CF asking for key worker discount

[rumblingtumtum]

Tonight I was in a small independent restaurant when a police officer (inspector rank) came in to collect a takeaway order. He was wearing full police uniform, as he was paying he asked if they did key worker discount "because some places do".

This really pissed me off. Firstly, he was in full uniform, if they did a discount they would have offered it.

Secondly, he has been on full pay for the whole of this pandemic, the restaurant has been closed for months.

Thirdly, him asking puts the staff in an awkward position, police are supposed to represent authority.

I would like to point out that I am also a police officer and I would never ask for discount like that. I think it pissed me off so much because I feel his actions have a negative impact on the representation of 'The Police'.

AIBU to be so pissed off or was him asking ok and I'm being irrational?

I'm away for the weekend so not in my own force area. I know in my force area there has been a lot on the intranet about not taking advantage of free goods and discounts as we have to be impartial, so maybe that's why I was so annoyed seeing someone of rank blatantly ask.

@rumblingtumtum YANBU

Not unreasonable to ask.

I do think the fact he was in uniform and holds a senior rank was not ideal as it could be viewed to trying to utilise his role to obtain an advantage

So did they actually have a discount if they said no did he complain and try to force the issue or just say thank you and leave?

[quote googybob]@dwiz8 I have never been into a shop that didn't highlight the fact it offered a student discount. That's kind of the point, offer discount to encourage custom.

Look be a CF all you like but just own it! [/quote]
When you say highlight what exactly do you mean?

As in my experiencing blue light card is rarely "highlighted" and if it is its usually an a5 piece of paper typed in 12pt font on a wall 2 meters away from where the customer is standing customer

Yanbu. Pisses me off too. An nhs worker asked us the same, we are a very small business. Our product isn’t something most people can afford, it’s a luxury. Cheeky mare works in admin so not even frontline!

YANBU.

[quote gigglybiz]**@SecondStarFromTheRight* no you don't but you have so that's answers @CrowdedHouseinQuarantine* question about why I mentioned white privilege. Love the way you have ignored all my other points! [/quote]
You don't have any other 'points'. I have a bit of an issue when posters take quotes out of context. I don't need to engage with that.
I am absolutely ignoring your accusations of white privilege. If you think my views are wrong, out of touch or anything else, you are entitled to say so but please stop assuming my race or background.

The definition is very wide and includes, for instance, journalists involved in public service broadcasting and lawyers. As a lawyer myself, I wouldn't dream of trying to claim a key worker discount

It does not include lawyers unless they work directly in the justice system eg police on call lawyers. In fact we're one of the "few" jobs not on the key worker list. When the list was published back in March my husband and I joked that we were about the only jobs not on there and are obviously completely surplus to requirements, other than being taxpayers.

I think if an establishment offers a discount they'll have a sticker on the window (or somewhere else) to say so, like they do for NUS discounts.

Also agree they've been on full pay; hospitality workers haven't and earn less anyway unless they're Marcus Wareing.

YANBU I think to ask for a discount from a restaurant- especially an independent one- that spent several months closed is worse than cheeky.

Sounds like he asked for a discount and didn't get it. Doesn't sound like he kicked off or anything.

Our local BP gives us discounted tea/coffee but only when we are on duty.

I might get absolutely jumped on for this...but I don’t see why some sectors get extra discounts.

I work very hard in my job, way over the hours of 9-5 and my wage is rubbish. My job is helping out others less fortunate but I am not NHS or anything else.

A fair amount of people in the NHS, police, army, fire service, teachers etc earn a lot more than me (please not I said a lot, not all. I know not everyone earns loads at all). Do I want a discount from anywhere? No, I am happy to pay my way, I chose my profession, it’s my choice and it’s my life. But Do I think that people who earn a hell of a lot more than me should be getting extra discounts? Um, no, not really. I work just as hard, I do lots for others and I have less in the bank but they are financially rewarded. This isn’t a Covid thing, This is something that has been going on for years so coronavirus isn’t a factor here and extra discounts and jumping the queue has been a different matter, but in general, I dont get it. I’m not bothered, life is what it is, I just don’t get why there is a financial bonus for some.

Sorry if that offends anyone!

YANBU. If discounts are offered they would be displayed. Always are in any place I shop/eat. Like you say hospitality have faced huge challenges during lockdown, and some of these front line keyworkers are behaving like self entitled arses.

YANBU. I also run a food business

I noticed during lockdown that the only people who would ever make reference to their job when ordering food were people who would casually drop it into conversation that they're a nurse, or will be finishing their shift at the hospital at X time.

Swiftly ignored - they're all on full pay, my business was massively screwed by lockdown and I fell through all the cracks of government support, so no you're not getting a discount!

