I don't think there's anything wrong in what you did, but I don't think I would have even gone that far. I'd figure that it was an accident, and I wouldn't want to get the waitress in trouble for that. If I'm in the position where I can afford to get table service at a luxury bar, then I think I'd just eat the dry cleaning bill.

I could foot the dry cleaning bill, but if the stain persisted, I'd definitely ask for the sweater to be replaced.

I second MondayMoos idea.

i agree with jude
not that theres anything wrong with what u did, its just not what i would do. yea i'd be pissed, but i wouldnt see the manager or ask for compensation.

Easy. You remain gracious, clean off, and talk to management about cleaning or replacing the clothes.

This situation happened recently at a restaurant I was at. A table adjacent to mine had sangria spilled all over a lovely coat by a server. The mess got on both people at that table as well as on a woman at a nearby table. It only spilled lightly on ours. My husband and I were a bit bummed, the restaurant would have also picked up our tabbed if there was any damage at our table.

Oh yeah, in my experience doesn't management usually bring up how to make things right? You don't have to ask them for compensation.

funny thing, my friend's cheap boss had a similar thing happen to his mother and he argued with the annoying and uncompassionate manager to cover the dry cleaning bill until he agreed...but when he called his mother to find out how much the bill had come to, it was only $3!! as much as he wanted to prove a point, he couldn't go back into that place and demand compensation for 3$!!

in the case of this sweater, i'd be pretty pissed because nothing ever looks the same after you wash it, so unless it came out looking like brand new after the dry cleaning, i'd ask for full compensation as well as have our bill taken care of at the bar too...a Prada sweater isn't a 25$ old navy tshirt...so i'd have a hard time being gracious

i'd probably show the damage to the manager that night so that they can make note of it and then tell them i was going to have it cleaned and if it didn't come out i'd like it to be replaced. as someone said- prada isn't cheap haha

I would let it go. Things happen and it was an accident. Just because it was a designer top doesn't make it different. You should not go drinking wearing something you aren't willing to loose. I might think differently if the server was particularly rude or inept, but not because of the sweater but because management would need to know such things. Being a server is a hard and thankless job and I wouldn't want to add to someone’s grief that way. I guess I feel that by being forgiving in such a situation it creates good karma.

If the sweater is the only thing between you and an indecent exposure fine, the above methods work great. However, if you can somehow doff the sweater and still be OK (I know the ensemble is ruined for the night, but that's an acceptable loss in this situation), then have the luxury hotel's own dry-cleaning service deal with it and have it shipped back to you on them. That way, they get to handle the entire thing in house, and there's no awkward "oh, it's only $3?" moment.

I was ironing my shirt in a hotel room before a job interview last month and the iron started to spurt brown rusty water. So I called the concierge and explained the situation. They came up, grabbed the shirt, and laundered and pressed it before delivering it to my door the next morning. If it had happened after I was checking out, I'd have no problem making them mail it back to me.

I hope you didn't mean to say "wine" in your answer up top when the liquid spilled was cranberry juice - not only is that just a factual error that the manager might use against you, but it's a different type of stain and the dry-cleaner (if you use the in-house service) might use the wrong cleaning agent.

I think it's perfectly appropriate to ask them to cover the dry cleaning bill, especially if you are polite about it. It doesn't matter that it's an expensive bar - it has nothing to do with what you can afford. It's about doing what's right - the restaurant/waiter is responsible for the spill, and they should reimburse you for the damage.

So, one can afford a Prada sweater, bottle service at an expensive luxury restaurant and one would still go for that poor woman's job or rent, right? Because have no doubt, if the restaurant gets to pay for the sweater and/or dry-cleaning, they'll fire her or at least retain it from her salary. There was a time when someone who had that type of money had the couth as well, I guess not anymore.

We're human, and accidents happen. I don't think that there is anything wrong with the way that it was handeled. But if you can afford wine service, I would make it known to management in case it does not come out so something can be worked out. I would take care of the dry cleaning bill.

A similar incident happened a few weeks back to a close table. A mand and his girlfriend were sitting on the patio enjoying a nice September night. He unloaded his pockets (phone wallet & keys all over the table, instead of keeping them in his pocket or putting them into his girlfriends purse) they orderd large blended drinks from the bar and as the waitress was bringing them out the edge of the class caught on his pile of goodies and spilt all over his phone. You could read the anger off of his face and this put the waitress into tears. I felt bad for her thinking that it was her fault, but in that situation i believe that he should not have treated the dinner table like his dresser at home.

