What is fair compensation for waitress drink spill?

[bleeps]

A waitress at the Captain's Grill in the Yacht Club spilled an entire tray of drinks (3 iced teas, 3 ice waters) on my husband on one of our recent trips. It wouldn't have been as inconvenient if it hadn't been on our last day -- we were having lunch before heading to the airport, luggage was no longer accessible, etc. (Any other day of our trip, he could have just gone back to the room and cleaned up and changed.) However, we understood that it was an accident -- as annoying, uncomfortable, and inconvenient as it was. Some tea sloshed into a shopping bag with souvenirs as well.

We got nothing other than an apology, and asked for nothing. Would we have been happier with a dry shirt and shorts from the gift shop for him to wear on the plane? Yes. But we chalked it up to one of those things that happens, and now it's often a joke when all three of us order iced tea at a restaurant about what the possible outcome might be....

 

[EPCOTatNight]

More compensation would make sense if the waitress spilled a tray of hot beverages on a guest. Soda and water are no big deal. Cold drinks won't ruin a night, unless you allow them to. Burns from hot beverages, on the other hand, could definitely change plans around. There are sinks in bathrooms to wash up. Humans make mistakes. Nothing is perfect!

On a side note, sitting outside during an event that takes place during the evening in Florida does not equal freezing. I could see if WDW was up north when the nights consistently average freezing temperatures.

Apology + free Disney sweatshirts =

It gets into the 30's in Fla. Even if it was 45, that plus wet clothes =cold. I also think everybody's meal should have been comped. It inconvenienced everyone at the table. How would your meal be if your spouse had to leave and get cleaned up. It could ruin the experience for everyone at the table. At a mom and pop establishment, maybe not. But, at WDW, definitely. With most families spending thousands of dollars, they'll still come out on top.

 

[Marthasor]

I'm so sorry this happened to your family. I am shocked at the wait staff's reaction. An apology and vouchers without asking were in order. I'm surprised at the response. We ate a Plaza Restaurant with our then DS3 a few years ago. DS got milk and cookies for dessert and the cookies were huge! My DS only ate one, but it was too much and he got sick. I could tell he was going to be sick so I grabbed a cloth napkin and was able to catch most of it. He got some on his shirt and pants. I had already used the extra clothes I carry for him because he had played it Donald's boat house (when it was still there) and got soaked. Well, we didn't ask for or expect anything - the restaurant certainly wasn't at fault. Out of the blue, a gentleman showed up to make sure my son was alright and handed my DH a voucher to get my DS a new shirt. While I cleaned DS up (and the CM stayed to help me), my DH went across the way to the Emporium to get my son a shirt with the voucher. We always joke that we are going to "get sick" every time we go to WDW now to get the free shirt!

Honestly, we have eaten at Coral Reef twice and the first time we went, I felt like the waitstaff was quite aloof and could not be bothered. I guess I'm not surprised this was the reaction you got. I'm sorry it happened - could not have been comfortable wearing wet, sticky clothes!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

This question, after 7 pages, has surely shown, that everyone has a different idea of what would be fair. Some want only a towel and a *I am sorry* and others are busy trying to figiure out how to get everything up to and including thier whole vacation covered. Everyone else is in the middle.


Basicly.......it is very subjective!

AKK

 

[maxiesmom]

This question, after 7 pages, has surely shown, that everyone has a different idea of what would be fair. Some want only a towel and a *I am sorry* and others are busy trying to figiure out how to get everything up to and including thier whole vacation covered. Everyone else is in the middle.


Basicly.......it is very subjective!

AKK

I agree.

I just think it sad that so many seem to fall on the side of I should get a free meal, a parade thru the park, and a lap dance from Minnie side of it. A tray of drinks spilled on me would suck. It would not, however, ruin my vacation or even my day. Do so many people have such perfect lives that they don't have to deal with a curve ball or two? Accidents happen and when they do it shouldn't immediately mean a lot of free stuff.

 

[disnut8]

One of my good friends is at Disney right now with her DH and 4 teenagers. I planned their trip for them. They were at Coral Reef last evening on the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package. The bill was about $500. The waitress spilled an entire tray full of drinks down over my friend's head, back and into her bag, soaking her. Only after seeking out the manager, did my friend's DH get them 2 vouchers for sweatshirts (hers and her daughter's were soaked). That's it. Don't you think at least her dinner should have been taken off the bill? Her hair and parts of her body were wet and sticky when they went to see the Candlelight Processional. I don't think 2 sweatshirts was enough, considering how it made her evening less than pleasant.

I would feel more comfortable talking about this situation if the person who had the drinks dumped on them was the one reporting on everything. No offense to the OP but this is second hand information. How wet, how sticky, how uncomfortable? How long between the drinks getting dumped and the husband getting up to find a manager? Was it 30 seconds? Five minutes? How many drinks? What kind of drinks? People are saying sugary and sticky but no types of drinks were mentioned. Before this gets into what Disney should and should not have done, there are a lot of details to be mentioned.

 

[Bob NC]

This question, after 7 pages, has surely shown, that everyone has a different idea of what would be fair. Some want only a towel and a *I am sorry* and others are busy trying to figiure out how to get everything up to and including thier whole vacation covered. Everyone else is in the middle.

Where are the posts of the "others" who would want their entire vacation paid for?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Where are the posts of the "others" who would want their entire vacation paid for?

Oh for the love of pete guy, I don't think anyone out right said just a towel and appology was ok either.

The point being the opinions are subjective and the opinions cover a wide span!Talk about nitpicking!

AKK

 

[minnie mum]

Where are the posts of the "others" who would want their entire vacation paid for?

