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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Who should get the vouchers?

79 replies

Cocoswhiskers · 22/08/2021 11:55

Hello all,
First post, after much lurking 😔
Please consider this scenario,
A group of 6 go out for a meal. One person pays to treat the rest.
Let’s call that person A.
Another person, Person B, makes a complaint about the service/food in the days afterwards. But this person does not inform person A, either at the time of the meal or in the days afterwards.
The company who own the place where the food was served, reply to the complaint and send out £60 in vouchers to person B.
When person A is told about the complaint and vouchers they are not happy. They didn’t even know person B was that unhappy with the food/service.

Person B then ‘shares out’ the vouchers equally between everyone who attended the meal.
AIBU to think that person B shouldn’t have complained in this way and then ‘shared out’ the vouchers?

OP posts:

purpledagger · 22/08/2021 12:27

If B was unhappy with the meal, they should have discussed with A. But, they should have given the money back to A.

Excelthetube · 22/08/2021 12:28

B is a total dick and you’re not wrong I would feel embarrassed too. And I actually think all the other friends probably think B is a dick too.

Shamoo · 22/08/2021 12:29

I’ve had not dissimilar OP, although not as bad. We went for a meal. The part that was delayed was mine. I didn’t want to complain about it. My friend complained without telling me, and demanded free food to compensate (onion rings). When it arrived she ate them all. I was so annoyed with her. Yours is even worse though. What a dick.

Eralos · 22/08/2021 12:31

A should get the vouchers

fourminutestosavetheworld · 22/08/2021 12:35

If someone generously paid for my meal, I wouldn't have complained about any of it. What a very odd and embarrassing thing to do! So instead of feeling happy that they treated everyone, A now feels like a bit of a chump for paying for a meal that people must have felt disappointed by.

If, for some reason, I did complain and receive vouchers, they'd all go to A.

TSSDNCOP · 22/08/2021 12:36

I could understand B complaining directly to avoid offending A, who has done a really nice thing by treating the group.

However, given B didn't like the food/service whatever, and A clearly did/does why would B wish to return? Further, as A paid they should get the vouchers.

TooStressyTooMessy · 22/08/2021 12:39

Nobody should as B should not have been so rude as to complain later for a meal they didn’t even pay for. However, since it has been done clearly A should get the vouchers. In reality I would probably just accept it and try never to go for a meal with B again and certainly not pay for them!

TheDuchessOfBeddington · 22/08/2021 12:39

A should have been given the vouchers, but also B should never ever had complained about a meal being hosted by someone else. What a dickhead!

Starseeking · 22/08/2021 12:46

Person B has behaved terribly, it sounds like they resented Person A paying for the meal. Was that part pre-arranged, or an impromptu gesture?

Reading this, it sounds like Person B has done this to try and show up Person A, in a way to say "see if wasn't such a great thing they did paying for us all".

You are clearly Person A, don't feel bad, it was a very kind thing for you to do, I've done similar in the past.

What part of the meal was Person B so unhappy about that they didn't speak to Person A about before going directly to the restaurant, seeing as they weren't out of pocket at all?

Starseeking · 22/08/2021 12:46

I forgot to answer, all the vouchers should have been given to Person A!

TheWayTheLightFalls · 22/08/2021 12:47

I'm another for "B shouldn't have complained". But since they did, vouchers to A.

Imnothereforthedrama · 22/08/2021 12:48

Tbh I think complaining about a free meal is a bit cf anyway . Unless the person got food poisoning it was a free meal so basically was getting a 2nd free meal almost with the voucher .
I suppose divvying up the vouchers in the end was the right thing to do but if I was a mental of the group I would’ve been a bit at the complaint .

Imnothereforthedrama · 22/08/2021 12:49

* mental / member * flipping autocorrect

2pinkginsplease · 22/08/2021 12:52

Vouchers to A! Or all the group have another meal out together using the vouchers.

B is a CF! Complain at the time or don’t complain at all. Having worked in hospitality for over 19 years it really irks me when people don’t complain at the time, mistakes can be made and are easier rectified that day rather than complaining later!

1FootInTheRave · 22/08/2021 13:18

B is a cheeky twat.

phishy · 22/08/2021 13:26

You should have got all the vouchers. Don’t invite this twat again.

Peacrock · 22/08/2021 13:29

A without a doubt should get the vouchers. If B wanted to complain its weird they didn't mention it, but even so, the fact they had a free meal and then wanted to keep the vouchers is absolutely cheeky af.

BluebellsGreenbells · 22/08/2021 13:34

If you all shared the vouchers than you can all go to another meal together? Wouldn’t that be a win win?

randomusernameagain · 22/08/2021 13:35

Very strange, Person A should take the vouchers. Person B should not have accepted them from the restaurant in the first place.

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 22/08/2021 13:41

@BluebellsGreenbells

If you all shared the vouchers than you can all go to another meal together? Wouldn’t that be a win win?

Not for the restaurant, I suspect.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/08/2021 13:41

A paid for the meal, so the vouchers (whether the complaint was justified or not) belong to A, in recompense for what they spent on the meal.

It's quite a passive aggressive way for B to belittle A's generosity - a bit like opening a Christmas present and instantly asking "Do you still have the receipt, so that I can take it back and exchange it for something NICE?". Fair enough if it had obviously been bad on the day, but by the sounds of it, only B felt that - and for all we know, B might have had a perfectly nice meal but be one of these horrible, insufferable people who believes in complaining every single time for an entirely fabricated 'reason', just to effectively steal from the provider of the goods or services.

OiPanda · 22/08/2021 13:46

A Paid. So A should get the vouchers and B should have mentioned they were going to raise the complaint at the time. Unless it was because B nearly died with a food allergy they missed or got food poisoning. Then the vouchers could be seen as compensation for B's trauma.

Original poster

Cocoswhiskers · 22/08/2021 13:55

The vouchers have already been shared out.
I’m ashamed to admit, I childishly declined to take my ‘share’ as I was so annoyed.

Truth is I still am cross, but sharing on here has helped a little. And given me a few laughs.

So thank you all for taking the time to reply to me, it was appreciated.

OP posts:

SquirryTheSquirrel · 22/08/2021 14:03

My take on this is slightly different. B should have told A they were complaining - as A might have decided to complain on their own part, which might then have led the restaurant to think the whole party was trying to defraud them.

If A had said they weren't going to complain but B wanted to go ahead anyway, in my view the vouchers are then B's to do with as B wishes - as B. has made the effort to complain.

Yes, A is the only one who was out of pocket for the meal, but if the meal/service was poor, the night would have been spoiled for all those who experienced it.

The above, of course, assumes the complaint was justified.

FilthyforFirth · 22/08/2021 14:04

Christ the rest of your group need talking to. Person b is a CF but the rest of the group arent much better. They should have immediately passed it on to you.

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