Stupid Drink Lady and Other Tales

[foodservicesucks]

My park sells unlimited drink wristbands to groups. The way the wristbands work is, the guest walks up to any stand that sells fountain drinks, shows us their wristband, and we give them a small (20oz) soda for free. One per wristband, and the wristband must be on the guest.

Sir, you can't use that today
These drink wristbands are only good for one day. If the group is visiting multiple days, they will get new wristbands each day. It states right on the wristband:
"UNLIMITED DRINK WRISTBAND - Valid for 20oz fountain drinks - VALID ONLY [date]"
You would NOT believe how often people try to use them multiple days. It usually goes like this one encounter I had:
SC: Hi, I'd like a Sprite. I have a wristband.
Me: Okay, may I see your wristband please?
SC: *turns the part of the wristband with the park name towards me* Here ya go.
Me: Okay, may I check the date please?
SC: *slowly turns it toward me*
Me: *seeing that it was expired* I'm sorry, sir, but that wristband is expired. Did they give it to you today?
SC: No.
Me: Okay, you'll need to take it off or I will need to call security. Using a drink wristband multiple days is theft, sir.
SC: You can't make me.
Me: *picks up phone* (we kept an old, broken phone under the register for situations like this)
SC: *takes off wristband* Sorry...


See, it says valid for a 20oz, not 32
We only allow guests with wristbands to get small drinks. It reduces wasted product- if they want more soda, they can come up and get another one.

SC: I'd like a large Coke please. I have one of them drink things.
Me: Okay, may I see it please?
SC: *shows it to me*
Me: Thanks, sir. Actually, the wristbands are only valid for our small drinks, but if you need more you can come back and get another one.
SC: NO. I WANT A LARGE.
Me: I'm sorry, I can't give you a large. I could get in trouble if I gave you one.
Eventually, he gave up and took a small, after swearing at me quite a bit.


Oh, just kill me now.
This is probably my most annoying story about these wretched wristbands- the stupid drink lady.
Me: Hi, welcome to (my location), how may I help you?
SDL: I'd like (three or four food items) and three large Cokes.
She didn't make any indication that she had a wristband. And, she was wearing long sleeves, so I didn't see it. I typically don't ask if they have one- 99.999% of the guests who do will tell me they do as soon as I tell them the price. She gets her food, then asks:
SDL: Wait, don't I get free soda with this thing?
Me: Yes, ma'am, but you didn't tell me that when you ordered... (we are not allowed to suggest a refund. They need to ask for it.)
SDL: Well, can I get a refund?
Me: Okay, let me go get a manager.
*about 5 minutes later*
Manager: What's the issue, ma'am?
SDL: He charged me for drinks and I had a wristband.
Me: Ma'am, you didn't show it to me, and I couldn't see it because of your sleeves.
Manager: Okay, what did you have?
SDL: Three large Cokes.
Manager: *does cash refund*
SDL: Can't I get that back on my card? (she had paid with credit)
Me: I'm sorry, but we can only do cash refunds. (our registers don't allow us to do a refund onto a credit card, no idea why)
SDL: *walks away* HAVE A NICE DAY!

By the end of this, I was, in fact, quite upset, so I obviously didn't tell her to have a nice day. This made her very mad. The entire time she was muttering about what an idiot I was- did she not read the wristband they put on her? She clearly didn't realize that it got her free drinks. This entire encounter took about 30min, from her ordering to walking away yelling at me.

[Teskeria]

For Crazy Drink Lady, you should have emphasized that it was small drinks. And did he refund all 3? because if so, she was supposed to get 1 small free and instead got 3 large free. nice scam.

[foodservicesucks]

We just let her have the large, it wasn't worth it to make new drinks. I didn't mention anything to her when she ordered about small drinks as she didn't mention her wristband and I didn't see it. We aren't really strict on one-per-person as much as we could be, if they ask nicely we will sometimes give them two, it's not as if they couldn't walk away then come back up and ask for another one. That wasn't a big deal for us. What I took offense to is that her not showing me her wristband or mentioning it at all was apparently my fault, as was our inability to do credit card refunds.

[MoonCat]

Anyone with a brain would have made sure you could see the wristband in the first place. She clearly didn't have a brain.

[Solumina]

I've forgotten that my wrist band was hidden by my sleeve before and didn't even think about it until I heard the price. The difference is that I would have face-palmed and apologized for not realizing sooner, then nicely asked if they could take one drink off.

SCs who get all pissy in an attempt to cover their own mistake really get under my skin.

[foodservicesucks]

Oh, I totally get people who forget to have the wristband showing. I have no problem with that, it means a save void for me (ugh), but it's easier than a refund. Given the prices at my park, I can understand why she wanted a refund, but it should have been accompanied by an apology or at least a facepalm. I thought of some good comebacks later, though. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the psychic friends network is down right now." "Sorry, ma'am, but my x-ray vision goggles are malfunctioning, so I couldn't see your wristband, but my mind-erasing helmet is working, so you forgot you had one."

