Wherein I argue semantics at Subway.

[smileyeagle1021]

You were a SC in the fact that you put your own spin on a clear coupon. It said 2 sixers NOT 1 foot. ?

How is that sucky when even Subway doesn't always distinguish between the two?
If they are willing to ring up two six inches as one footlong (which I have seen multiple locations do), why should it be a problem to run it the other way?
If there is suck, it is in Subway management for not being consistent in their policies.

[Android Kaeli]

No, no it's not. I can be pretty dumb sometimes but I get the coupon and what needs to be purchased in order to get something else for free. It's not really a hard concept to follow, really.

Again I'll state that while two six inch subs do make a footlong sub, the matter is that the coupon states otherwise. Why couldn't you have said you had a coupon for buy one, get one at the beginning, got two of the same kind of subs, got your drink, and used the coupon? You were still getting the same thing, instead you were acting as though you were entitled to get that footlong for the cost of a single six inch sub and a drink.

[the_std]

Even if the policy is asinine, you brought it up in the wrong way to the wrong person. You being from CS means you know there is a time and a place. The ones you chose were incorrect. Your method was incorrect. If you don't like the policy, bring it up with their head office, you know, the people who could do something about it!

[Mr Hero]

I've already agreed that I could have avoided this by announcing the coupon before my order. In fact, I went to a different store today since I wanted to try a new sub. I did exactly that and they looked at me quizzically. And wondered why I couldn't just order a footlong.

Secondly, as I've stated before, this guy was a closing manager. He has some leeway when it comes to policies. Aren't managers allowed to comp in certain circumstances?

Thirdly, at the time, I did not know if he was making things up or if this was actually a policy. The reason I even had that doubt was the fact he had stated a policy to a couple in front of me that I had never heard before in my life. This led me to question this one as well. I've since talked to other Subway employees and most have stated there's no such policy while one said that there is, but they never followed it since it's was an asinine rule. As for the other policy stated to the couple in front of me, again most Subway employees have agreed with me, but one did have this policy at his store.

Fourth, isn't it our jobs as consumers to question policies we don't agree with as long as it's done in a polite and respectful manner? Though the guy I addressed may not have power to change the policy, he does have power to make exceptions. He made an exception for me because I asked. I was led to believe there's nothing wrong with asking politely if an exception is possible. Additionally, I'm hardly scamming the store out of anything.

I once posted on CS a story asking Gamestop if they price matched Toys R Us's video game sale. They told me no. I accepted. Why then am I sucky when an exception to policy was granted to me?

Another asinine policy I see questioned quite a bit deals with clerks selling us extra shit we don't need like a store CC or extended warranty. Aren't we allowed to politely let the clerks know when they're getting too pushy even though backing down could result in disciplinary action?

Fifth, I have had coupons of this same nature in the past. I have ordered in the same way I did in the original post. It was a different manager than this one that rang me up. He never confronted me on it. Therefore, I was led to believe that what I was doing was normal and acceptable. I had no reason to believe otherwise.

Sixth, this coupon could be in the same category as those 2/$X deals. Some stores let you buy just one item for half of $X, while others make you buy two. Again, I feel my only mistake was assuming one thing.

Finally, I have also seen stories on SC where the poster worried they were sucky, but other posters told them they were not because they had good intentions. Should I not be granted the same consideration? My intentions in my ordering was to make things faster and more convenient for the worker. Should this not count for something?

[Peppergirl]

Finally, I have also seen stories on SC where the poster worried they were sucky, but other posters told them they were not because they had good intentions. Should I not be granted the same consideration? My intentions in my ordering was to make things faster and more convenient for the worker. Should this not count for something?

With respect, the difference between those postings and this one is that most of the CS postings you mentioned involve people who really wish to know what, if anything, they did wrong.

Your demeanor here makes you appear as though you feel you were correct, regardless of some really good and well meaning comments that have advised you that perhaps you weren't.

Therefore, I sort of don't understand your reason for posting. Are you looking for approval? Were you venting? Fratching is not the place for either of those things.

