to start.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I remember going to raves where they would shut off the drinking water fountains at the venue so they could force you to buy overpriced bottled water. That always seemed criminal to me. Kids were always getting messed up on e and getting at risk of dehydration and assholes wouldn't give them water. Crazy days those were.

That's right, cater to a bunch of teenagers' illegal activities.

</sarcasm>

JY

[flex wood]

*please don't became a thread arguing over tipping*

Have we had a thread on tipping? I can't seem to recall one. It would be a good one to start.

Not that I recall but I want nothing to do with hobies first thread locking.
Or do I

Just call me Mister Pink.

[irixith]

When I was in college, I worked at a pizza place that charged you for a paper cup if you wanted tap water. I don't remember the cost but it was probably $.25 or maybe it was $.10. I would never charge the customer this fee because I thought it was ridiculous. Ditto for some of my co-workers. My manager (who was also a good friend prior to my working there) would give me a hard time for not charging. I think I lasted 6 months before I quit.

I hate nickel and diming too, and I don't do it in my own shop. However, it sounds like that guy had the right idea! Use paper cups to keep the regular glassware in circulation for customers ordering drinks. That sounds pretty reasonable. (..and charge a small fee to cover the cost of the cups -- after all, the business can't eat every cost.) The amount of people who abuse their "free water" are pretty ridiculous. It takes the server away from other things to be constantly refilling free water. You could say that the more she refills, the better tip she is likely to earn for good service, but as many of my friends who have worked in the service industry tell me, those multiple refill free water people are amongst the worst tippers.

Me, I always order water when I'm out, but that's because it's all I drink. If I'm up to it, I'll order an appetizer or hugely marked up dessert to make up for it, as long as the server isn't a total douche. Don't automatically roll your eyes when someone orders water -- you never know why they're ordering it, and lumping everyone into the shit pile is not a good strategy for earning tips anyway.

A thread on tipping would be interesting -- I think "Mr. Pink" should start one.

[gtmtnbiker]

However, it sounds like that guy had the right idea! Use paper cups to keep the regular glassware in circulation for customers ordering drinks. That sounds pretty reasonable. (..and charge a small fee to cover the cost of the cups -- after all, the business can't eat every cost.)

The owner did it to cover the cost of cups but I think he was also trying to steer people to buy soda. I can't remember if we had bottled water back then ('89) other than stuff like Perrier. Part of me thinks paper cups is part of the overhead. Just like napkins, plastic forks, etc. The restaurant did not have any glass/silverware.

Part of the business was takeout/delivery. The other side of the restaurant was like a cafe where you could get pizza and italian desserts or cappuccinos/espressos.

You could say that the more she refills, the better tip she is likely to earn for good service, but as many of my friends who have worked in the service industry tell me, those multiple refill free water people are amongst the worst tippers.

I don't know about that. If someone was diligent about filling my water glass, I'll definitely leave a good tip. At the same restaurant, I would also be a waiter in the cafe side and I would consistently get the highest tips. That was because I was diligent in refilling people's glasses with water and attending to their needs without being bothersome. I remember the owner was impressed with the amount of tips (I think I would get around $50-$60/night when the average was around $25) such that he thought I might be taking money from the restaurant. But I can honestly say that I never took money. The only thing I could be guilty of would be eating a couple of slices of pizza without paying for it like everyone else would do.

[Hatta]

This sounds like a job for Yelp. And maybe a letter to the local student newspaper and/or free weekly. I sure as hell wouldn't go back to that place, and they wouldn't be getting a tip out of me either.

Actually, the only time I ever left a server without a tip was because she didn't bring me water. I expect water to be brought, no matter what, even if I get a soda or beer. I need something neutral to wash things down with. Didn't get one, so I asked when the food came. Didn't see the server for the rest of the meal, and the restaurant was almost empty. I think there was one other table.

So that's a pretty bad dereliction of duty there. I was still going to leave a buck, but my GF who worked in restaurants for years vetoed that.

Edit:

The amount of people who abuse their "free water" are pretty ridiculous. It takes the server away from other things to be constantly refilling free water.

Then bring a full sized glass of water. It's not that hard. Anyone who thinks drinking water is "abusive" is in the wrong line of work.