Much ado about water.

Not long ago, I posted about sparklette's post on restaurants that do not serve plain water. On Sunday (12 July 2009), there was an article in the Sunday Times on it, and the reactions of some eateries to the list.





All stirred up over drinking water in restaurants
Some eateries are upset over blogger's list of places that don't serve free water

By Lee Xin En

A blogger, upset that a restaurant would not serve her tap water which she needed to take her medication with, is urging diners to boycott such outlets.

Miss Veron Ang - urged on by some netizens - went further and posted on her blog a list of 62 restaurants that she claimed do not serve free water.It provoked angry reactions from several of the eateries which said they do serve water without charge.
One warned that the list Miss Ang, 24, a Web developer, created was 'libellous'.
Miss Ang said that in May, she dined at a restaurant in the west that refused to serve her water although she needed it for her medication.
After she 'Twittered' the incident, her friends urged her to create a list of similar eating places. She compiled an initial list from her own experience, as well as going to reviews on a food website, and asking friends on Facebook and Twitter.
After her list was posted on blog aggregating site Tomorrow.sg, other contributions started flowing in.
Her initial list, first posted last month, grew to 62 restaurants. It has been circulated by many Twitter users and websites.
The restaurants that do serve free water, but yet ended up on the list, are not amused. The Tapas Tree is one.
The marketing and sales manager for The Tapas Tree Group, Ms Lyn Yip, said: 'We find this list to be libellous, and will not hesitate to engage our lawyer if we are not removed from the list and the situation is not rectified immediately.
'We live in a time when the influence of Web opinion cannot be ignored, so bloggers have to approach their entries with responsibility, especially when composing defamatory lists.'
The list was still available at Miss Ang's blog when The Sunday Times checked yesterday at 4pm.
When contacted, 10 of the listed restaurants that admitted to a 'no free water' policy defended their position.
The managing director of Italian restaurant La Forketta, Ms Gracie Vitale, said: 'Our patrons are serious diners and come for our food, not to taste water. It's the customer with a budget who insists on tap water.'
She added that, outside Singapore, 'nobody really asks for tap water'.
Mr Jeffrey Jumahat, manager of Cafe Le Caire which does not serve free water, also shrugged off the list's boycott exhortation.
'To be frank, I don't think customers will just boycott because of water. There's no urgent need to take action at this point of time,' he said.
Mr Jack Chin, co-founder of Mad Jack's, said his chain of four restaurants does not serve free water because manpower is needed to refill and wash the glasses. He added: 'People who complain are not educated about business costs because nothing is free.'
Bakerzin, which started serving free water in April last year, said it incurred costs of $25,000 to install special water filters at its 10 sit-down dining outlets.
Taking the list seriously is Alps Cafe owner Danny Ang, who is rethinking his policy of 'free water only if you ask for it'.
His cafe had stopped serving water at dinner only late last year, but he does serve free tap water to customers who want it.
He said: 'I'm worried about the list. If customers really want it, I might consider raising the price of the food to give everyone free water.'
Several patrons contacted dismissed the reasons cited for not giving free tap water.
Sales manager Renee Koh, 32, said: 'Serving plain water for free should really be part of the service experience and I find it hard to think that the costs are that high, given that the water served is just chilled tap water.'

Mr Aun Koh, director of media and lifestyle consultancy Ate Media which published Asia's first restaurant guide The Miele Guide, said: 'In Singapore, there is no excuse other than snobbish vanity to drink bottled water and no reason other than an attempt to increase revenues for restaurateurs to refuse to offer tap water to their patrons.'
 

While I believe that the restauranteurs are entitled to their own opinion, surely so are we as customers. What irks me is how they dismiss customers who want to drink plain water as uneducated or cheap. Or how one reacted by threatening legal action, when they could simply have communicated with the blog owner. In addition to greed and snobbery, there are also many errors in their reasoning.

This makes me want to boycott their establishments not because they do not serve water (which they should), but because of their blatant disregard for their customers (which is also reflected in their refusal to serve water).

For the record, I ask for (warm) plain water because it is my drink of choice. It does not appeal to me to load up on the empty calories from the sugar in other drinks. And to have coffee or tea during the meal is just plain weird to me.

Highlights:
The marketing and sales manager for The Tapas Tree Group, Ms Lyn Yip, said: 'We find this list to be libellous, and will not hesitate to engage our lawyer if we are not removed from the list and the situation is not rectified immediately.
'We live in a time when the influence of Web opinion cannot be ignored, so bloggers have to approach their entries with responsibility, especially when composing defamatory lists.'

Erm, what do you call this:
(disclaimer: this list is compiled based on reader contributions and my own dining experiences. all comments and sources are linked for your reference. while i have taken steps to ensure the information presented is current, you may still wish to double-check with the restaurants if they have updated their no-water policy. if you notice any discrepancy, please let me know, too.)

All Ms Lyn Yip had to do was to contact Veron and all would be well. I do not understand the knee jerk reaction to sue any and everyone for every little thing. Firstly, what arrogance. Second, assume much? She should really do her research before making comments, rather than make sweeping generalisations not backed by truth.

The managing director of Italian restaurant La Forketta, Ms Gracie Vitale, said: 'Our patrons are serious diners and come for our food, not to taste water. It's the customer with a budget who insists on tap water.' She added that, outside Singapore, 'nobody really asks for tap water'.

Firstly, what arrogance. Second, assume much? She should really do her research before making comments, rather than make sweeping generalisations not backed by truth.

Mr Jack Chin, co-founder of Mad Jack's, said his chain of four restaurants does not serve free water because manpower is needed to refill and wash the glasses. He added: 'People who complain are not educated about business costs because nothing is free.'

Taking the list seriously is Alps Cafe owner Danny Ang, who is rethinking his policy of 'free water only if you ask for it'.
His cafe had stopped serving water at dinner only late last year, but he does serve free tap water to customers who want it.
He said: 'I'm worried about the list. If customers really want it, I might consider raising the price of the food to give everyone free water.'

Maybe it's just me, but I think that the costs involved should be included in the operating costs / overheads.  If you calculate the cost of manpower for providing water and washing up the glasses (isn't this the 10% service charge is for), where does it end?  Charge extra because customers want to use plates and cutlery? Surely these also need to be collected and washed?  Or for that matter, tables and chairs?  Ridiculous.