Really? You could not see that the poster was using (a little bit of) deliberate exaggeration to make a point? I think you need to get out a bit more

 

[nkereina]

What is a "sweatshirt", exactly? What I am picturing a sweatshirt being is not something I would wear in public, let alone a Disney one, but I'm a male, so maybe it's different. It seems to me these people were having a nice dinner in preparation for a nice evening, so I'm picturing one of them moseying around in a sweatshirt sticking out like a sore thumb from what everyone else would have been wearing.

This. I am female and never buy Disney merch. I'd appreciate the restaurant giving it to me but it's not something I would have bought on my own, much less wear. And even though you don't dress up for CP, I'd probably be in my "dinner" clothes since I go back and change after we are done in the parks.

The sweatshirts at Disney run about $50! No one dresses up for the CP. Everyone is wearing theme park gear.

You have to remember Disney's cost, as I said in a PP. Their cost is probably $10, maybe not even, for those marked up $50 sweatshirts. It wasn't much skin off Disney's nose to give out those sweatshirts after that incident.

 

[maxiesmom]

This. I am female and never buy Disney merch. I'd appreciate the restaurant giving it to me but it's not something I would have bought on my own, much less wear. And even though you don't dress up for CP, I'd probably be in my "dinner" clothes since I go back and change after we are done in the parks.



You have to remember Disney's cost, as I said in a PP. Their cost is probably $10, maybe not even, for those marked up $50 sweatshirts. It wasn't much skin off Disney's nose to give out those sweatshirts after that incident.

So I'm confused. You would rather Disney not offer sweatshirts as they are not fashion forward enough? Also if you are going to CP you are not yet done in the parks, so would you not still be in park clothes?

If someone dropped a tray of drinks on me I think I would be greatful to have a free, clean, dry top to put on, even if it wasn't my usual style. I wouldn't turn my nose up at, but maybe that is just me.

 

[Senator Tressel]

It's a very good quality to always be grateful for anything that happens or to spin it in a good, positive way. But it's not people being "entitled" when they think being soaked in front of a crowd of people doesn't warrant having their meal comped. As has been stated by people who know, that is the industry standard for customer service in this situation.

 

[maxiesmom]

It's a very good quality to always be grateful for anything that happens or to spin it in a good, positive way. But it's not people being "entitled" when they think being soaked in front of a crowd of people doesn't warrant having their meal comped. As has been stated by people who know, that is the industry standard for customer service in this situation.

But most restaurants do not go around handing out repalcement clothing. So Disney already did something that is above and beyond industry standard with that action. But maybe the OP would rather have had her and her daughter's meal comped and stayed in wet clothes? I don't see that as a better solution, given that the OP was not planning on calling it a night just yet.

 

[Eventer98]

When my son was 2 we were eating dinner at 1900. He made the "I'm going to throw up face" that parents know so well...DH grabbed him and ran for the bathroom. They didn't make it. He threw up all over DH and of course himself in the 1900 lobby. The CM ran right off to the gift shop and grabbed them both new T-shirts. Totally unexpected..she didn't need to do that. Disney is wonderful like that...they should be happy with their sweatshirts. Accidents happen

 

[BriarRosie]

So I posted the incident at Teppan Edo on December 8th, and how it seemed like appropriate compensation to the two people who had sticky stuff spilled on them.

What I never mentioned was that I was comped at a restaurant that used to be at Disney California Adventure when I went there on a trip in 2003. The place was called The Vineyard Room, and it was on par at the time with the service and quality I got at Napa Rose or the signature restaurants at WDW.

I didn't have any food spilled on me, nor was I in any great rush. I was having a solo meal, and the server and the manager felt that they needed to comp me because my entree took too long to get ready out of the kitchen. I don't know if there was a problem where they needed to re-do the order because they messed it up. I wasn't concerned. THEY were concerned on my behalf. That is definitely an "above and beyond" moment I'd come to expect from Disney.

I was a bit shocked that they seemed more upset about it than I did.

 

[Senator Tressel]

But most restaurants do not go around handing out repalcement clothing. So Disney already did something that is above and beyond industry standard with that action. But maybe the OP would rather have had her and her daughter's meal comped and stayed in wet clothes? I don't see that as a better solution, given that the OP was not planning on calling it a night just yet.

They did have to stay in wet clothes to eat the meal.

 

[maxiesmom]

They did have to stay in wet clothes to eat the meal.

But not for CP and the rest of the night after the meal. Comping the meal wouldn't have fixed their being in wet clothes either way.

 

[shenaniganzz]

Well, I think the point has been made that everyone will react to a situation differently. However, it boggles the mind why some people need to start "name calling" when people have a differing opinion. Just because I think Disney should have done more makes me no more entitled or greedy than it makes you a pushover or spineless for accepting less than what I think they should have done. Sheesh - respect, people! Can't you just agree to disagree?

 

[olecow]

I realize I'm a little different than a lot of others but I'd feel worse for the waitress than I would for myself if I had drinks spilled on me. I've never waited tables but I know I'd feel absolutely mortified if I was the one who spilled the drinks.

I'm not sure I would ask for anything. Would I appreciate the restaurant OFFERING me something? Sure, who wouldn't?

In this instance I would take the sweathshirt offer. If you're not a Disney clothes person than having your entree comped would be fair in my opinion.

 

[Senator Tressel]

But not for CP and the rest of the night after the meal. Comping the meal wouldn't have fixed their being in wet clothes either way.

Right, so you comp the meal in exchange for ruining their meal. I don't see how a reasonable person can disagree with that.