5 ms·

While I completely agree the manager was an idiot, it’s also stupid to come in for almost a year and then never come in again because… you got less napkins? Rem

While I completely agree the manager was an idiot, it’s also stupid to come in for almost a year and then never come in again because… you got less napkins? Reminds me of the 1-star Yelp reviews where people say “This was my favorite place for years and years, and then one time this little thing happened and now I’m never coming again. One star!”

OneLeggedCat 5y ago
Retribution is a thing many of us humans practice regularly, regardless of whether it's logical. It feels good.
mping 5y ago
Your comment suggests that you think people are entirely rational in their decisions and do not have emotional contamination. Think of it as having a girlfriend or boyfriend, and then one small cheating incident and it's the end of the relationship.
lobocinza 5y ago
It's not. It's a strong signal of things going downhill.
w-j-w 5y ago
tedajax 5y ago
OK but that's exactly how customers behave. You can say "this is silly" as much as you like but they're not bringing their dollars back anymore.
- sharken 5y ago
  Indeed, the only one silly here is the manager not understanding this simple bit of customer psychology. Apart from MBAs, politicians of today apply many of the same ideas, e.g. any kind of long-term planning is scrapped for fast results. Not all politicians, but too many unfortunately.
reaperducer 5y ago
then never come in again because… you got less napkins Welcome to Earth. People are awful. And messy.
jtchang 5y ago
Why is it stupid to vote with your dollars?
hcarvalhoalves 5y ago
Because the restaurant business is all about consistent good food and service. Any restaurant can be good once, but the 5-star is the one that never fails you.
beebmam 5y ago
I think the point is: customers aren't always rational; MBAs and economists tend to assume in rational actors in their models. Blaming customers for being "stupid" seems like a good way to deflect for one's own failures in accounting for their perceived stupidity.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
ev1 5y ago
Having worked retail before, encountering something like this as a customer would make me think of several things: - same checkout/employee reluctantly saying there is a new policy: bad management, new management, other things likely going downhill - same checkout/employee not being able to bypass this - if normal waste reduction, hand out less, and give on request? but no exceptions? - sloppy joes are sloppy, saucy, and drip everywhere - this is a takeaway order, and they are likely going to be eating it somewhere they do not have easy access to napkins - new policy: why are they cost cutting? have they also changed suppliers to cheaper meat or cheese? if they are cutting corners on one of the cheapest paper products, what else has changed? - general human pissiness if you previously did not have to pay for sauce or napkins or utensils or whatever and now you do
JackFr 5y ago
> and then never come in again because… you got less napkins? No, they didn’t come back again because they got fewer napkins.
OminousWeapons 5y ago
You are viewing the experience as purely transactional, but they may view going there as a tradition and may think they have a relationship with the place (i.e. they are a regular). In addition, it sounds like they kick-started a tradition so they may even feel a sense of ownership. In other words, it is not just business, it is personal. That's why you see those enraged 1 star reviews and why these people never came back. These aren't people who are offended at simple business transactions, these are people who feel personally wronged, and that will always generate a lot of negative emotion.
Fatnino 5y ago
The probably got so mad that they wrapped up the construction ahead of schedule so they wouldn't be tempted to come back to that sloppy joe place.

OneLeggedCat 5y ago

Retribution is a thing many of us humans practice regularly, regardless of whether it's logical. It feels good.

mping 5y ago

Your comment suggests that you think people are entirely rational in their decisions and do not have emotional contamination. Think of it as having a girlfriend or boyfriend, and then one small cheating incident and it's the end of the relationship.

lobocinza 5y ago

It's not. It's a strong signal of things going downhill.

w-j-w 5y ago

tedajax 5y ago

OK but that's exactly how customers behave. You can say "this is silly" as much as you like but they're not bringing their dollars back anymore.

sharken 5y ago
Indeed, the only one silly here is the manager not understanding this simple bit of customer psychology. Apart from MBAs, politicians of today apply many of the same ideas, e.g. any kind of long-term planning is scrapped for fast results. Not all politicians, but too many unfortunately.

reaperducer 5y ago

then never come in again because… you got less napkins Welcome to Earth. People are awful. And messy.

jtchang 5y ago

Why is it stupid to vote with your dollars?

hcarvalhoalves 5y ago

Because the restaurant business is all about consistent good food and service. Any restaurant can be good once, but the 5-star is the one that never fails you.

beebmam 5y ago

I think the point is: customers aren't always rational; MBAs and economists tend to assume in rational actors in their models. Blaming customers for being "stupid" seems like a good way to deflect for one's own failures in accounting for their perceived stupidity.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

ev1 5y ago

Having worked retail before, encountering something like this as a customer would make me think of several things: - same checkout/employee reluctantly saying there is a new policy: bad management, new management, other things likely going downhill - same checkout/employee not being able to bypass this - if normal waste reduction, hand out less, and give on request? but no exceptions? - sloppy joes are sloppy, saucy, and drip everywhere - this is a takeaway order, and they are likely going to be eating it somewhere they do not have easy access to napkins - new policy: why are they cost cutting? have they also changed suppliers to cheaper meat or cheese? if they are cutting corners on one of the cheapest paper products, what else has changed? - general human pissiness if you previously did not have to pay for sauce or napkins or utensils or whatever and now you do

JackFr 5y ago

> and then never come in again because… you got less napkins? No, they didn’t come back again because they got fewer napkins.

OminousWeapons 5y ago

You are viewing the experience as purely transactional, but they may view going there as a tradition and may think they have a relationship with the place (i.e. they are a regular). In addition, it sounds like they kick-started a tradition so they may even feel a sense of ownership. In other words, it is not just business, it is personal. That's why you see those enraged 1 star reviews and why these people never came back. These aren't people who are offended at simple business transactions, these are people who feel personally wronged, and that will always generate a lot of negative emotion.

Fatnino 5y ago

The probably got so mad that they wrapped up the construction ahead of schedule so they wouldn't be tempted to come back to that sloppy joe place.