Bad Wendy's service

[katie kaboom]

I'm kind of with Peppergirl on this one.

Me too. There are certainly better ways to have handled this situation. And while i generally try not to criticize any poster's behavior, this all seems a little excessive to me. If it bugs you that much, just go eat somewhere else. No need to make a stink at this place.

[iradney]

I tend to side with the OP on this one. However, there is some detail missing, like, how did the OP point out that the price is wrong, how did the employee react etc etc.

But in the beginning, when it rang up wrong, he didn't storm out of the store with his nose in a sling, he pointed out the sign and asked for the price as advertised.
Also, the employee should then have called the manager (as I would've done in that situation) to discuss the matter with the customer.

If the prices had changed, but they didn't change the signs, how is that the customers' fault? It's not like the OP found the old sign in the garbage, stuck it up in the store and then demanded they honor it. He also made the call to the customer service line after he exited the store, so it's not like he flaunted it in their faces or anything....

[Willis]

I guess im in the minority, but I call slight suck here.

Did you ask if he was a manager? If he wasn't, the employees were probably only doing what they were told, so it was kinda sucky of you to pull the 'you'll be hearing from corporate about this' line on emps who are just doing their job.

Don't get me wrong, I think you should have gotten it for the price advertised, I just feel you should have been sure to take it out on the person who is responsible for the error, not the employees.

Just my

I know we all like to think of super feisty customers as "sucky", but I'd have to disagree to an extent.

YES, the employees have no control over what goes on behind closed doors and they're just doing their jobs, but someone has to be told even if you're a bit agitated about something. I don't condone sucky treatment, but I do condone speaking your peace in a fashionable manner. You expect them to help to a certain extent. Being an employee I would have at least tried to ameliorate the situation a bit. Even if the employee passes the info onto a manager since they are the "front lines" (that probably will either take or not take action). It's a fine line that most people don't know how to walk w/o being assholes.

How many times have we seen or heard that a manager isn't available or no you can't talk to a manager? I mean, if I were in the same situation, I would vent my displeasure, but wouldn't be crass about it. Being an employee I would be like "hey so and so we have to seriously do something about this..." Again it was kinda sucky, but sometimes things just get on your nerves that supersedes the fact that an employee can't offer some kind of different possibilities to simple mistakes on behalf of the company. Not everything is "hey I feel your pain employee". I know if I were being overcharged and the menu stated differently, I'd have a couple of words to say but would more than likely ask for a manager. Employees aren't totally powerless.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Yeah, but the thing is - some people aren't allowed to do the right thing. Just because your place is proactive in providing decent customer service doesn't mean theirs is.

There are a couple of rules I have at work for online travel support that I absolutely HATE following. And I totally understand why people get upset, but I still have to follow the rules, or I'll get written up.

Does this give the customer the right to yell at me about them? Not saying YOU yelled, I'm sure you didnt - but when people get mad at me for me doing my job, well, that's the reason I think EVERY SINGLE DAY how much I wish I could get out of customer service.

Now, when someone doesnt like the rules I'm quoting and calmly tells me why they disagree and then ask for a manager, I inwardly cheer because I respect the fact that they realize I'm doing my job and gladly transfer them to someone who can perhaps bend the rules for them.

I guess we'll agree to disagree, and I do see your point. Hopefully you see mine too.

If the employees aren't willing to question false advertising on the part of management or corporate, then there's a problem.

I would've asked to see a manager, if one was available. And I would've told them I was complaining higher up the chain if they refused to make good on their posted price.

Or if I really wanted to be vindictive, I'd complain to the state or local consumer protection people without telling anybody.

Sorry, but this "we forgot to change the sign" business doesn't fly. It doesn't work at my store or any other store. And I shouldn't be made to feel like an asshat for telling people about this. If they can get away with overcharging me by a buck on my taco salad, they may try it again later on with more popular menu items.

Normally I would agree that you shouldn't pull the "I'm complaining to corporate" card on a somebody just doing their job, but this is a different issue than just some shit-witted policy or procedure some suit cooked up. It's the right to expect that the price you see in the restaurant is the price you actually pay.

[sarahj]

Normally I would agree that you shouldn't pull the "I'm complaining to corporate" card on a somebody just doing their job, but this is a different issue than just some shit-witted policy or procedure some suit cooked up. It's the right to expect that the price you see in the restaurant is the price you actually pay.

