Top tables

Pub owners give tips on customer service. What should you do when a staff member accidentally knocks a glass of wine over a customer?

Tom Kerridge

Licensee, the Hand & Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Situations like these are inevitable; restaurants/pubs are busy places and things like this do happen.

Top tips

1 First and foremost, apologise profusely; then get everything cleaned up quickly and make the customer as comfortable as possible.

2 Replace the customer's wine.

3 Offer to pay the cleaning bill for any items of clothing affected.

Penny Middleton-Burn

Licensee, the Crown

Inn, Dial Post, West

Sussex

Be very apologetic, while remembering that accidents do happen.

Any bad spillages we've had here haven't been over a customer, fortunately.

At one of my previous jobs, in Wimbledon, I managed to spill a whole trayful of glasses of Champagne and orange juice over a guest. It was horrendous!

Top tips

1 Apologise and offer to clean up the mess.

2 Offer to pay the customer's dry cleaning bill.

3 If the spill was very bad we would probably offer to cover the cost of the customer's meal as well.

Carol Robson

Owner, the Swan,

Monks Eleigh,

Suffolk

Every situation is different. As the proprietor I would jump in and take control of the situation - the trick is to pre-empt the customer and offer before you are asked.

Top tips

1 Establish the extent of the damage and instil confidence in the customer by assuring them that the matter will be resolved.

2 Pay for the clothes to be cleaned.

3 Read the situation to determine what else the customer expects; some would be embarrassed by gestures, while others would expect it.

We would probably offer some liqueurs at the end of the meal or a bottle of Champagne on their next visit.