Entitlement Whore-ism at its Finest.

[TheTigress]

This is actually a SC story that happened to one of my best friends and co-worker yesterday on her shift. (I had the day off) It was so rediculous that I just had to post it here.

S: Dear friend and co-worker
SM: Sucky man
SW: Sucky woman

S told me what happened was that during a rush period at Subway the credit card portion of the register went down suddenly. (the network which takes the credit/debit/Subway Card transactions). When that goes down, the only transaction we can take is cash. This is sometimes fixable by rebooting the computer system. (which is what they were working on trying) Other times there's nothing we can do and it's a Subway-wide problem.

Keep in mind that there is also an ATM machine literally right around the corner from our Subway building. This comes into play later.

S: I apologize for the inconvenience but the credit/debit part of our system just went down so we can only take cash. There is however an ATM machine right around the corner that you all can use to get cash if we cannot get this problem fixed right away.

SM: So this means I can get my food for free, right? This has been such an inconvenience and you should let me have my food for free!

S: *shocked* No, it means you will have to go around the corner and use the ATM machine and come back with cash to pay for your meal, or you can wait and see if the network can get brought back up if you want to use your card.

SM: This is so much bullshit! I want my food for free for this! Call the owner and tell him to give us our food for free!

S: I'm sorry but there is nothing we can do right now until we can reboot the computer, and you are not getting free food over this. You can use the ATM machine and pay with cash.

SM: Blah blah blah me me me want want want free food blah blah!

S: *really not in the mood for this now* (in a sickeningly sarcastic way on purpose) Yes, let me call up the owner and ask him if we can give *everybody* in this store free food!

In the end, SM ends up getting so pissed that he throws his sandwiches back onto the counter in S's direction and leaves in a huff. Because apparently the short walk to the ATM machine right around the corner was just too much for him.

*S does call up the owner and let him know that the network went down and that a few customers were demanding free food. The owner doesn't really give two shits about his employees, but the one thing he will go against the customer on is any threat of them getting things for free in his store. He told S that there is no way any of those customers would be getting anything for free and that they could just use the ATM around the corner.

This is when SW enters, or should I say, exits the picture.

Little did S or anyone else know at the time, while she was on the phone with the owner, there was SW in line for the register and she ended up sneaking away with her 3 sandwiches, a bag of chips, and a milk without paying for it!

To make a long story short, the dude just wanted free sandwiches and got pissy when he realized that wasn't happening and threw a 2 year-old worthy temper tantrum.

The woman got away with a fast one. It happened so fast that there was nothing S or my other co-workers could do at the time. I'll have to ask S how they caught her doing it. Either checking the cameras or seeing her exit through the door.

[SubwayGirl]

I feel for you guys! I hate hate hate when the credit card machine goes down. We must have been down at the same time!

When ours goes down for more than a minute or two we put up signs. We have signs under the register all ready to go. Now we all know customers do not read signs. I have six signs that I put up all the way from the front door to the register. SIX BIG SIGNS! Yet we always get someone at the register "You are fucking kidding me" when they realize I can't take their credit, debit, gift card. It wouldn't be bad if this was just one customer that ignored the signs, but no! I would guesstimate at least half of them.

Now, I will usually let the person who is standing in front of me when the machine goes down have their food for free. (If I can't get it to come back up in a reasonable amount of time). But there is no way I will let them have it for free if they ignored the six signs no matter how much bitching they do.

Also, the ones that throw the biggest tantrums are business men (in their 40's, dressed in a nice suit and tie, very clean-cut). I had one actually stomp his feet all the way out the door the other day. I am still laughing about the sight of a 40-year-old man stomping like a 3-year-old.

[tropicsgoddess]

Also, the ones that throw the biggest tantrums are business men (in their 40's, dressed in a nice suit and tie, very clean-cut). I had one actually stop his feet all the way out the door the other day. I am still laughing about the sight of a 40-year-old man stomping like a 3-year-old.

Hilarious!!! The SC's on the OP's post were definitely entitlement whores at their finest trying to get their meals for free because the card machine went down. Gimme a break.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Reminds me of what went down one day when we couldn't get into the change bullion; someone had taken the keys home with them accidently and couldn't be raised on the phone. Not quite the same thing but still an SC breeder. Some of the tills literally had no cash, so were given signs that said in big letters, "Credit Card Only." Guess how many cash in hand SCs went on those tills?

