Jew Make the Call: "We're Unable to Refund You" Edition

[Dan Druff]

I went to go pick up food from a chain restaurant which also has app-based ordering. You don't have to order from the app, but you can, and I did so for convenience.

I have been there a number of times, and while the app has its issues (such as being unable to customize anything in the order), they always had been accommodating and I've never had a problem there.

Tonight, I got there and they informed me that one of the items I ordered wasn't available. It was cheap, and I could easily do without it, but of course the Jew in me thought, "Okay, so how do they refund me for it?"

So I asked them how I get the money back.

"You need to do it through the app," the employee told me. I hadn't remembered any way to do this, and I told her so, but said that I would take a look again. I also asked if she knew how, and she said she didn't.

I went through the app, and there wasn't a way to refund anything. In fact, there wasn't even a way to contact customer service by e-mail or whatever. So my only choices were to either eat the cost of this item, or waste my time tracking down the corporate number and asking for them to refund me in some way, which obviously wouldn't be worth my time, given the small amount of money.

This was irritating to me because the restaurant should definitely have a manual way to refund customers when they are out of something which was ordered online. I was told that they couldn't do it, yet they also conceded I was probably correct that the app didn't provide a way to do it. I was just basically told to find a way to deal with it myself, which is bullshit. Why can't they just pop open the register and process some kind of refund?



I asked for the manager. The woman went to talk to the manager, who I could see was furiously making food in the back. The manager seemed irritated by this request, and told the employee to tell me to just use the app. Again, I responded that there was no way to do it. "Well, I'm sorry, we can't do anything, it's through the app", she responded again. I answered, "Actually that's illegal. If the customer orders something, there has to be a way to refund it if you don't have it", to which she rudely responded, "You need to calm down", and walked away to get the manager again.

Keep in mind I wasn't raising my voice, using profanity, or acting aggressive at any point. I just wasn't accepting this bullshit that they couldn't refund me.

Again, she came back and said the manager is busy and will "come out when she's done making that food".

Well, almost all of my order was given to me shortly after I showed up (before we got into this argument), and there was one item left -- which the manager was responsible for making. I figured since I was waiting anyway for that last item, I'd wait until it came out, and then make a bigger deal at that point if the manager still wasn't coming to talk to me.

Well, the item came out, and the manager still wasn't coming. I asked when she was coming, and I was told to "be patient" and "we are short staffed". I asked why she could take a 30 second break from making food to give me this quick refund. I was told again "We're short staffed" and I had to wait.

5 more minutes passed and I finally had enough. This was a small amount of money, and I was tired of standing there like an asshole, with my food getting cold, waiting for a small refund. I said again that I really needed to talk to the manager, and didn't want to wait any longer.



The manager came over and said, "I'm giving you this refund, but you can't be rude to my employees like this. We're short staffed and busy, and you need to wait your turn."

I said that it was unreasonable to make me wait all this time for a refund for something they couldn't deliver, and she needed to either take a moment away from making food to give it to me, or authorize someone else to refund me that small amount of money. She told me, "There's a code which only I have, so it has to be me." She could not explain why she couldn't walk away from the food prep for 30 seconds to do it herself. I think she just didn't feel like being interrupted until she caught up with all the food prep.

I asked her how I was "rude", and how long a customer is supposed to stand there waiting for a small refund for something which was out of stock. She couldn't answer that, again just repeating, "It was through the app", and "You just need to wait your turn."

Keep in mind that it was now over 15 minutes since I brought up the issue of the refund, so I was definitely done "waiting my turn".

At this point, a third employee (also female), told me, "You need to go. You have your food, you have your refund, what's the problem? Why are you still here?"

I said that I was called rude by the manager and wanted to understand what I did wrong. Nobody had any answer for me. They just kept saying, "You need to take your food and leave."


I got the name of the general manager, who supposedly will be in tomorrow morning.

Obviously I could have just walked out without the money, and dealt with it later, but it was just really tilting that they wouldn't do something as simple as refund me for an item they couldn't provide, and I was treated like a burden they didn't want to deal with.

