What does a bar owe you?

I ordered a pint of something I didn't like (leinenkugels cauliflower shandy), demanded they replace it even though I already knew i hate Wisconsin, then called founders and told them they jumped the shark with mango breakfast stout. I'm entitled to my opinion right !?!?

 

Dangit! If we would have made it to #32, we would have broke the record... You ruined it!!!

 

You demanded that they replace a Leinenkugels???? I would have thrown you out of my bar.

 

I've worked in Both Envorinoments. Both of which were small family run buisinesses. The first one i worked at would charge employees for anything broken/missing and would have a set formula of "X" amount of beer per anything that was on the menu. So if for example a keg was short more than 40oz from that formula then the "staff" was paying for it. It was a horrible feeling and as an employee to be working there and i think that the employees resented the owner for his extremely strict practices.

On the opposite end i worked at a place that understood things break when your working (Sometimes they break from the customers, sometimes they break in the dishwasher...sometimes things just happen out of your control) In addition they want their customers to be happy. The owner or Manager would go out of their way to make customers happy (often providing discounts or removing meals/drinks that were not to satisfaction) When it came to drinks i generally saw this on mixed drinks the most. I would say 95% of customers were very happy with their experience (which in a resturant is very high) and then of course you would have those that complain just to complain. In the end however an employee that had been working there for quite awhile had been caught voiding items off checks for people who would pay with Cash. In the end it was through that he stole almost $15,000 over a 2 year period.....so there is no perfect formula.

 

Ideally, a bar should allow you to sample a beer before you buy a whole glass.

 

This seems to be a no-brainer. If it's your local joint then of course you'd expect to be taken care of but a bar only owes you based on what you spend and how well you treat your barkeep.

 

no not really, and the comparisons that people are drawing towards other drinks and food are not really a fair comparison.

The transaction is complete, and you don't like the beer for a personal preference, well that's just what it is, that's not the bar or servers fault.

A really good server/bar might come back and ask you what you thought of the beer, and might ask you why you are not drinking it. Then to keep you happy they "might" offer you something else, but they certainly don't have to.

I'll tell you though if they offer you another beer for free without complaints you better tip well...

 

Bars do not 'owe' you anything. As a customer you're entitled to a clean glass and the beer itself.

If you don't like the service or standards of a specific bar, then stop going there.

If you feel that a bar 'owes' you something, you need to check your attitude.

 

In my experience if a beer is infected a good bar will take it back, apologize & give something else in return. I think that this is a proper way of doing things.

Obviously not all places do this & they are incorrect. I remember having a discussion where I wanted my money back for a terrible sour that clearly was infected (I have had hundred’s of sour beers & others agreed with me), the owner just kept going on and on about his nonsense excuse of it being aged on wine barrels. I wasn’t happy, it was like a restaurant selling me a spoiled ham and taking my money. It was a very expensive sour.

 

Agreed that there is no perfect solution. But in reference to your second example, thieves are gonna steal in any business environment. In bars, the time-honored method is to charge the customer and pocket the cash. I think we can agree that this is significantly different than handing out free drinks to inspire customer loyalty and/or satisfaction.

I worked in 4 different bars/restaurants through HS and college and in every one of them, the owner/manager had a policy of using free drinks to keep the regulars coming back and to create new regulars. The rule was typically that if your friends came into the bar regularly, you could comp them occasionally just like the other regulars, as long as they paid for most of their drinks. Everyone likes to feel "special" and when a bartender gives you a freebie, you feel like they appreciate you and want you to know it. At least for me, that's a good reason to keep coming back.

 

Only if its Due to funky draft lines or rotten beer i could see this happening , only had it happen a few times on some lesser known beer at even lesser known bars , I always would tell them please taste it and tell me thats normal, won my case every time. Other than that i would say its up to the person running the bar to decide on the call of how to satisfy a customer, Maybe half off the next round? But they might not see it that way either.

 

You and me both, This is a service that they provide to a customer, not the other way around. I agree with You 1,000,000,000 % and Having worked in retail Automotive Sales and repairs for 15 years might have something to do with it too.

 

They only owe you the available beer you ordered, at least 12 ounces worth unless specified. This beer must be untainted. They do not owe you a replacement unless its bad for some reason. If you don't like it, ask for a sample first next time.

 

Most of the places I frequent will happily give you a little taste of the beer before you order a full one if you ask nicely and don't abuse the privilege. On some unusual beers, the bars almost insist on it! Indra Kunindra, anyone?

However, I have been to "regular" bars that don't keep clean lines and have ordered their low-volume sellers (like Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in one place in particular). When these are served in a plastic cup and then taste like sour vomit, I expect a refund or a different beer. I rarely get that, so I have stopped buying draft beer in places like that and stopped going to those places at all if I can avoid it.

 

As a bar owner, I hope that it's because you accidentally broke some glasses and not because you stole them.

 

Indeed they were broken. My hands get a little shaky after a couple too many high ABV beers

 

About $16... after I hand them a $20

 

All I expect are clean lines, a clean glass and a bathroom.

 

Thought it would be clear I was kidding when I said "CAULIFLOWER shandy."