Re: got charged $4 for 2 glasses of water with lun... - Page 5

Sunshine Kate · ‎03-10-2010

No charging for water in my state at a restaurant. I won't pay it. Will just eat at home.

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

In Tx. when you eat out they don't bring any water it's not a choice. water is a luxury and is not bought to the table. No telling what you would have to pay for it if you made a special request.

lynnie61 · ‎04-28-2010

Free water here. I am a part time server. I will gladly bring water, but at least drink it. The worst ones when they wanted bowls of lemons, yes like 20 slices, then use our sugar and sweetener to make free lemonade. Or tea drinkers bring their own tea. Need lemon, honey, sugar. If I had to have my own tea, I would not mind paying for tea and swap my teabag.

10 waters at the table, not used. 10 cups to wash, and 10 glasses of water dumped. I chose to drink water because I prefer to skip soda. It should be posted on the menu though.

If I was at a fast food restaurant, I would have no issue paying for a cup.

FlyersGirl · ‎03-13-2010

@timeless wrote:
This struck a nerve for me.

When I was working at McDonald's for my first job at 15, I was told to charge customers for the size of cup of water that they were asking for.
Not realizing customers wouldn't know that, I followed what the boss said and charged a guy for his water.
He ate lunch and came over after and started yelling at me for charging for water. I told him I was supposed to charge because of the cup. He still yelled he wanted me fired.
My boss came over and yelled at ME for charging him! Then told me to refund him.

Looking back, I think it should have been policy to notify all customers of a "cup charge" when just asking for water.
If you like the restaurant in other ways, maybe call and ask for the manager and explain your surprise. They may change the policy. At least maybe they will instruct the waiters better.

@timeless I worked for a fast food place when I was in High School and we did that too. Store inventory for drinks is counted by the number of cups used/remaining, not by what was in the cup. So we had a smaller cup we used for customers who wanted water, or for people who wanted to share, called a courtesy cup. Since they were small, when a customer asked for water I would give them a few filled courtesy cups.

In regard to the original post, the restaurant should include the water change on the menu. Typically the charge would be for bottled water. I've never seen a change for a glass of what sounds like it was "tap" water.

lgfan · ‎10-19-2012

When I have asked for a cup of water at a fast food place I knew they would charge for the cup. I have no problem being charged but least I want to be told up front and not wait to be charged.

I went to a restaurant one time and was asked if I wanted more sour cream and cheese for my food. I said yes thinking it was complimentary. I was given the bill and realized that I was being charged for the extra sour cream and cheese. I should have been told that it would be an extra charge.

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Yeah, I don't think I'd go back there again. That's just rude!

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Q4u · ‎03-17-2010

I'm a water drinker too and really don 't like the choices offered to me from the menu or fountain. I can't have anything with sugar in it. I can't have any of the soft drinks with artificial sweeteners in it. (Don't agree with me), so I am rather limited with the fountain drinks. I understand charging for the cup..... but don't charge me exorbinately. I think charging the OP $2 a cup of water will leave a lot of restaurant goers with a really, really bad taste going forward.....

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

A lot of restaurants only provide water now if the customer asks for it. I've read that too many customers don't want tap water - they want bottled water. Some of them also don't trust that the water glasses were washed well enough to kill previous germs! Add to that the wait staff having to add all those used (but unused) glasses to their dishwashers and it all adds up. That's not to mention the cost to the restaurant for their water bill for ice makers or buying bags of ice. It all cost them money!

I agree that if a diner is going to charge for the water, then they need to make sure customers understand that, or just use really small glasses instead of a giant glass of ice water!! Most customers don't drink it anyway.

JoyFilled Warrior · ‎09-02-2022

Hi @kittyloo

IMHO, yr feelings & issues are completely understandable. I do believe that I wld be shocked, surprised at such an UNcu$tomary practice imposed on me also.

Personally, I dont like $urprise$ that end up coming out of my own pocket$.

And this ipractice is happening, wayy too often now, & increasing, if u ask me.

I guess that's why our Management is cracking down on what has come to be coined, "Junk Fees," (esp, & incl, without informing Customers of these addt'l fees they'll be expected to pay)!

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

DH & I go out to eat quite a bit. We always ask for water. We are never charged for it. In fact in some restaurants, water is automatically brought to the table after you're seated.

If a restaurant ever charged me for water they would never see me again.