[hinakiba777]

For Crazy Drink Lady, you should have emphasized that it was small drinks. And did he refund all 3? because if so, she was supposed to get 1 small free and instead got 3 large free. nice scam.

I agree. She totally planned it.

[Jester]

My park sells unlimited drink wristbands to groups. The way the wristbands work is, the guest walks up to any stand that sells fountain drinks, shows us their wristband, and we give them a small (20oz) soda for free. One per wristband, and the wristband must be on the guest.

Okay, if the park is calling them "unlimited drink wristbands" but they restrict it to one per wrist band, well, that's not really unlimited, is it? Since by definition "unlimited" means without limit, putting a limit on something that is unlimited is a contradiction. And frankly, a rather shady way to do business, in my opinion.

Me: Okay, you'll need to take it off or I will need to call security. Using a drink wristband multiple days is theft, sir.

I don't mean this as a personal thing, but that seems like a bit of a harsh reaction. Couldn't you just tell the guy that "I can't accept that wrist band as it's expired?" Or is response you gave required by policy? Just wondering.

(we kept an old, broken phone under the register for situations like this)

Hilariously brilliant!

Me: Thanks, sir. Actually, the wristbands are only valid for our small drinks, but if you need more you can come back and get another one.
SC: NO. I WANT A LARGE.

And I want an oil wrestling match with Holly Hunter, but that's not going to happen either.

Me: I'm sorry, but we can only do cash refunds. (our registers don't allow us to do a refund onto a credit card, no idea why)

This is very stupid on the part of the park, and really opens them up to scammers.

[foodservicesucks]

Okay, if the park is calling them "unlimited drink wristbands" but they restrict it to one per wrist band, well, that's not really unlimited, is it? Since by definition "unlimited" means without limit, putting a limit on something that is unlimited is a contradiction. And frankly, a rather shady way to do business, in my opinion.

I don't mean this as a personal thing, but that seems like a bit of a harsh reaction. Couldn't you just tell the guy that "I can't accept that wrist band as it's expired?" Or is response you gave required by policy? Just wondering.

This is very stupid on the part of the park, and really opens them up to scammers.

1. They are unlimited- they can get as many as they want, but only one at a time, if that makes sense. If they want drinks for people in their group without wristbands, they could visit a few different stands (or revisit the same one in a few minutes) and ask for another drink and we'll give one to them, no problem. They can't, however, ask for two drinks in one order. I hope that makes sense.

2. We are required to call security if someone has an expired wristband and refuses to take it off. Many people don't check for a date on the wristband like they should, and the park does send people out with expired wristbands to make sure we're doing this.

3. It has to do with our registers apparently. We can do a credit card refund and it will show up on our till summary correctly, but it wouldn't actually be refunded to the guest's credit card. I really don't know why we can't besides that the system won't let us. We also have a refund log that has to be signed by the cashier and the guest if the order was over $20, so we would have that in the case of the scammer, I guess, but not my problem... maybe if someone does scam them they'll learn.

[Gerrinson]

I don't know if you're company is aware of this, but federal law now requires that refunds be processed in the same form as the payment - i.e. cash for cash/check, or back to the credit card in the case of credit transactions.

[foodservicesucks]

They probably do but just don't care. I think Guest Relations might be able to do it but they never really tell us... typical.

[Jester]

1. They are unlimited- they can get as many as they want, but only one at a time, if that makes sense.

They can't, however, ask for two drinks in one order. I hope that makes sense.

Yes. Yes it does.

2. We are required to call security if someone has an expired wristband and refuses to take it off.

Okay, so it's policy. It's stupid, but it's out of your hands.

3. It has to do with our registers apparently. We can do a credit card refund and it will show up on our till summary correctly, but it wouldn't actually be refunded to the guest's credit card. I really don't know why we can't besides that the system won't let us.

Sounds like management needs to go about fixing that very questionable system.

I don't know if you're company is aware of this, but federal law now requires that refunds be processed in the same form as the payment - i.e. cash for cash/check, or back to the credit card in the case of credit transactions.

I could not find any such law in my searches....do you have a source for this information?

[Caractacus_Potts]

Anyone with a brain would have made sure you could see the wristband in the first place. She clearly didn't have a brain.

What do you mean? If she had shown the wristband she would have only gotten one small drink free. By not showing it and blaming the OP she got three free large drinks.

She may not have a heart, a soul or any morals to speak of but I have a hard time agreeing that she had no brain.

[Yarnil]

What do you mean? If she had shown the wristband she would have only gotten one small drink free. By not showing it and blaming the OP she got three free large drinks.

She may not have a heart, a soul or any morals to speak of but I have a hard time agreeing that she had no brain.

No, she only gets 1 large drink, not 3. So its moot, she could get another free drink in a few minutes anyway.

[Shalom]

I could not find any such law in my searches....do you have a source for this information?

Not sure if it's a law or it isn't, but it sure as heck is in your contract with your credit card processor. The idea is to keep people from getting back-door cash advances by buying stuff on credit and refunding for cash, thereby cheating the credit card issuer out of their fees, higher interest rates, and short/no grace period which apply to cash advances.

Had someone try to pull that on me once.