Originally Posted by
mikew99
...a restaurant often has to make the choice between being right (charging for something they are reasonably entitled to charge for) and making money (by leaving the customer satisfied and eager to return). To ignore this is to step over pounds to pick up pennies.
The OP's story was a case of policy trampling good sense. Very often, if I'm drinking at a bar and ask for a Diet Coke to close after three or so beers, the soda doesn't show up on the bill. To the bar, it's about three pennies' worth of product, and the bartender insures him/herself a good tip. Much smarter than appending a rather large dining tab with a $4.75 club soda charge. That said, the waiter probably didn't have the discretion most bartenders do, so shouldn't suffer a smaller tip.