I wasn't very concerned about the food being fucked with, because I had almost all of it by the time this argument began, and the last part was being made by the manager, who only had her altercation with me after I already got the final item. However, I probably won't go back again for awhile, for this reason.

What should I do at this point?

JEW MAKE THE CALL

[limitles]

Two thoughts. Time is money and you can't build a temple on the cheap. Drop it

[Dan Druff]

On a side note, I really am getting to hate app-based ordering for this exact reason.

A few months ago I did a quick online curbside pickup grocery order. It was a relatively small order, but I ticked the "no substitutions" box on everything. Well, the two jars of marinara sauce I ordered were a different brand, and it was one I didn't like. So they just flat out ignored the no substitutions, and substituted/charged me anyway.

I actually caught this before the guy walked away, so I asked him if he could bring these in and refund me.

"No, I can't, you need to do it through the online system," he said.

I asked, "Can I at least walk in myself and return them for a refund?"

"I'm sorry, you can't. The only way we can do a refund is for items bought in-store."


At least in this case the online system provided a way to fill out a form and get the refund, which I did. So I got to keep these two sauces I didn't want (there was no way to actually return them), and they gave me my money back. But what a fail. I was willing to walk in and return it myself, and they said it was impossible. Very wasteful, too.

I ended up giving the sauce away to someone else, rather than just throwing it away.

[Sanlmar]

However, I probably won't go back again for awhile, for this reason.

Explain to me why you would ever reward them with your repeat business?

[Sloppy Joe]

You were right but let it go. You must have better things to do with your time.

Just don't go back out of principle, unless you want a side of bodily fluids.

As an aside, don't order through an app if you're a regular somewhere; they don't lose a cut and are likely to prioritize your order, throw in extras etc.

[Dan Druff]

However, I probably won't go back again for awhile, for this reason.

Explain to me why you would ever reward them with your repeat business?

Good question.

I try not to hold a grudge against a business because of shit low level employees, especially these days when it's so hard to find help. Provided management handles it okay, I'm willing to go back. However, I don't want to return as long as these same people are serving me, for obvious reasons.

Since there is high turnover in these positions, if I wait a few months and go back, it will be all or mostly new people, and it's basically a reset for the whole thing.

Since this is a chain, I will also make a corporate report if I call the GM and get no satisfaction. However, I'm still not sure if I'm going to report this whole thing, or if I'll just let it go.

[Sanlmar]

If there isn’t ANY customer service training - especially concerning inevitable conflict resolution then this is a reflection on the company.

Employees come and go. I guarantee that in your previous experience you have never witnessed any commitment to customer service. This employee was likely not an anomaly.

If I give any shit at all about my customers this sort of thing is made crystal clear with staff. Further, if the staff are ever in doubt they are granted the authority to comp the customer.

I simply don’t have to do business where it isn’t appreciated. There are options galore and I never have to feel upset for doing a trade.

Grudges are all we have in life.

My kid writes those apps for restaurants. They are deployed internationally, including China, I learned. I’ll have to run the refund thing by her. Payment processing. Chad Elie.

[Sanlmar]

Crowe, country and I have gone on about MarketBasket here in Mass. Incredible company. Noteworthy for the employees going on strike in support of the company President who was being ousted in a power struggle. Employees striking in support of management. Tight outfit.

Cheap prices & great service.


I still shop at a Shaws. Not as cheap. Selection not as extensive. The service is incredible. I can walk up to the Service Desk and they comp EVERYTHING with no questions asked. They literally ask no questions. “Here’s your money”. It’s unbelievable. I’m certain this is a reflection on the Store Manager and the culture he develops.

The staff is excellent and they don’t have one lane of SELF CHECKOUT (fuck that shit unless you are paying me).

I’m loyal.

[igotnotoe]

How much is the item you didn’t receive? Are we talking about a side of something like sour cream or something more expensive like an appetizer?

What I would have done once I realized a refund wasn’t going to be timely would you be have asked for them to replace the item with something comparable. Even if it was a few dollars more, like say a premium dessert, they likely would have just thrown the item in your bag at no charge.

