Ethically Speaking

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Quilter51
Posts: 2815
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:04 pm

Re: Ethically Speaking

Post by Quilter51 »

Many stores and restaurants give receipts for zero balance items. What's in the register is so to speak, how they figure out how much product went out and how much came in. My kids are in the high end restaurant/bar biz and I get comped all the time. But am always issued a receipt even if I owe nothing. Admittedly part of the purpose is for to figuring but the other part is inventory pure and simple. They have one less steak and one less lobster tail in the meat locker. It also protects the kid at the register from being charged for giving out stuff.

As to the ethics, I would donate the receipt with the free drink on it to the next person in line or some such.
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delighted99
Posts: 512
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2015 10:26 am

Re: Ethically Speaking

Post by delighted99 »

I get your thinking on this. But you are using up your time to complete this survey. Time = money. So it's not exactly something for nothing..

2dogs+someCats wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:34 pm So I know how I feel - but interested in opinions. Last Friday morning I went to McDonalds with a friend because we can get a huge cup of coffee there for $1.00.

When our receipts printed, there was a message about taking a survey and entering the code on the for a free medium sized milkshake or smoothie. So - I did that. Saturday I went to a grocery store next to McD's and so I stopped and got my absolutely, totally FREE, medium size Strawberry Banana smoothie - retail value $2.89.

Well...my receipt printed from THAT transaction (total cost ZERO) and there was another message for another survey - to get another free milkshake or smoothie.

So...I did that - and on Sunday I took myself on a LONG walk and stopped in again and got yet another free smoothie. And...you got it friends, another receipt with another survey...for another free shake or smoothie.

I haven't gone back again - I don't feel that it's ethical to keep getting a free treat on a daily basis while spending NO money in the place. I might do my next survey and give my receipt to someone who needs the free treat more than I do.

What are your thoughts?
BeckyO
Posts: 926
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:32 am

Re: Ethically Speaking

Post by BeckyO »

I might call it to someone's attention, but I would not feel bad about using it.
BeckyO
littlemiss63
Posts: 2516
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Ethically Speaking

Post by littlemiss63 »

Chick-fil-A gives a free sandwich on your next visit from time to time if you will take a survey for them and that seems to happen to me quite often. I feel that my time to do the survey is worth a free sandwich so I have never felt it was unethical, just my lucky day.

It is my favorite fast food restaurant to eat in and I spend a good amount of money with them. They offer a free small drink with any purchase and if they didn't feel like it wasn't a good deal for them to do that for seniors they wouldn't be doing it and I don't feel guilty about that either.

This is all part of their marketing plans and they have the costs built in to their products that everyone is paying for. If this wasn't a good deal for these companies, believe you me they wouldn't be doing it. Having owned a restaurant you would much rather give away your products to entice a customer to come back to spend money with you than spend hundreds a month for advertising to the general public. Believe me when I tell you it's cheaper for the business.

Sheila, I do agree if you are never going to purchase anything there it would be a nice gesture for you to hand the receipt to someone else in the store. The nicest thing happened to Mr. B and I while shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond in Gulf Shores. We were standing in line waiting to check out and we had at least a $100.00 worth of merchandise. A young lady that checked out in front of us turned around and handed him a $20.00 off coupon printed internet with a $75.00 purchase. He was blown away by that gesture and when I got home I had the same offer in my email, but it expired on 9/23 so I didn't feel bad at all about us using it. Had I been at home I needed some things from there and would have used mine here at home. Saved me the cost of ink and paper to print it out.
2dogs+someCats
Posts: 845
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:46 pm

Re: Ethically Speaking

Post by 2dogs+someCats »

littlemiss63 wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 1:23 am Chick-fil-A gives a free sandwich on your next visit from time to time if you will take a survey for them and that seems to happen to me quite often. I feel that my time to do the survey is worth a free sandwich so I have never felt it was unethical, just my lucky day.

It is my favorite fast food restaurant to eat in and I spend a good amount of money with them. They offer a free small drink with any purchase and if they didn't feel like it wasn't a good deal for them to do that for seniors they wouldn't be doing it and I don't feel guilty about that either.

This is all part of their marketing plans and they have the costs built in to their products that everyone is paying for. If this wasn't a good deal for these companies, believe you me they wouldn't be doing it. Having owned a restaurant you would much rather give away your products to entice a customer to come back to spend money with you than spend hundreds a month for advertising to the general public. Believe me when I tell you it's cheaper for the business.

Sheila, I do agree if you are never going to purchase anything there it would be a nice gesture for you to hand the receipt to someone else in the store. The nicest thing happened to Mr. B and I while shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond in Gulf Shores. We were standing in line waiting to check out and we had at least a $100.00 worth of merchandise. A young lady that checked out in front of us turned around and handed him a $20.00 off coupon printed internet with a $75.00 purchase. He was blown away by that gesture and when I got home I had the same offer in my email, but it expired on 9/23 so I didn't feel bad at all about us using it. Had I been at home I needed some things from there and would have used mine here at home. Saved me the cost of ink and paper to print it out.
Littlemiss, I appreciate your thoughts on this - thank you! I hope all is well in your world.
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