I'm reading this great book right now by Natalie MacLean, Red, White, and Drunk All Over. There is a chapter towards the end of the book in which Natalie discusses proper etiquette for returning a bottle of wine that is, OR is not, corked. Corked means that the cork has gone dry or has other deficiencies that have allowed air into the bottle causing the wine to sour, or go bad. If the wine is bad you should definitely send it back, but what do you do if you just don't like the wine?
In her book Natalie says, "If the sommelier or waiter recommended the wine, there should be no problem sending it back. But if the diner chose it himself, it could be argued that he's responsible for his choice and should pay for that bottle even if he orders a replacement. Others, including me believe that if a wine is on the list, then the restaurant implicitly endorses it and should replace your bottle free of charge if you're not satisfied." Every establishment will have their own take on this issue but Natalie makes a very good point to back up her belief. She talks about the wine markups being all the way up to 400% in some cases. By the time the restaurant has sold one or two bottles of wine, the entire case has been paid for. A case consists of twelve bottles. With a markup like that, the restaurant is already counting on losses, and they have more than made up for it.
So, enjoy your wine. If you order a bottle that's gone bad there is no reason you should sit and try to force yourself to drink it. That's like trying to drink straight vinegar or moldy grape juice. Yuck! If you just flat out don't like it, and there's nothing wrong with the bottle at all, you should still request an exchange. Wine should compliment your meal, or vice versa. If you aren't enjoying it, then you shouldn't be drinking it, or be paying for it.
Cheers!
I've never been able to resist playing the devil's advocate, and this is no exception :-)
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anyone who would deny a customer a return of a product that had spoiled. But I would take issue with a return over something like "I just didn't like it".
First, if you are unsure, why not just order a glass, or ask the server if they have an open bottle in stock that they can pour a taste from? Not only do you get to try it before you buy into it, but also don't force the business to open a bottle when it isn't nessesary.
Second, I don't think it is fair for a business to have to take responsibility for someone else's decision. If I ask for the server's advice, and it doesn't work out, why should that business suffer for the gamble I chose to take?
I'm not a fan of the business having to pay the price for something that isn't their fault, but at least they have the potential to sell the bottle off by the glass and cut their losses. As for endorsment by offering, I disaggree. For example, my store carries mad dog 20/20. If I were faced with the choice of drinking mad dog or bleach, I would reach for the clorox. But I carry it because it sells. No other reason. Providing a great customer experience goes hand in hand with having the product that the customer wants. Assuming a product is endorsed because it is 'good' ignores the balance of money making, quality, and customer happieness.
The one that really got me though was the markup point. When we look at a markup, there is a category balance that isn't touched on (Natalie may have addressed it, but I'm doubtful). Let's take it from the customer perspective: if I want wine, I go to a wine bar or shop. If I want food, I go to a resturant. I don't go to the resturant for wine. The resturant knows that, and will intentionally keep the profit margin as low as they can on the food to be able to compete for my food dollar. To make up for the low margin on food, I balance it with a higher margin on other items like drinks. Natalie's arguement that a high profit margin = a high loss tolarance ignores the reality that inventory catagories work together and are not separate entities to be broken down into peices.
Ok, that was all of my advocating :-)
My response to JParker and Autumn is quite simple - you won't ever know unless you say something. I agree with you both that, if the bottle is bad, you should by no means be expected to force it down. However, when it comes to trying to return a bottle you simply don't like, I am afraid I must side with Autumn in that, if you don't ask, you will never know. Some facilities care more for ambience than anything, and they want your total experience to be the best it can be. That being said, if you order wine and simply don't like it, alot of restaurants will not even think twice about exchanging your bottle for something else. And, if the restaurant you are at is not interested in exchanging your bottle simply because you are not happy with it, that is their prerogative, but you would never have known that had you not asked. And quite frankly, because restaurants are in the business of pleasing people, if a restaurant does not choose to exchange my bottle of wine, they are certainly entitled to not do so, but they will most likely lose my business in the future as well....just some food for thought! :)
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