Quite a few posters (myself included) have pointed out that you very well may have meant well, but that you mis-fired. Sure, it counts for something that you meant well. But, regardless - it didn't work out and perhaps you will know next time to discuss the issue before hand.

[Mr Hero]

Your demeanor here makes you appear as though you feel you were correct, regardless of some really good and well meaning comments that have advised you that perhaps you weren't.

I feel that I did the best I could with the knowledge I had. My only mistake i feel was assuming I was using the coupon correctly. I've admitted that several times. When I learned I assumed incorrectly, I was polite in resolving this misunderstanding.

[the_std]

I feel the way you responded to the clerk was a mistake. I feel that you not explaining yourself before starting this mess was a mistake. I feel that your attitude about he whole situation, simply from your responses here, was a mistake. And I agree with Peppergirl - what would you like from us? Attaboys? I also don't agree that it is our "job" as consumers to question these policies to the point you have done with a front line employee. Simply because he was a manager, you feel he should have comped you? In my line of retail, managers are bound by quite a few rules as well. Your interpretation of the coupon does not entitle you to using that coupon your way. Also, the other Subway employees agreeing with you may not mean jack shit, as most Subways are franchise based and therefore subject to the whims of the owner, and maybe that particular owner does not like making substitutions on coupons.

[Mr Hero]

Thanks everyone for your input. I realize now I have to be more careful with how I use the rest of these coupons, even if I assume I'm ordering correctly. I'm lucky to have had it worked out yesterday in my favor. I don't care for that policy, but I am better equipped to not get surprised by it.

[Mr Hero]

I I feel that your attitude about he whole situation, simply from your responses here, was a mistake.

Could you help me identify where you feel my attitude was less than stellar? I don't see it and I certainly didn't asked to be comped. I used that as an example of what managers are allowed to do.

Therefore, I sort of don't understand your reason for posting. Are you looking for approval? Were you venting? Fratching is not the place for either of those things..

My intended purpose was to discuss opinions on the policy itself. Looking back, I don't think I did a great job leading that discussion. I'm publicly apologizing to anyone who felt I was attacking them. Believe me, that was not my intent.

[Nekojin]

You were a SC in the fact that you put your own spin on a clear coupon. It said 2 sixers NOT 1 foot. Order as the coupon states and you would have been fine but you went against the wording. That places you as a SC in my book.

Whoah, hoss. Let's not jump the gun on this. There's a range of places to be between "Sucky" and "Not-Sucky." It's not a black-or-white, one-or-the-other situation. Did he make a mistake? Yes. Did he essentially cause the problem? Yes. He's acknowledged that. He still falls short of suckiness. His request was a reasonable request, because it's something that can easily be done - see the end of this post.

Lets add an example....coupon states you can get 2 16oz jars of favorite sauce for the price of one. Customer comes up with 1 32oz jar. Customer then complain that they should get it for the price of one 16oz jar because 2 X 16 = 32. But thats not what the coupon states. If that was posted on CS everyone would be rallying that the couponer was in the wrong and a SC. How did you do anything different?

This is a terrible analogy. Prepackaged foods and prepared-to-order foods are not comparable when talking about pricing. Two identical six-inch subs CAN be put together to perfectly make a footlong, and a footlong can be broken up into two six-inchers. A 32-ounce can of sauce cannot be broken up into two 16-ounce cans of sauce (without making a huge mess in the aisle, anyway).

I've already agreed that I could have avoided this by announcing the coupon before my order.

Yes, precisely. "I've got a coupon for two six-inch subs, but I'd like to just have it made as a footlong, OK?"

[Aethian]

Whoah, hoss. Let's not jump the gun on this. There's a range of places to be between "Sucky" and "Not-Sucky." It's not a black-or-white, one-or-the-other situation. Did he make a mistake? Yes. Did he essentially cause the problem? Yes. He's acknowledged that. He still falls short of suckiness. His request was a reasonable request, because it's something that can easily be done - see the end of this post.