I’ve done this before at both chains and mom and pops and it’s never been a problem as long as what I’ve asked for was within reason.

[Ballhawknet]

However, I probably won't go back again for awhile, for this reason.

Explain to me why you would ever reward them with your repeat business?

if he did that there would literally no business within a 2 mile radius that he could visit.

[Ballhawknet]

Hate to do it but I have to disagree with Druff. I probably have the same amount of customer service fails and could post here weekly however once the situation was accessed, manger cooking food, said they were short staffed etc.. , Im simply writing my name down to hand the cashier and saying ill call back tomorrow or whenever.

Now if you're having a bad day and want to make a scene ... go right ahead .... me, im not starting a heated discussion with the guy making my food lol. As right as you are about the situation, and there is no argument about that .... I could never go back after this. Id always be worried about them fucking with my food.


And yes, its a complete fail on the manager to not just say ... give the guy the money back on the item we don't have and Ill deal with the register later. i mean how stupid to think an average customer want to deal with the app or even have to think about it going forward. Just hand you the difference and be done. Pretty fucking stupid on his end. Sometimes you just have to walk away from stupid though ...

[Dan Druff]

Hate to do it but I have to disagree with Druff. I probably have the same amount of customer service fails and could post here weekly however once the situation was accessed, manger cooking food, said they were short staffed etc.. , Im simply writing my name down to hand the cashier and saying ill call back tomorrow or whenever.

Now if you're having a bad day and want to make a scene ... go right ahead .... me, im not starting a heated discussion with the guy making my food lol. As right as you are about the situation, and there is no argument about that .... I could never go back after this. Id always be worried about them fucking with my food.

This place isn't super close to me. The amount of money wouldn't be worth making a round trip to retrieve the refund the next day.

It turns out that a cash refund was the only way to rectify this. They have no other way to handle it, due to system limitations. So I would have actually needed to physically return there and get the cash. I actually suspected as such, though the incompetent night manager didn't know this for sure (but conceded that it was possible I was right about the app not being able to do refunds).

So basically my choices were to either just eat the money, or press the manager to stop her burrito-making and deal with this. I chose the latter.

I agree that I wouldn't want any of these same 3 employees making my food at any point in the future. It's actually possible that all three will be fired (the GM was very spun up about what happened, especially about their confrontational attitudes with me), but due to the worker shortage, probably not.

[Ballhawknet]

Hate to do it but I have to disagree with Druff. I probably have the same amount of customer service fails and could post here weekly however once the situation was accessed, manger cooking food, said they were short staffed etc.. , Im simply writing my name down to hand the cashier and saying ill call back tomorrow or whenever.

Now if you're having a bad day and want to make a scene ... go right ahead .... me, im not starting a heated discussion with the guy making my food lol. As right as you are about the situation, and there is no argument about that .... I could never go back after this. Id always be worried about them fucking with my food.

This place isn't super close to me. The amount of money wouldn't be worth making a round trip to retrieve the refund the next day.

It turns out that a cash refund was the only way to rectify this. They have no other way to handle it, due to system limitations. So I would have actually needed to physically return there and get the cash. I actually suspected as such, though the incompetent night manager didn't know this for sure (but conceded that it was possible I was right about the app not being able to do refunds).

So basically my choices were to either just eat the money, or press the manager to stop her burrito-making and deal with this. I chose the latter.

I agree that I wouldn't want any of these same 3 employees making my food at any point in the future. It's actually possible that all three will be fired (the GM was very spun up about what happened, especially about their confrontational attitudes with me), but due to the worker shortage, probably not.

You ignored my option of just calling next day. You said you were there before and it was a small amount of money so i would have just left my name, called back the next day to confirm, and settle up next time. The problem of you not wanting those 3 employees not making your food in the future was due to you deciding to make an issue at the time ... when obviously they were short staffed and said so. Again, just beyond stupid the manager doesn't give the good ahead to refund out of register and deal with that later. And yes of course you are right, and its illegal ... etc. Just have to better time your battle with idiots imo. Just brought more stress upon yourself.