It's not a "card" if the situation actually calls for it. If I called someone a rude name because of their country/location of origin and they complain, that's not the "race card," that's discrimination. In this case, it's false advertising, as previously stated.

"I'll be complaining to corporate" or "head office will be hearing from me" can just be statements. They let the employee know how displeased the customer is. "I'm calling corporate and by tomorrow I'll own the store and fire you" is an overreaction and should never, ever be used. A calmly stated disagreement is what we all hope for from customers, so why can't we accept that the OP was annoyed but not beligerant? He was in the right, and did not cause a scene. He went elsewhere, i.e. voted with his feet, as we all try to do. Well done.

[Becks]

That Wendy's must like upsetting customers if they have one price posted, but charge another.

Or maybe they hope no one notices...

I really like the suggestion that was made earlier in the thread...why not write the new price on some paper and tape it over the old one until they get new numbers or whatever?

Thinking on it, I really think that they just don't expect customers to notice the price discrepancy.

[CorDarei]

It's hardly a hoopla to ask politely for the price stated on the sign, and you may be rich enough to be able to write off a dollar, but some people have to watch every penny. I certainly couldn't afford to write off a pound.

first off... you're assuming he asked politely. 2ndly, if people can't afford an extra dollar, perhaps they shouldn't be going out to eat.

.....
Fixed.

please don't edit my quotes. Yours said "false advertising" it could as easily have said "honest mistake"

..
And if you think it is, you'd better never question any price discrepancy that leaves you paying more than you expected. I'd hate for you to be a hypocrite or anything.

if i was given the explanation, "we're sorry, the sign board hasn't been updated yet" and the price was less than 2$ in price discrepancy, i will let it slide. However, if i visit the restuarant 3 weeks later and the sign board isn't changed, then i would see a problem.

Yeah, but I work in a similar job...
It's common sense...
It is also their job to accomodate...
it's the principle....

not calling CIHAC an SC, but how many times have we read these words in stories related by others on this board.

...I really like the suggestion that was made earlier in the thread...why not write the new price on some paper and tape it over the old one until they get new numbers or whatever?....

I agree with this as well.

[Peppergirl]

Great comments all, but here's my thing.

I work for a place that has an absolutely RIDICULOUS policy when it comes to online travel. My company has several websites that are owned by my company and there is support for these sites from 8am to midnight monday through friday.

I work weekends, 14 hour shifts. There is no support for these sites on the weekends, and the calls roll to us.

The online booking fee is 8.00. If the website is not working, there is no one on the weekends to figure out why, and if they call us to book, we have to charge them 36.00 to book it ourselves, because it's considered full service.

Yes, you're reading that right. The websites occasionally have glitches on the weekends when the desk is closed. When this happens and the customer describes the problem, we are STILL required to charge them the higher fee.

I totally understand their frustration and amazement at this stupid rule, but I'm just doing my job. Now granted, I do have ways of letting the customer know in a tactful way that I can understand why they are upset and offer a manager. The ones that take me up on it, no problem. Like I said, I don't blame them for being pissed...and managers get paid to deal with that crap.

I have been screamed at, cussed at, called names...EVERYTHING because of this rule. In other words, people take a stupid rule out ON ME for doing my job, when I have no control over the situation.

Granted, the OP wasn't being horrible. Not at all. But even pulling the 'you'll be hearing from corporate' line to someone who doesn't have anything to do with the rules was mildly sucky.

All I'm saying is that people need to direct their frustrations in these cases on the people that make the rules or have the power to change them, not the person taking the order.

I know I'm hardly objective, as I spend a great deal of my day listening to people complain to me about a rule I completely agree with them with, but have no power to change. A couple times when I felt bad for a customer who was being nice about the website and really had no extra money, I tried to charge them the lower fee and get away with it. I was told if I ever did it again I'd get written up.

[Peppergirl]

Also, the employee should then have called the manager (as I would've done in that situation) to discuss the matter with the customer.

I completely agree with this! Most of the suck was definitely on the part of the employee if they didn't offer to call up a manager.

