How do customers feel about fountain drinks at take out places

If it was me, I'd do things like this on a case by case basis.

In this case, I'd explain to the customer that you appreciate his business and that you will make an exception for him this ONE TIME ONLY (assuming of course you care about this particular customer's business).

An alternate option would be to offer a discount on bottled drinks when the machine flavor is down.

Might also want to find a new vendor for your fountain drink provider. Just sayin...

 

Sounds like a slippery slope to layoffs.

 

Nobody "deserves" root beer, dude.

There are horrific things happening all over the world, but people in this country will get upset that a restaurant doesn't have their brand of soda.

Drink a different ****ing soda.

You're not that special.

 

I imagine you'd get some great YELP reviews.

 

I probably would, because I'd give the guy bottled root beer for the same price as the fountain drink.

I just take issue with the "I can't believe you don't have Dr. Pepper, I'm seriously considering leaving right now" crowd.

It's soda!

Soda!

One more time:

SODA!

It's not live-affirming or live-saving.

It's.

Just.

Soda.

If you will only drink one type of soda, and will consider leaving an establishment and never coming back because they were unable to accommodate you once, you have deeper problems.

 

It's addicting

 

BiBs have a year shelf life. Buy some extras.

 

How about walking into a gas station's convenience store and demanding a bottle of Diet Coke for the price of a can because they're out of cans. You're going to get laughed at.

 

Unlike restaurants, convenience stores generally don't gain or lose business based on the quality of their customer service. There are all sorts of things you might get at a restaurant that you wouldn't at a convenience store. If you don't like your meal, a lot of places will offer something extra or bring you something else. If you buy some chips at the gas station and don't like them, no one's going to offer you another option. If the service is really slow, you might get a discount or a coupon for a future visit at a restaurant. Waiting in a long line at the gas station is not going to get you anything. Convenience stores do not operate like restaurants.

Why do people keep insisting on trying to make bizarre analogies to try to reach a clear cut answer? Why can't it be as simple as "some places will do it; others won't. Just depends on the owner."

 

I don't know the New York market as well as I do the Houston market... But outside of water or perhaps Dublin sodas, I see no reason to offer bottled sodas. Such little margin in those items.

 

How is it a bizarre analogy taking the same product and moving it to a different venue? I'm not big on fountain drinks, so I tend to forget gas stations have them... should have left it as fountain vs bottle there.

If hotballa offers burgers made from chuck and kobe beef though, if he's out of the chuck he's not going to give the kobe at the same price.

I don't disagree with the answer some owners would, some won't. hotballa's not talking about the guy that asks and gets told no and then decides if he wants to pay the difference or not though. He's talking about the guy that gets told no, proceeds to argue with him over it for five minutes, makes a scene, and then goes home and writes a bad review of the establishment over something that really has nothing to do with the meal (this isn't fine dining... it's take-out).

 

Why not keep record of all the goods that you had to give away to please a customer due to the vendors not being able to stock and have it adjusted on your next invoice.

Force them to pay for it and also get them to better serve and be there when you need it.

 

^This!

Restock your fountain drinks to last longer during the winter so you don't have to depend on the driver making it through the harsh weather to deliver the goods. Think two step ahead.

 

I know coca cola will do this if it is their error.

They were supposed to repair the machine for one of clients a year ago, but were unable to make it until 2 weeks after they scheduled an appointment. The customer informed them how much he spent on cans during the time that he machine was down, and coke credited them a % or sampled them some BiBs to make up it (I can't remember which).

 

Because the type of venue matters. Restaurants (fast food or regular) operate under different principles and goals than a convenience store. Nobody values or rates a convenience store on its customer service or if it goes above and beyond for a guest. That kind of stuff does reflect on people's opinions of a restaurant or hotel or spa or things that like.

As an example at one of those places, if you book a room at a hotel at a certain price and they overbook or have some other problem where they can't fulfill your room, they almost certainly will give you a better room for the original price. Different venues have different types of interactions with customers.

 

I definitely appreciate it, but save that money and just give the next cry-baby a free upgrade on his drink.

Tell him you understand, and that nobody should go thirsty.

Then show him a picture of starving kids in Africa and waggle the tip jar at him aggressively.

Some people, I swear.

EDIT: Hell, show him a picture of starving kids here in our own country. I'm going to leave this thread before I get too upset. Best of luck to you.

 

Fountain drinks rule so hard. Plastic bottle sodas or whatever, My god!!! I don't think I've had those since I was back in high school, lol.. My favorite soda fountain machine is the automatic one with the digital screen and the push of a button that does it all baby!!!

 

The root beer nazi. Excellent way to run a business.