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brk-lnt · 03-19-2011, 06:28 PM

Short answer: The restaurant should take the loss.

Longer answer:
In any business you always have to account for some amount of loss, shrinkage, uncollectable accounts and so on. In the food service industry there is the inevitable dine-n-dash, picky customer, non-tipper, etc. If the cost of a single drink throws off your margins so significantly that you can't afford to give it away, your problems are much bigger than that one drink.

People are fickle when it comes to food and drink. While the description of the drink is helpful, you could have a drink described as: "An 8 oz. plastic tumber filled with 6 ounces of warm tap water, with 2 ice cubes and a lemon wedge". At some point, someone is going to order that drink and expect to get 12oz. of spiced rum in a champagne flute, with an umbrella. And they're going to be indignant that what you served them didn't match the description.

Ideally the establishment suggests an alternative drink for the customer, based on feedback about what they did/did not like about the drink and keeps the "sale", while exchanging the product.

IMO, it's rarely worthwhile in the long run to fight over what is probably $5 or $10, in ANY situation, as a customer or business owner.

But, that's just my opinion.

03-19-2011, 06:28 PM	#5
brk-lnt Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Down Shores Posts: 1,944 Thanks: 544 Thanked 570 Times in 335 Posts	Short answer: The restaurant should take the loss. Longer answer: In any business you always have to account for some amount of loss, shrinkage, uncollectable accounts and so on. In the food service industry there is the inevitable dine-n-dash, picky customer, non-tipper, etc. If the cost of a single drink throws off your margins so significantly that you can't afford to give it away, your problems are much bigger than that one drink. People are fickle when it comes to food and drink. While the description of the drink is helpful, you could have a drink described as: "An 8 oz. plastic tumber filled with 6 ounces of warm tap water, with 2 ice cubes and a lemon wedge". At some point, someone is going to order that drink and expect to get 12oz. of spiced rum in a champagne flute, with an umbrella. And they're going to be indignant that what you served them didn't match the description. Ideally the establishment suggests an alternative drink for the customer, based on feedback about what they did/did not like about the drink and keeps the "sale", while exchanging the product. IMO, it's rarely worthwhile in the long run to fight over what is probably $5 or $10, in ANY situation, as a customer or business owner. But, that's just my opinion. __________________ [insert witty phrase here]