If it is a luxury hotel they have a dry cleaner that they use and I think they would be happy to take care of the dry cleaning for you. I really don't think that they would fire the waitress, that seems a bit extreme. If the stain doesn't come out they should replace the sweater.

I agree with flyingroo. If you can afford the sweater and luxury bar experience, then leave the poor waitress alone. She was probably humiliated enough.

I agree with PartySugar. If I footed the bill myself, I would probably hesitate to go back to the bar, simply associating it with a bad experience (in which I had to foot the dry cleaning bill/replacement sweater cost). If the bar was gracious enough to offer a replacement, I think I'd be okay with the situation, and would probably be a repeat customer.

If it's the classy joint you've described, they're high profile enough *not* to resort to tactics like firing the waiter. If this were Friendly's on the other hand, she'd be gone in a flash.

hmmmm i've had an entire drink dumped INSIDE of a brand new handbag, and have had a coat puked on. both times i talked to the person involved. both times all i got out of it was a ruined purse and a puke-covered jacket.

although my experiences didn't involved waitstafff...so i would think that in this situation, it might be easier to get reimbursed for the cleaning.

Luxury hotels/bars often get their business based on reputation - which would certainly include going above and beyond to make the customer happy. I would think that the server would have automatically gotten a manager and let the manager deal with it, but I think it's perfectly reasonable to bring it up if she did not. Accidents happen, obviously, but a good establishment should want to do something for the customer regardless. And if not, then it's just an overpriced bar.

I'm a cocktail waitress and my response would really depend on the situation.

Most establishments will require the waitress to cover the dry cleaning costs. So asking the manager to cover the dry cleaning cost is really making the waitress pay.

If the waitress were really apologetic and tried the compensate - i.e. a complimentary bottle, a complimentary round of shots - I would not ask her to pay for a new sweater or the dry cleaning bill.

On the other hand, if she had a bad attitude about it, I'd tell her manager and have her cover the dry cleaning costs.

I'd eat the dry cleaning bill, but if the stain didn't come out I'd certainly ask for a replacement.

i think that i would do the same thing. in NYC - if you are at a place that has bottle service, chances are they will cover the dry cleaning at least, and then if the stain doesn't come out they should be willing to cover the cost. if you're getting bottle service, you're paying several hundred dollars...so it's only fair that the waitress or bar cover costs.

Just a note but cranberry is incredibly hard to get out. My hubby dropped cranberry juice on his brand new white linen pants. We brought it to the dry cleaners. They could not get it out entirely. Therefore I would have asked for a replacement if the dry cleaning didn't work.

I don't see what the problem is asking for them to pay the cleaning bill. Yes, I agree accidents happen but does that mean that the waitress isn't responsible for taking care of it?

I'd do the exact same thing, but I'd also struggle with the idea of getting the waitress in trouble. Staying calm about the situation would probably help in that matter.

But if the waitress was a person on the street and bumped into you and spilled all over you, you wouldn't feel bad about asking them to pay, would you? It isn't a matter of getting someone in trouble and you don't have to be rude about it, it is just taking care of a situation.

hmm definitely what I wish I had done...I was having dinner with my boyfriend before a cotillion in high school and the waiter spilled pesto sauce on the back of my dress the dress was a dark color and the stain wasn't horribly big and it was on the back but what pissed me off about it was he didn't even apologize he just kinda looked at me like "hmm I hope you didn't notice I just tipped some of your sauce on your dress", dropped the plates on the table as fast as possible and hurried away I should have asked for the manager but the waiter was pretty m.i.a. for the rest of the meal as it were so...

I have to disagree with those who say because you can afford Prada, you shouldn't ask for compensation. What if the expensive item of clothing was a gift? Or the bottle service was a treat by a more well-off friend or family member?

Just because someone appears to have money, doesn't mean that they do. And it shouldn't matter in the first place.

Yes, accidents happen, but you shouldn't have to go into a place where you're paying for service with the mentality that any of the items you bring with you are thing you should consider "open for damage."

one time i went to a salon and had bleached used in my hair and the person doing my hair didnt even tell me that she had ruined the shirt i was wearing. i found out after. i was and am still pretty pissed. i wish i couldve done something about it.