i'll note that for the next time i never order your pizza again
I called in an order from a small, local pizza place. The convo went like this:
...
Lady: That'll be $28 charged to your debit card.
Goldie: Ok. Oh. Can I have some ranch on the side?
Lady: (pause) I'll do it this time, but next time, please let us know that you want ranch before we finish the order. It's .75 and I already charged your card.
Goldie: Awesome.
The end.
My beef:
- Did the lady make the ranch herself? Did she pump the the milk from the cow, churn it and add ranch-flavored spices?! I don't think so. Why so vested in the ranch? And this isn't the first and only time. I know you've had some overzealous cashier at McDonald's ask for .10 for an extra bbq sauce. I can understand asking for some money for a soda refill or for charging before getting a water cup or something. But condiments?!
- Why not say this before I finished my order? Or when you pick up the phone?! "Thanks for calling SmallLocalPizzaPlace. Where the pizza's aiight and the ranch is .75."
- Her sense of doing me a favor. You'll do it for me this time?! Oh. Thank you. THANK YOU! Could I not "forget" to place my SuperSpecialRanch order until post-debit-card-charge again? You think you're smart for charging for a flipping condiment? I'm smarter. I've found your loophole, SmallLocalPizzaPlace. And I'm letting folks know! ORDER THE RANCH AFTER THEY CHARGE YOUR CARD. It'll cost them more to re-charge your card than to charge you for the sauce in the first place. LOOOOOPHOOOOOLLLLLE.
I won't be ordering from them again. The pizza? Mediocre. The ranch? Somewhat watery. The service? Well, what do you think? Despite the loophole, I won't be ordering from there again.
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The whole idea of charging for condiments is patently absurd. As a rule, I avoid fast food like the plague, but I travel a lot, and in a pinch I understand that it's my only option. I stopped at a Wendy's a few months ago, and after paying for my meal on my debit card, I asked for some ranch to go with my chicken nuggets. I was told that ranch "[was] not a nugget sauce," but I could get some for 25 cents. Having no small cash, I pulled a hundred out and said, "Well in that case, I guess I need 400 little things of ranch." After telling me that they didn't have that many little things of ranch dressing, and that she couldn't break a hundred at the drive-thru, I dug around in my car and found a nickel and two dimes.
I was then told that I actually owed her 27 cents for the ranch, because she had to charge tax on the separate (25 cent condiment ranch) order. She finally gave in when I couldn't find two pennies in my car, but I still drove off feeling a bit pissed. I realize that any establishment must pay for both what they sell and what they give away. That is all a part of overhead. If they need to charge for it, they should list it on the menu as an extra. If they don't list it, that is their problem. I can't recall being charged for extra napkins when ordering hot wings. On a completely related note, we have a local burger shack that has picnic seating and write-in orders. On the write-in menu, they specifically list ranch as an "extra" that costs a quarter, and I have no problem with that.
10 cents for bbq, wow. here it's 15 cents!
i know why they do it. it's a money thing. imagine how many millions mcdonald's and the like are making from those 15 cent little packages of sauce. it adds up!!! just another way to make $$$$$$.
10 cents for bbq sauce? here its FREE
and we get all the other condiments free as well. :) then again, im an Australia so things are propbably a bit different here. like we spel mom, mum.
You should have burned that place to the ground, then driven off into the night, flicking a cigarette butt out of your car as you were silhouetted dramatically against the conflagration rapidly receding in your rear window.
Next time check with me on how to handle these things.
You know, where I live, people are nuts about Ranch. Crazy, crazy,zombies looking for brains nuts about Ranch. Being asked for Ranch as a side for anything doesn't even phase people and here, more than likely you'd've gotten. "Ranch? Okay,how many?"
I agree that if someplace is going to charge for a condement it should be listed on the menu. Period.
Also, I once worked at an UnnamedChainIceCreamPlace and the owner wanted us to charge exra for spoons if the costumer ordered a cone, extra for any extra spoons they wanted if they ordered their ice cream in a cup (they got ONE free with that) AND the tiny paper cups for the drinking fountian. None of these things where listen any where on the menu so none of us ever charged for them.
A good costumer service trick the woman from the pizza place needs to learn is this: Ask if the costumer would like anything else BEFORE running the card! It's simple and saves problems on the employees part ie.: angry costumers.
Now I'd assume that a few packets of ketchup, mustard or some other sauce would be factored into your purchase, however, charging for additional condiments beyond a certain point seems fair. Charging for EVERY condiment if not normally used for your foodtype seems fair as well. I at least think this should apply to large chains. Giving away 10s of thousands of additional condiments a day would cost money in the long run. It's difficult to see that when only considering our own experiences, but the numbers would be potentially significant if this were the case.
Now in the case of mom and pop establishments, local pizza joints, subshops, restaurants, etc., I think it would be best to let it go. You're not making money or losing it in bulk, so for this size establishment, customer service is far more important. I'd focus on doing the "little things" that would help create returning customers as opposed to chasing them off.
Anyway, it never boggles the mind how something as insignificant as a packet of ketchup or a side of ranch dressing can manage to strike up such conversation and internet-wide concern, LOL!!!
The only time I've ever been charged for ranch was in round table in hawaii, she said something about having to make the ranch fresh because it costs too much to have it made somewhere else and ship it.
Also, I have a british accent, so either I say "Can i'll have a side of RARRNCH" and have them ask me to repeat a hundred times, or I'll have to try my best at a fake american accent. Its a real performance asking for ranch!
However, there's no need to be so snarky about it over the phone. She should have just calmly said, "I'm sorry, we charge $0.75 per cup of ranch. Would you like me to add that to your total?" Then she could take care of the change after the fact.
As for running your card, I'm pretty surprised that they're running your card while you're on the phone with them. But even so, it isn't all that difficult to cancel out a charge and re-do it - I've done it many times when I fat-fingered a key and hit the wrong amount, and if they're doing it right, there's no extra charge to them for a change to a card charge.
Overall, I'd be cautious about making a practice of doing this - you may get your ranch for free but you'll probably be incurring the wrath of the insiders and delivery-staff, and there's no telling what kind of ramifications that will have with your order. The last thing you want is someone passive-aggressively holding your order up for extra time, or worse.
That phone call was a MasterCard "priceless" commercial in the makin'!
Way to stiff 'em, g.
Heh.
just be like "can I have some ranch on the side?" and then whoop out ur own bottle and tell them to shove it.
just be like "can I have some ranch on the side?" and then whoop out ur own bottle and tell them to shove it.
as americans we have a fucking RIGHT to free ranch dressing. only if you want EXTRA ranch, should it cost you anything. and notice how all of the bipartisan candidates are terrified of addressing this... you think i'm kidding?
You never know who's going to charge and who isn't. But I think that any place that has condiments should offer them as part of the food service. Charge a fee if you want extras. And not be so stupidly rude on the phone. How many customers does she drive away each evening? More than 75 cents' worth.
I can't remember whether the price per extra ranch cup was on the menu when I started, but I think it was. I know it was on there when I left. Either way, you're totally right that customer service and customer retention are a lot more important than trying to stiff someone for the price of a ranch cup. I know times that we consistently marked down pizza prices by up to 50% for unsatisfied customers, and that's a lot bigger cut to your profit margin than a measly cup of ranch...