@OnTheWheelOfLife

I might get absolutely jumped on for this...but I don’t see why some sectors get extra discounts.

I work very hard in my job, way over the hours of 9-5 and my wage is rubbish. My job is helping out others less fortunate but I am not NHS or anything else.

A fair amount of people in the NHS, police, army, fire service, teachers etc earn a lot more than me (please not I said a lot, not all. I know not everyone earns loads at all). Do I want a discount from anywhere? No, I am happy to pay my way, I chose my profession, it’s my choice and it’s my life. But Do I think that people who earn a hell of a lot more than me should be getting extra discounts? Um, no, not really. I work just as hard, I do lots for others and I have less in the bank but they are financially rewarded. This isn’t a Covid thing, This is something that has been going on for years so coronavirus isn’t a factor here and extra discounts and jumping the queue has been a different matter, but in general, I dont get it. I’m not bothered, life is what it is, I just don’t get why there is a financial bonus for some.

Sorry if that offends anyone!

Completely agree.

All this "heroes" stuff sticks in my craw. No one is conscripted into these professions.

I agree with Wheel too. The purpose of discounts for students or unemployed people is that they don't have a lot of money and so are hoping to be able to buy something nice that they can't usually afford. Asking comes from a position of disadvantage and can sometimes carry a bit of a stigma with it.

Aside from the obvious fact that we'd all like to pay less for what we buy and keep more of our money, what is the actual reason for giving a nurse or police officer a discount when a much worse-paid bin man or Tesco shelf-stacker (both essential jobs) is expected to pay full whack?

What began as simple gratitude has now morphed into crass entitlement among some people. Aren't these professional government employees with secure jobs and decent salaries ashamed to ask Mrs Chang, who's been forced to close her small restaurant for several months and is probably still in a seriously parlous financial position, to work for nothing in order to provide them with a lovely big meal? Would they work for their expenses being reimbursed but no actual salary?

It does not include lawyers unless they work directly in the justice system eg police on call lawyers

That's still a hell of a lot of lawyers and their staff, bearing in mind that it includes the civil and criminal justice systems.

Aren't these professional government employees with secure jobs and decent salaries ashamed to ask Mrs Chang, who's been forced to close her small restaurant for several months and is probably still in a seriously parlous financial position, to work for nothing in order to provide them with a lovely big meal?

I think you’ll find that discount services like Blue Light and Defence Discounts actually work with the companies/ shops do no one is actually giving a discount if they don’t want to. They sign up to the service. Maybe read up on them to see what they are about and where they came from before spouting off.

Also being a government employee is not a blood birth right you know. People moan about them with their good pensions and secure jobs like it’s something given to an unreachable elite. You can do these jobs too ya know. But you generally won’t want to as they are often paid less than private sector jobs and have an element of risk.

Also no one ever moans about the ridiculous salaries that private sector get, but yes let’s moan at the underpaid and underfunded public sector because they had the audacity to apply for a secure job with a good pension and use a discount service that was created to thank them.

I would never ask any small independant for a discount. It’s common sense to know these places probably can’t afford to.

I have never once asked for a key worker discount or used my NHS ID to jump a queue althought I have been to the 7am early NHS opening hour only because the shelves were empty at the end of my shift.
My view is I have a steady job and salary and my pension keeps getting paid.
I think it's horrendously insensitive and greedy when the country is officially in recession and so many people are out of work and in serious trouble.

Also no one ever moans about the ridiculous salaries that private sector get,

What no one moans about bankers or footballers salaries? But not everyone in the private sector gets paid that & there are many low earners. An average earner will be much better off in the public sector particularly once you take into account job security & pension.

You don't have any other 'points'. I have a bit of an issue when posters take quotes out of context. I don't need to engage with that.

What are you talking about @SecondStarFromTheRight? What point did I take out of context? Yes if your debate is crap of course you don't have to engage but just own it rather than pretending it's "out of context". That's like the default statement when someone has said something stupid. Your post did sound like white privilege, again you don't have to accept it but it doesn't mean I'm wrong.

@Elsewyre how is student discount highlighted? When you get the card you see a list of retailers on the websites, social media & stickers in shop windows or on the till. usually an a5 piece of paper typed in 12pt font on a wall 2 meters away that's an example too.

Wholeheartedly agree, Wheel. When you've worked in the service industry and had pissed-up groups of squaddies demanding free beer/dessert on the grounds that they're 'heroes', or a table of coppers come barrelling back into the restaurant in a panic because one of them has left their phone which has been pinging for the last twenty minutes with ever more terse messages from their coke dealer, you develop a certain sangfroid at the notion that these people are somehow worthy of hefty discounts.