Monday, August 25, 2008

Roy Rogers: No Free Refills and No Honey Mustard Sauce

I really don’t like to go to Roy Rogers. There is only 1 within a 10 mile radius of me…which tells me something…but my wife likes their Roast Beef. So, once in a while when we don’t’ want a McBurger we go to Roy Rogers.

It annoys me that Roy Rogers does not offer free refills on their Soda. I’ve talked about this before in an earlier blog post, but I just can’t get on board with it. Anyone over the age of 22 knows that fountain soda costs the company about .25 a cup. And since I’ve already PAID for the cup...how much are you losing by taking 5 seconds out of your day to put more soda IN my cup?

And since Roy Rogers has 7 teenagers behind their counter giggling and gossiping amongst each other…ONE of them can take 7 seconds from their busy night to give me a refill. It’s not like I asked them to hand me 2 more chicken breasts!

Ok, speaking of chicken breasts, the wife and I went to Roy Rogers for dinner over the weekend. (The segue here is to Roy Rogers…not to my wife’s breasts. Pay attention.)

We each ordered some kind of Roast Beef value meal (#4 on the menu…her’s with a Baked Potato, mine with Fries…) and a chicken breast that we were going to split. (now you see where the ‘breasts’ come in, right?)

The manager took my order and he’s putting the food on my plate as wife goes and gets napkins and straws and what have you. He says ‘Ok, that’s everything’ and then something occurs to me.
The conversation he and I had is so rediculous that I have to play it out for you so you can see the stupidity of it yourself.

Me: Ah, you know what? Can I trouble you for a Honey Mustard Sauce for the chicken.

He: Sure. Oh, wait. I’m sorry, that’s only for the chicken tenders.

Me: (Sure that he’s kidding): Ha ha. Right.

He: No, I’m serious. The dipping sauce is only for the chicken tenders, not the chicken breasts.

Me: You’re kidding.

He: No.

Me: You’re serious?!

He: Yes. Sorry. I can sell you one. They’re cheap. But I can only ‘give’ them to the customers who buy chicken tenders.

Me: (looking down at the chicken breast): Well…why don’t we ‘pretend’ I ordered chicken FINGERS instead of a chicken BREAST?

He (Smiling): Sorry. (then, very condescendingly) Then I’d have to do that for everyone.

(Editor’s note here - the place was empty. If there were 4 people behind me listening in on the conversation I MIGHT understand his perspective, but…)

Me: You’re serious.

He: Yeah. They’re only 27 cents if you’d like to buy one.

Me: I get FOUR free ones when I go to McDonald’s. I can’t bring myself to pay you .27 cents for one.

At this point, he shrugged and smiled, as if to say “Well, that’s your problem I guess. Sorry.”


Now, let me ask you….which is MORE ridiculous about this story:
a) Roy Rogers won’t give me a Honey Mustard sauce for my chicken or
b) the guy who is supposed to be the MANAGER has risked losing a customer (and by that I mean the whole family, not just me) over a 27 cent Honey Mustard sauce?!

Ludicrous, right?

Here’s the kicker – when I took my napkins from the Fixins Bar, I took MANY more than I needed…and I threw out what I didn’t use. Then I took 3 more ketchups than I needed and guess what? Trash. I also took 3 tomato slices but only used one.

Sure it’s silly…but the bigger picture is this: there is a LOT of money wasted on the Roy Rogers salad bar, which goes ungoverned. The STORE MANAGER potentially lost a customer over one honey mustard sauce. By saving 27 cents he potentially lost a LOT of business.

I’m picturing something like the movie ‘Airplane’. I’m picturing this dim bulb and I having the same conversation, only if you look over my shoulder you see a food fight breaking out with the Free Fixins Bar being used as the weaponry arsenal.

Maybe monkeys having the food fight...really LOUD monkeys that everyone seems to be ignoring.

Silly, right?
The whole thing is silly.
And bad business.

No free refills on soda is a bad policy.
No free honey mustard sauce an embarrassingly AWFUL policy.

I don’t think the Singing Cowboy would have made that decision. Do you…?



enjoy the Cola Wars on Squidoo!

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