Sorry, but this "we forgot to change the sign" business doesn't fly. It doesn't work at my store or any other store. And I shouldn't be made to feel like an asshat for telling people about this. If they can get away with overcharging me by a buck on my taco salad, they may try it again later on with more popular menu items.

I don't believe I ever said it should fly. It's a ridiculous comment and the emp should have called up a manager to explain the stupidity to the customer. I'm just saying that customers should calmly ask for managers when something like this occurs. Let THEM try to rationalize their stupidity to the customer.

[iradney]

2ndly, if people can't afford an extra dollar, perhaps they shouldn't be going out to eat.

Sweeping assumption much?
For all YOU know, this may have been the OP's monthly treat. I'm tightening my belt too (thanks inflation and lack of raises!), so TTO and I only eat out once a month. If the menu/display board says ten bucks, then ten bucks I will pay. If I have made no substitutions or alterations in anyway, they have no right to bring a bill that charges 12 bucks, and say "Oops, we haven't changed the signage/menu."

Be careful what you say in this instance, as alot of people on this board ARE watching their pennies VERY closely, but treat themselves to a little eat-out every now and then. Me being one of them.

Now obviously the issue is different if it says
"Special!

blahblahblah PRICE blahblahblah

Valid till 15th July"

Because it has an expiry on it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

please don't edit my quotes. Yours said "false advertising" it could as easily have said "honest mistake"

Honest mistake my ass. If it really was an honest mistake they'd have honored the price, just like my store and like every other store that wishes to be on the department of consumer protection's good side.

[CorDarei]

.....Be careful what you say in this instance, as alot of people on this board ARE watching their pennies VERY closely, but treat themselves to a little eat-out every now and then. Me being one of them.....

so what happens if you go out for your special treat, and they had just changed the price on you, by say $1.50... including changing the signboard price. You STILL won't be able to get it if the price has increased, unless you have a couple extra bucks on you. So you either settle for something less at the restuarant you like, or you go down the street (like the OP did) to a different restuarant.

i'll state my first comment in the thread, no need to give such a big hoopla over less than a dollar.

Honest mistake my ass. If it really was an honest mistake they'd have honored the price....

you don't know that it WASN'T an honest mistake. And besides, i was just flipping the coin on the misquote, not saying it WAS an honest mistake.

However, to rebutt your honoring the price... the OP doesn't even know if he was speaking to a manager, he just assumed he was and at that point gave the "i'm gonna call corporate" line, didn't even ask for one as far as i could tell.


*edit to add*
wasn't there a thread a while back about someone knowing someone who blogged about being triumphant for not paying a dollar on parking... this reminds me a little of that (albeit, the OP was nowhere NEAR the attitude of crapiness that the blogger was, i wouldn't even really say that OPs attitude is crappy, just proud of "winning" over Wendy's)

[Rapscallion]

*edit to add*
wasn't there a thread a while back about someone knowing someone who blogged about being triumphant for not paying a dollar on parking... this reminds me a little of that (albeit, the OP was nowhere NEAR the attitude of crapiness that the blogger was, i wouldn't even really say that OPs attitude is crappy, just proud of "winning" over Wendy's)

It went bye-bye for good reason.

Rapscallion

[CorDarei]

It went bye-bye for good reason.

Rapscallion

ah. didn't know that. probably don't want to know why it went away

[smileyeagle1021]

Honest mistake my ass. If it really was an honest mistake they'd have honored the price, just like my store and like every other store that wishes to be on the department of consumer protection's good side.

I have to side with IPF on this one... we had a hotel that finally had it's advertised price at $30 less than what they were actually charging (and yes, I know that the sign said, rates starting at... so it's not false advertising if on a particularly busy night it is a higher rate... it is however false advertising if in over a year period they have never had that rate, I'd say the rate no longer starts there) so finally I just started every time I answered a call ask if they were calling about the rate they had seen at the airport and if they were immediately transfer them to guest relations for a false advertising/misquote claim.
Other than that shit hole of a job every place I've worked the price posted is the price the customer will pay, no matter what our excuse for not having the new price up.

oh and regarding the comment about if someone can't afford a dollar then they can't afford to eat out... that is complete and utter bullshit, I can say "such and such costs $y" great that's exactly how much I have to spare this week... and then the cashier says, it's now $x, then I may be SOL. (key word in that previous sentence was SPARE, extra)