Economics

[karath]

Well, finally got another one today. After a long drought between forumworthy SCs, we got a real "beauty" today. I should begin the tale by saying that my manager is a VERY customer service oriented fellow, I have only seen him occasionally get irritated at customers, and that's after they've left. Today's SC genuinely pissed him off.

When the guy first came in, he was jovial, joking with his friends and our new cashier, while I was taking the orders of the customers behind him. I thought I heard him ask a strange question about how much just a patty cost, then heard our sandwich maker ask if it was a four-patty sandwich and my manager's confirmation. Ok, no big deal.

Afterwards the guy comes up and asks for the manager. I bring my boss over to him, and the guy starts grilling him about how his quadruple cost so much when a patty only costs $.99.

I should note that it does, but the only way we can apply that is by adding a 1/4 oz. patty to a sandwich we've already charged. On their own, the only way you get meat is by ordering a full-on sandwich. This is not a difficult concept to grasp, particularly when you consider we're also adding all the condiments and such on to the sandwich. We would not make a profit if we sold our food on the "every patty costs a dollar" policy.

My manager and the SC got into a genuine YELLING match over this basic economic principle: REVENUE - COST = PROFIT. The guy could not get through his head why sandwiches cost more than the $.99 a patty, shouting that he'd gotten that everywhere else he went. Eventually my manager just got sick of it and refunded the guy the $2.00 he claimed he was owed, but then told him that would NOT be happening again, and if he didn't understand that then he would not be welcome in the store.

After that the guy left in a bit of a huff, and my manager went on a little rant at everyone who spoke English about how that guy wasn't grasping the simple economics of a restaurant. I was just amazed at the guy; it takes a LOT to get my manager worked up, and this SC took a bypass right past logic and into the entitlement whore mindset. Just mind-boggling!

[allniter]

If anything, your manager should have charged him the full amount or had him arrested if he refused and then banned the walking headache from the store.

[thehippie777]

SCs want everything for free, but for God's sake don't ask them for their product for free!

[The Gatekeeper]

I have never understood that attitude. How dare a company make profit? These days most companies are lucky if they make 20% profit, which when you think about it isn't very much.

Successful (important word) companies manage their costs where they can in order to try and maximize profit which is usually then re-invested in the company for capital improvements or growth.

Simple math, and I suck at math:
Cost of material + cost of labour + overhead (heating, lights, computers, shelves) - sale price = profit.

Obviously there are more factors in there but you get the idea.
When you consider that 80% of the population lives in debt, I guess it shouldn't really be a surprise.
Unless a company is privately owned, no one person gets the profit. No profit no company. Garr! People are so stupid.

[friendofjimmyk]

Simple math, and I suck at math:
Cost of material + cost of labour + overhead (heating, lights, computers, shelves) - sale price = profit.

.

But, you are dealing with SCs & entitlement whores who have no concept of logic or simple math.

Similar to the topic - I participate in a non-profit organization that puts on fundraisers twice a year. Last year, I worked the kitchen during one of them. I was the one responsible for making the menu, figuring out the cost of each item, and pricing it accordingly. We were there to raise funds. One of the items purchased for the event were large boxes of small bags of potato chips (side dish for the burgers we were serving) We charged 50 cents a bag...I think the "profit" on each bag was 30 some cents. I forgot. We had one person pitch a fit because the chips cost 50 cents. They wanted to know where we got off charging that much for chips. It's a flippin' fundraiser. GAH!

[unclejampuff]

Normal human math is 1+1+1-1=2.

SC math is 1+1(imaspecialsnowflake)=everything for free

[marasbaras]

Please tell me you meant 4 oz. or 1/4 pound for $0.99 ... 'cause 1/4 oz. patties make McD's cheese burgers look like they come from Carl's Jr.

Four 4 oz. patties? Blech ... that's a HUGE sandwich.

Now, 16 oz Porterhouse or 16 oz. Spencer ... those are different beasts entirely.

[Andara Bledin]

See, the problem here is that a patty, on it's own, when added to a sandwich already being made is $1. But that is only because the labor costs of making the sandwich in the first place are paid as part of the original price of the burger.

OT. A 4-patty burger is too much. Talk about gross consumerism. Emphasis on the gross.

^-.-^

[SuperB]

I get that attitude on occasion. People love the mountains, the solitude, the semi-isolation but tell them the price of a pack of antihistamine and they go ape expecting WalMart prices.
Hello! 90% of what I have I have to drive 90 miles and pick up myself. What part of convenience in "convenience store" do they not get?

[Andara Bledin]

I get that attitude on occasion. People love the mountains, the solitude, the semi-isolation but tell them the price of a pack of antihistamine and they go ape expecting WalMart prices.
Hello! 90% of what I have I have to drive 90 miles and pick up myself. What part of convenience in "convenience store" do they not get?

The part that costs money.

I have a friend who lives in the mountains in Colorado. His nearest neighbor is miles away, and any type of store is about an hour's drive (if the roads are passable) away. He doesn't bitch about prices, though, because he knows it's because he's out in the middle of the mountains.

^-.-^

[karath]

Please tell me you meant 4 oz. or 1/4 pound for $0.99 ... 'cause 1/4 oz. patties make McD's cheese burgers look like they come from Carl's Jr.

Four 4 oz. patties? Blech ... that's a HUGE sandwich.

Now, 16 oz Porterhouse or 16 oz. Spencer ... those are different beasts entirely.

I definitely agree...but yes, it was four 4 oz. patties. The guy in drive-thru who JUST orders the meat and bread (maybe cheese, haven't seen him in a while) is almost excusable, but this guy was...special

See, the problem here is that a patty, on it's own, when added to a sandwich already being made is $1. But that is only because the labor costs of making the sandwich in the first place are paid as part of the original price of the burger.

OT. A 4-patty burger is too much. Talk about gross consumerism. Emphasis on the gross.

^-.-^

You phrased it a LOT better than I did there

[Geek King]

I have a friend who lives in the mountains in Colorado. His nearest neighbor is miles away, and any type of store is about an hour's drive (if the roads are passable) away. He doesn't bitch about prices, though, because he knows it's because he's out in the middle of the mountains.

Its like Hawaii. You can live in a beutiful place, but you also get to pay through the nose because almost everything is shipped in via air/sea. You have to make that trade off sometimes.