This is a terrible analogy. Prepackaged foods and prepared-to-order foods are not comparable when talking about pricing. Two identical six-inch subs CAN be put together to perfectly make a footlong. Two 16-ounce cans of sauce cannot be put together to make a 32-ounce can. 32 ounces of sauce, yes, but that's not quite the same thing.


Yes, precisely. "I've got a coupon for two six-inch subs, but I'd like to just have it made as a footlong, OK?"

Jumping in a little late aren't we? Posted that over 8 hours ago and there has been several posts made after it...yet I'm jumping the gun on MY view of Hero being a SC? I still believe him to have acted as a SC in the way that he first presented these threads here and on CS. My analogy works just fine in the way it was intended. I wasn't going for a argument on prepared and canned/jared goods. It was all about the coupon and the coupons wording.

Going to jump on my post you better jump on everyone elses who said that Hero didn't present himself properly and at the beginning of the order that started the threads.

[Nekojin]

Jumping in a little late aren't we? Posted that over 8 hours ago and there has been several posts made after it...yet I'm jumping the gun on MY view of Hero being a SC? I still believe him to have acted as a SC in the way that he first presented these threads here and on CS. My analogy works just fine in the way it was intended. I wasn't going for a argument on prepared and canned/jared goods. It was all about the coupon and the coupons wording.

Going to jump on my post you better jump on everyone elses who said that Hero didn't present himself properly and at the beginning of the order that started the threads.

1.) You're the only person expressly calling him an SC.
2.) I wasn't aware that there was any statute of limitations on post replies, certainly not gauged in number of hours.

[Boozy]

Jumping in a little late aren't we? Posted that over 8 hours ago and there has been several posts made after it...

Most of us don't spend 24 hours a day logged into Fratching, ready to jump into a debate at a moment's notice. I don't suspect you do, either. Timing of posts aren't fair game for debate.

This entire thread has gotten a bit testy. I've previously warned everyone here about the dangers of posting personal anecdotes as debate topics. The OP in these cases needs to understand that the debate will, to some extent, focus on their behaviour. And everyone else needs to be aware of how hard that can be and word their responses very carefully and tactfully. There's been some failure on both sides here.

Mr Hero has conceded that his late presentation of the coupon led to the hassle he encountered in the store. If this thread is to continue, the only place for it to go is into a discussion of the policy itself. Let's keep it to that track from this point on and allow everyone's tempers to cool.

[Ree]

I do understand that the coupon clearly stated 2x6" subs, but it seems like a lot of wasted time and effort to me if the OP was getting 2 identical subs. The logical side of me doesn't understand why what he did was a problem.

It would be different for me, I think, if the 6" subs were actually separate loaves, and not just 12" ones cut in half.

I think you have said a couple of times that you felt it was saving your server some work, as well as reducing waste of paper by getting the 2x6" subs as 1x12".
Of course, in this case, you should have asked before he started if it was OK to order that way.
If you had told the server what your intent was, he might have considered it.

It almost seems inane to me to stand there and watch the server take a 12" loaf of bread and cut it in half, and then take the time and effort to put exactly the same ingredients on each half and wrap them separately in 2 separate pieces of paper. In my local Subway, they also wrap each one in a napkin as well, so that's now 2 pieces of waxed paper and 2 napkins that didn't really need to be used, since both subs are going to be eaten by the same person.

I would have told them I had the coupon and then asked, "Since I will probably be getting both 6" subs made exactly the same way, is it OK to just get it as a 12"and treat it as 2x6" subs at the cash to save you some time?"

I wouldn't just assume and then get upset because my logic didn't make sense to them.

Maybe chalk this up as a lesson learned, and the next time you want to use your coupon, you can check first. Otherwise, just go with the flow and let them follow their own logic and rules for redeeming their coupons.

[HYHYBT]

Some employees seemingly live to pounce on minor technical faults customers make. Others will try to fit what you ask for into what they can provide in the best way. It sure gets confusing when you're used to dealing with one and suddenly get the other.