Sigh. I had loyalty bucks at a store that were going to expire today, so I wondered around and found a couple of things on sale for 40% off, with $4 in instant loyalty bucks for each one you purchased. I grabbed two, and between the sale price, a coupon, my expiring loyalty points, and the new loyalty bucks from the purchase, they should have been free. Went to pay and they rang up at full price and there were no additional loyalty bucks from the purchase. They explained the total would be updated once I completed the purchase, so I went ahead and swiped my card (which shouldn't have been charged anything). Of course, the price didn't change, and I actually was charged, so I spoke with a manager.
They couldn't figure out what the issue was, so we went to the sign where the products were, and it turns out the sale / discount and bonus bucks deal had expired. They wouldn't honor the price on the sign, they wouldn't give me the loyalty bucks, and they basically said call their customer service number if I wanted to complain. I explained I only bought the items in the first place because they would be free, and the manager said if I didn't want them, I could return them . . . but I would lose my coupon and loyalty bucks because I had already used them. Grrrr.
Had this same thing happen at a local breakfast place I've been going to for like 15 years. They have the same thing: a loyalty card that you get a free meal after you've bought 9 or something like that.
I had a stack of these things - I had probably two of them that were ready for my free meal. I usually use these and give them to people while we are there - maybe a young couple or someone eating alone and I'll just hand it to their waitress when I'm leaving so they can get a random free meal.
Anyway, I walk in there with my daughter a few months ago. I have one of those cards ready to use today. The diner had been bought out about a year earlier, and up until this visit things were about the same as before. I walk in the door and written on one of those big dry-erase boards was:
"No Longer Accepting Loyalty Cards"
I look at my daughter - she looks at me - and we give each other this look like: what the hell? So we sit down, and have our meal. Order the regular thing I always get:
Bacon
Scrambled Eggs
Hash Browns
Sourdough Toast
Meal shows up and immediately notice they went from three pieces of bacon to two. Strike Two. You just don't mess with a man's bacon.
Daughters meal shows up, and she had ordered a cinnamon roll and some bacon. They previously had these beautiful homemade cinnamon rolls as big as your face. Out comes this dinky little thing that was no bigger than my fist. She looks at me and I just shake my head. She knows what I'm thinking. Strike three.
So we finish our meal, give the waitress her normal good tip. Not her fault of course. Go up and pay the bill, and as I'm walking out the owner saunters over and asks:
"how was everything?"
So I say: "Well, to be honest not that great. The food was fine but I'm not really happy about you taking away the reward cards."
So he says: "People were just using them for a single meal when they came in so I decided to discontinue them."
Me (after the neurons in my brain collided together for a minute while I tried to process this logic): "Well, that's kind of the point isn't it."
Him: "We just weren't getting additional meals from them."
Me (holy hell): "One of the reasons we have come here all these years is for the good food and this nice extra perk. We almost always come as a family and I can't tell you how many meals we have purchased here. Are you seriously getting rid of these?"
Him: "Yes sir."
Me: "Are you sure you wanna do that?"
Him: "Yes"
Me: "OK. This will be the last meal I ever eat here. Good luck."
Him:
We walk out and my daughter looks at me and says: "Well, that was dumb of him."
Me: "Yep."
Couldn't believe it.