Restaurant Rules

[Canarr]

Originally Posted by jackfaire

Except based on how it's written I am operating under the assumption that "showing" isn't "giving" They said they showed the coupon to the waitress. This most likely being a "is this coupon still good and valid" they then pocket said coupon to present at the end of the meal for when they pay.

During the meal they accept another separate discount not thinking about the fact they have a coupon that says specifically they cannot do this.

Should the discounts be swapped if possible absolutely.

Your assumption may be true. But that goes entirely counter to your previous argument of, "Maybe the computer didn't let the waitress change it!" - because if she didn't apply the BOGO coupon until it came time to bring the bill, then it was entirely up to her which discount she wanted to apply.

Look, I'm thinking we are fairly close on our positions here. Yes, the two diners should have read the fine print on their coupon, and should have realized that it could not be used together with the pie promotion. Or at least, they should have asked if they weren't sure.

And if the story had been about them being upset about having to pay for the pie, then I would be right there with you in saying, "Sit down and shut up!" But from my POV, the behavior of the waitress was shittier than theirs, by several magnitudes.

No matter at what point she entered the discounts into her system, she made the *conscious* decision to apply the less valuable discount to her customers. She didn't talk to them about it, she didn't ask their preference, she just straight up told them, "That's how it is. Fuck you." That's not just shitty customer service, that's being a shitty human being. If you make a decision to make someone else's day worse than it was, for no other reason than because you can, then you suck. Full stop.

So, yeah. That's why I can't really be upset at the customers, or see myself taking the waitress' side. Because she is an asshole in this story. The two diners were a bit clueless, and slightly negligible, and should work on that. But being an asshole to someone is worse, don't you think?

[jackfaire]

Originally Posted by Canarr

But that goes entirely counter to your previous argument of, "Maybe the computer didn't let the waitress change it!" -But being an asshole to someone is worse, don't you think?

I agree but I don't think that she was being an asshole.

I think the computer system automatically applied the Pie Discount because it was pie day. I think anyone ordering pie even people specifically saying "and don't apply the pie discount when I order pie" are getting the pie discount."

I agree they should program the computers to not be assholes or re-program them so they don't recognize a mandatory discount as a discount. But most of these registers are programmed to "automatically apply things you forget"

We cashiers and servers rarely have the ability to tell the computer to do anything manually. At my cafe I can only ring up menu items, modify menu items etc. I can apply discounts from a rewards card. But that's it. I can't manually modify anything, I can't provide manual discounts, I can't even manually charge someone for an ingredient, say if they want some bacon for their dog.

At one point registers allowed for greater autonomy. Now it's like Corporate is standing there all day every day and there isn't shit you can do about it.

[Canarr]

If the computer doesn't allow separate discounts on the same bill, and will automatically apply the "Pie Discount" on any bill containing pie, then it would have been even more important for the waitress to apply the BOGO coupon immediately upon ordering. Because then there would've been one discount already applied, and the system couldn't add the "Pie Discount".

She's still looking like an asshole from where I'm sitting, sorry.

[kibbles]

IMO the waitress and the manager were both giant assholes! Too lazy to do their jobs by the sound of it! Ignorant workers and a dirty restaurant..yeah..no thank you!