I visited this outlet of Chic Filet on Veterans Day, just past , at the urging of a checkout person at the Home Depot behind the restaurant. She mentioned my Veterans hat and hyped the benefits for veterans at restaurants all over town. I picked Chic filet, one of my two favorite fast food places in town.
I placed an order and asked for the Veterans discount and produced my VA card (disabled Vet). I was advised that CF only honored discounts for active duty members in uniform. I paid, went to the pick-up stop and asked for the manager. One met me, heard me out and said I should have received a credit of half my bill and said she would fix it. She went back inside.
I was told to pull forward and wait, which I did until I was told to pull away, which I did. I received no adjustment or refund of part of my bill and upon arrival home I found that the bag contained an order of fries I had not ordered, and I noted the added charge of about $1.75 for the fries.
I called to speak to the owner/manager/operator whose name appeared on my receipt. He took my third call, apologized and went to great length to explain how he insured his entire staff was thuroughly trained to recognize and extend discounts to Vets, Police, and all first responders. Thousands of dollars a year, he said.
He had no excuse, except for the size of his staff, for the failure of any of his staff to be aware of the discount due curbside ordering Veterans, not only on this day, but every day. He did advised that there were no pre-opening instructions to crew on Veterans Day nor postings relating to any different treatment of patronizing Veterans to honor them for their service on Veterans Day.
Nor was he aware of why I, who he had no way of knowing had been a frequent patron of this outlet, and who never leaves the house without a Veteran hat, had never been favored with any type of discount on the occasion of any prior visits. That despite a staff that always appear to be otherwise very well trained, always courteous and attentive but they just don't seem to be able to differentiate between a Veteran and someone in a cow suit.
I accepted his apology but declined his offer of the return of the rebate due a Veteran and the overcharge for the unordered item, on one condition, as follows:
Since he was in the restaurant, I asked him to pick out the next veteran through, uniform or not, and give him/her the credit I was due against his/her order, (if the now available Veterans Day discount did not cover their check) and provide me with a copy of the receipt showing that credit.
I had planned no further follow up, including a return visit, but enough time has passed for a copy of a receipt to have reached me. Unless I am mistaken my contact information was left with someone that identified himself as a manager on my first call.
I did give the owner the order # which appeared on my receipt which also contained notation of the overcharged item and my credit card info. Name, local bank, etc.
This isn' t a complaint about food quality, nor sanitation, nor employee courtesy. All have been first rate on every prior visit. There was a problem. Neither the curbside wait staff, the pick-up door manager, nor the phone responding manager were knowledgeable enough to cure, despite the extensive training I was assured every employee receives. The Owner/Operator said a lot of nice things but the bottom line is that there has been no showing that anything was done.
What would you do? It was only $10.00 or $12.00 bucks, to a Veteran, on Veterans Day! By a pair of claimed Vet owners no less! read more