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.

[consfusedandlookingforwine]

I used to work in a small family run cafe. We did emergency forces discount but only if asked about it and they could provide ID. The sign telling people about it was tiny and hidden under the taped down take away menu.

[Amaksy]

Isn't that how 'Line of duty' started? Investigated by AC because of free coffee from the shop.

[Supermum29]

My DP is an officer and wouldn’t dream of asking for discount while in uniform. On two occasions recently we’ve taken the whole family for dinner as a thank you for helping us move house, wouldn’t have dreamed of asking for a discount. We’ve both been on full pay during the pandemic and restaurants have really struggled, as two large tables they’ve aren’t every penny due! We’ve been out shopping casually at weekends (pre covid) and he’s asked if blue light card is accepted.

[Bassettgirl]

@Amasky

It was a free breakfast!

[SignOnTheWindow]

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I agree with you, OP. We gladly take advantage of discounts advertised for NHS workers - we saved a load at Sports Direct on their first day of re-opening - but that's completely different from asking for a discount when none is advertised, especially from a small independent business.

I remember reading the same article as the PP mentioned, and it might seem a simple case of asking and them just freely saying yes or no, but it does put them in a very awkward position.

There's been so much publicity about thanking and celebrating NHS workers recently - not saying that they haven't deserved it, but their jobs and wages have been safe throughout and where are the discounts for the supermarket workers, the delivery people the care home workers and countless others?

They have no idea who else on the premises might overhear them declining the request and then turn on them. Imagine: you've only just been allowed to re-open after months of no income and then word gets around on SM that 'Giuseppe at the pizza shop clearly doesn't value or respect our key workers - let's vote with our feet and show him what we think of his opinion'.

Also, as has been suggested already, how is the business owner to know that their refusal won't be held against them should they subsequently require the services of said key workers?

IMHO, if it's advertised/offered, take it; but most definitely do not ask for it unsolicited.

Totally agree with this

[angelfacecuti75]

I don't think it is that bad...he asked...and they didn't do it. He was only asking.

[orangejuicer]

Slightly off topic but I didn't know blue light discount was even a thing?! What's the basis for it and others like the armed forces discount? I'm not trolling, just genuinely curious.

[CodenameLevonelle]

I am not a police officer but I work closely with them every day. I have numerous friends and family who are police officers too. Not on any level is this acceptable whilst on duty, in uniform. The power imbalance, the potential for it to be interpreted inappropriately in future management of crime and all the other reasons the sensible posters have listed. It's even cheeky off duty and out of uniform! If that inspector was confident that asking was ok he would have brought it up when he phoned and placed his order. He didn't because he knows his colleagues listening wouldn't have approved and thought he'd chance his arm whilst there, likely thinking the sight of him in uniform would swing it. I'm glad the person serving him said no.

[Ezzabean]

YABU
Pay in the public sector is poor given what we do. I’m a nurse, I have people’s lives in my hands, yet my pay doesn’t reflect that at all. There’s no company car or Christmas bonus for us in the public sector. We don’t get fed whilst at work, we have to provide our own tea & coffee. I have to pay £25 a month just to park in the staff car park. So I’m more than happy to to use the discounts offered. There are very few other perks to my job.

[BriarNorth]

Police officer here, too. I’d ask about Blue Light discount if I was in civvies, but not in uniform- it might be perceived as expecting freebies/benefits and using my position to get them. I usually check where I’m shopping on the Blue Light app anyway- and I’ve found during the pandemic a lot of businesses advertise more if they do emergency services discount.

[toodlesmoon]

@Ezzabean I get that nursing is a tough job but where do these notions come from that everyone in the private sector gets company cars, fed at work, free parking, etc?!

[DarkMintChocolate]

There’s no company car...,

A company car is not a benefit, due to the tax treatment.

As a nurse, would you give up the equivalent salary to get a car instead? You might as well take the money and choose what to spend it on!

I wonder where people in the public sector get their ideas from about all these perks in the private sector. It’s like everybody assuming all NHS workers are consultants! Millions work on zero hour contracts, the gig economy, on the NMW, are self employed....

[DarkMintChocolate]

I’d consider £25 pcm for a staff park an absolute bargain, compared to the £30 per week at the station and season ticket of £3,600 pa for commuters here!

[toodlesmoon]

I used to have to pay for hot water to make my own tea! 20p

[alistairric2]

I'm an NHS worker and received discounts from lots of shops and I was grateful. But now I feel it is time we supported the small businesses that gave us those discounts. The takeaways that sent in free food or even just free delivery, these are the places we should be supporting now to pay them back. We shouldn't be making life harder for them by demanding discounts now. When I see colleagues ordering McDonalds or subway or Pizza Hut I despair. None of those supported us but are now busier than ever. Support the local guys not the chains.

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Thanks, LioneIRichTea - genuine misunderstanding

[LioneIRichTea]

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

I have a cafe and I always give police officers free coffee, they never ask for it but I don’t charge them...just like I don’t charge the binmen or postie etc

That's very kind of you, but where do you draw the line? Teachers, nurses, care staff, childminders, supermarket workers, BT workers, plumbers.... That's a genuine question. How do you decide which occupations are worthy and/or low-paid and which are less worthy and/or overpaid? If it's a community cafe, I'd have thought that most people in the community play a valuable role. Would you give the postie a free drink but then charge full price to an Amazon delivery driver on a zero-hours contract? Do these people reciprocate and help you out with discounts or favours?

[Susan1961]

I'm taking advantage of the Eat Out discount & have also had 20% off clothing, using my Blue Light card @£5 for two years, but I feel uncomfortable using it in cafés even though I am on just above the minimum wage.

[Susan1961]

Well said 😁

[Susan1961]

[Susan1961]

Reminds me of Early Doors when the cops used to have a 'coffee' in Ken's kitchen, cos crime won't crack itself!

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Early Doors was brilliant! Weren't the cops involved in selling knock-off goods or something as a sideline?!

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

@Ezzabean

YABU
Pay in the public sector is poor given what we do. I’m a nurse, I have people’s lives in my hands, yet my pay doesn’t reflect that at all. There’s no company car or Christmas bonus for us in the public sector. We don’t get fed whilst at work, we have to provide our own tea & coffee. I have to pay £25 a month just to park in the staff car park. So I’m more than happy to to use the discounts offered. There are very few other perks to my job.

Last time I was an employee in the private sector

• there was no car parking whatsoever, and everyone had to cycle or take public transport. Obviously no company car either.
• there wasn't enough secure bike parking to go around, so many of us had to park our bikes on the street
• no Christmas bonus
• canteen on site, but we had to pay. As far as I know, it wasn't subsidised (I'm sure they would have said if it was)

We did get free tea and coffee though - big fat woop

Now I'm self employed, get no perks, my business has massively struggled in lockdown yet I still get nurses etc dropping some very strong hints that they'd like a discount!

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

It's far too simplistic to just say that all private sector workers are paid loads and all public sector workers are paid next to nothing. As well as employment benefits not just being the amount of money you take home at the end of a normal month, but also how much annual leave/sick pay/maternity pay you get, it depends on so many things - job type, seniority, experience and time in service etc.

You might just as well say that singers are all rolling in it. Adele and Ed Sheeran, yes; not nearly so much the single mum whose own mum has her kids when she can to enable her to get £40 for a Friday night at the local pub.