[smileyeagle1021]

i think there are two important lessons on this thread, the OP has taught us that it is always important to have some cash just in case and Lace has taught us that everyone should have a credit/debit card in case there is a situtation where cash can't be accepted (a better example than Lace's though would be calling in to make reservations, yeah we need a CC)

[rerant]

Lace has taught us that everyone should have a credit/debit card in case there is a situtation where cash can't be accepted

Like shopping at IKEA and not reading signs.

[Millahtyme1983]

Reminds me of the time I was working for Macy's for the Christmas season, the original post is here somewhere. But to recap the system went down, I think nationally, it may just have been regionally, either way every other store within a reasonable distance was down, basically all we could do was cash transactions and Macy card purchases. the funniest complaint was the woman who said that ours was the wort store she has ever been in and at the other Macy's a few cities over something like this would never happen, the manager had to hold himself back from just saying "well if your so sure go down there then"

[Andara Bledin]

Hey, if you've got the thief on tape, you should turn that in to the cops.

Wouldn't it be satisfying if she got herself arrested for stealing less than $20 in sandwiches?

However, as I mentioned in another thread, you should never let the product get to the customer before the customer has paid. You can assume everyone is honest, but don't give them any chance to prove you wrong.

^-.-^

[Music Mo-Gal]

Although the customer was rude and sucky, I have to sympathize with not wanting to go to the ATM. Unless the ATM belongs to your own bank, they charge crazy service charges. I hate having to pay a fee to take my own money out of the bank. First the ATM charges you a fee, then your own bank charges you a fee on top of that. Who wants to pay $2 to $5 extra? Not me! While asking for a free meal is a bit over the line, I could understand a customer's reasoning in asking for a reimbursement of the ATM fee, especially if the place of business normally does take credit cards.

[mariamousie1]

Wow.
I am stunned. Seriously, I have nothing to say. What morons.

[Auto]

Although the customer was rude and sucky, I have to sympathize with not wanting to go to the ATM. Unless the ATM belongs to your own bank, they charge crazy service charges. I hate having to pay a fee to take my own money out of the bank. First the ATM charges you a fee, then your own bank charges you a fee on top of that. Who wants to pay $2 to $5 extra? Not me! While asking for a free meal is a bit over the line, I could understand a customer's reasoning in asking for a reimbursement of the ATM fee, especially if the place of business normally does take credit cards.

No way.

If they don't want to use that ATM, let them go to a cheaper one. Their choice. The store has no obligation to do anything for card customers who don't have cash. Either pay cash or you don't eat.

Lots of businesses refuse to accept cash. Like leasing offices. They want rent paid with check or money order. Leasing office is under no obligation to reimburse you the fee the post office or bank charges for that money order or cashier's check.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

hehe Kind of defeats the purpose of the stupidest of ALL commercials - Life Takes Visa. I truly HATE those ads with a passion!

[greensinestro]

I kind of hope you all have a good picture of the person that stole these sandwiches. That is just plain low, someone taking advantage of someone being distracted in a situation like this. If you have a picture of her, you should post it as a wanted poster on your walls and windows. If she comes back in again, you can nab her, or at least kick her out! Knowing her and her shitty husband, they won't be back.

On the other hand, like some others have said, if you use an ATM that is not associated with your bank, fees normally apply. I would probably not like the idea of this happening to me, but I don't think it would entitle me to free food. Also, my city has Subways within a couple of miles of each other, and I probably would have gone to one of the others, assuming this wasn't a Subway-wide problem.

Finally, there's a bagel store up the road from me that does not accept credit or debit cards at all. It's either cash, or nothing. They have large signs where you cannot miss them upon walking into the place, on the menus themselves, and at the registers. So, there is no way one can say, "I should get free food because I can't use my credit card!"

[MadMike]

Some of the tills literally had no cash, so were given signs that said in big letters, "Credit Card Only." Guess how many cash in hand SCs went on those tills?

I saw something like that happen around Christmastime right after I got out of retail. I was doing some shopping, and I was at this one store where only certain registers were equipped to take credit cards. The ones that didn't were clearly marked "Check or cash only."

Didn't stop idiots from trying to pay with plastic anyway. Then a manager had to be called to void off the order and re-ring it on one of the other registers. And the idiots in front of me were blaming the holdup on the cashier.

Since my SC memories were still fresh in my mind, I was not in the mood for that. I pointed it out that it wasn't the cashier's fault that customers are too stupid to read the signs. The person in front of me just looked at my like I had three heads or something.

[Samaliel]

You were a customer. You were supposed to be on their side ! How dare you betray them ?