Background: I work at a fast food taco place, part of a chain, probably not the first one that pops into your head. We run a special on Tuesdays and it's our busiest day. My particular store is only six blocks from the local high school, so we get very busy during their lunch period.
So this old guy comes in with his mother, arriving just before the rush of high school kids. He wants one of our regular menu items and his mother wants the special, and they both want ice water. This brings their total to a little under $4.50. This is when the suck starts. First I ask him if he wants it to stay or go and he looks around at the nearly full restaurant and says they want to dine in "if there's any tables." I tell him that he should probably grab a table quickly because we will fill up with high school students in a moment.
The guy asks for a senior discount and I explain that we are not allowed to give senior discounts on the specials, because they are already heavily discounted, and, well, we're trying to run a business here. He throws a fit and demands that I ring up their food in separate transactions so he can get a discount on his item. So I ring his up and he pays and then after he's paid he accuses me of not giving him the discount. Now, my state doesn't charge sales tax, and all of our prices end in a 5 or a 0, and I charged him $2.52, so I knew I had hit the button for the discount. Senior discounts are the only reason we even keep pennies in the till, because we wouldn't need to give them as change otherwise.
I was trying to hurry him along because the first high school kids were starting to line up behind him and so I just printed a receipt and circled where I had discounted the item. He crumpled the receipt and dropped it on the floor and said he'd paid less than that before. I allowed as how that was probably true because our prices went up recently, mostly by 5 or 10 cents here and there. So I rang up his mother's order and took the money for that and asked him for a name to call out. He looks at the students queuing up behind him and says, "Are you going to bring it out to us?" I said no and he rolled his eyes and snapped angrily, "Wow, you are just feeling really helpful today!" Helpful or not, buddy, I've got maybe twenty kids in line behind you already, and more coming in the door. We simply don't have time to take your food to you. If you come here often enough to notice the prices change by a nickel, you should probably already know that we call out your name and you get your food off the counter.
Then he complained because while he was standing in line complaining about his discount, the students had claimed all of the tables, and his mother was going to have to eat in the car. I don't know if he expected me to make the students move or what, but they're all paying customers too, and while they sometimes get a little rowdy or leave a mess, at least they don't hold up a big line at lunchtime arguing over a discount. How much of a discount? Twenty-eight cents. Don't spend it all in one place, asshole.
So this old guy comes in with his mother, arriving just before the rush of high school kids. He wants one of our regular menu items and his mother wants the special, and they both want ice water. This brings their total to a little under $4.50. This is when the suck starts. First I ask him if he wants it to stay or go and he looks around at the nearly full restaurant and says they want to dine in "if there's any tables." I tell him that he should probably grab a table quickly because we will fill up with high school students in a moment.
The guy asks for a senior discount and I explain that we are not allowed to give senior discounts on the specials, because they are already heavily discounted, and, well, we're trying to run a business here. He throws a fit and demands that I ring up their food in separate transactions so he can get a discount on his item. So I ring his up and he pays and then after he's paid he accuses me of not giving him the discount. Now, my state doesn't charge sales tax, and all of our prices end in a 5 or a 0, and I charged him $2.52, so I knew I had hit the button for the discount. Senior discounts are the only reason we even keep pennies in the till, because we wouldn't need to give them as change otherwise.
I was trying to hurry him along because the first high school kids were starting to line up behind him and so I just printed a receipt and circled where I had discounted the item. He crumpled the receipt and dropped it on the floor and said he'd paid less than that before. I allowed as how that was probably true because our prices went up recently, mostly by 5 or 10 cents here and there. So I rang up his mother's order and took the money for that and asked him for a name to call out. He looks at the students queuing up behind him and says, "Are you going to bring it out to us?" I said no and he rolled his eyes and snapped angrily, "Wow, you are just feeling really helpful today!" Helpful or not, buddy, I've got maybe twenty kids in line behind you already, and more coming in the door. We simply don't have time to take your food to you. If you come here often enough to notice the prices change by a nickel, you should probably already know that we call out your name and you get your food off the counter.
Then he complained because while he was standing in line complaining about his discount, the students had claimed all of the tables, and his mother was going to have to eat in the car. I don't know if he expected me to make the students move or what, but they're all paying customers too, and while they sometimes get a little rowdy or leave a mess, at least they don't hold up a big line at lunchtime arguing over a discount. How much of a discount? Twenty-eight cents. Don't spend it all in one place, asshole.
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