Who should get the vouchers?

[Cocoswhiskers]

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?

I agree that B is a CF but the others are almost as bad. They should all either give you the money for their meals or give you their vouchers.

I'd distance myself from these people if they're not willing to do either without being prompted.

You should tell them how you feel.

They got a free meal from you and ten quid compensation for it
It's ridiculous!

So did B just complain about their own meal, or did they take it upon themselves to do so also for the others who, it seems, had a very nice meal and no cause for complaint? I'm guessing the latter, if there were enough vouchers to make it worth sharing them out.

Hindsight is a great thing, but I'd have been inclined to take 'my share' of the vouchers and then return them unused to the restaurant, thanking them but saying there was some kind of misunderstanding as you personally were very happy with your meal - and I'd make it clear to the others that I'd done that.

I might be being unfair, but B reminds me of the kind of person who gleefully urges all of their friends to copy them in exploiting the forgetful old lady who runs the corner shop by insisting they gave her £20 when it was only a fiver. It isn't 'being a bit cheeky' - it's theft. As a PP said, everybody wins.... except for the business owner who is scammed and defrauded.

Even aside from the actual money loss, it must be utterly disheartening to run a restaurant where you pride yourself on going the extra mile to give people an amazing experience and fantastic food, knowing that lying thieves will come along wanting to make the most of what you work hard to provide, but planning to royally rip you off right from the very outset.

Thinking about it some more if the restaurant gave B 6 individual 10 pound vouchers rather than one 60 pound one (and thus compensated Bs individual gripe) I can see why B might have felt the right thing to do was to share them out
But unless the service was shocking , some ones meal was inedible , served much later than the rest , didn’t get what they ordered and then didn’t want to make a fuss at the time so as not to spoil everyone’s day then I still think B should’ve either given the vouchers to A on the down low or kept them themselves and said nothing

I once had a restaurant serve me chips that were frozen inside and then try and convince me they were supposed to be like that
By the time I’d agreed to take some poxy mash potato in exchange every one else was finished their meals and it was all humiliating
But i think if something like that had happened then surely A would’ve noticed

In some ways it doesn't make sense to me that A should get the vouchers because they paid.

They were happy to pay!

It would obviously have been better for B to compain at the time & a discount been given if possible.

I would have thought B could just have kept the vouchers & used them for a meal out with the group another time.

Were you A OP ?

I have complained previously if there are unacceptable elements to a meal out, but to put a formal complaint in when you're not paying - unless you got food poisoning- is tacky and churlish.

Person B would have been best keeping their mouth shut and retaining all the vouchers, giving them all to A ,or not complaining in the first place.

@rookiemere

Were you A OP ?

I have complained previously if there are unacceptable elements to a meal out, but to put a formal complaint in when you're not paying - unless you got food poisoning- is tacky and churlish.

Person B would have been best keeping their mouth shut and retaining all the vouchers, giving them all to A ,or not complaining in the first place.

Exactly.

But no, B then went on to effectively announce to the rest of the group that they'd all had a shit meal that A took them to, so bad they deserve compensation even though none of them paid.

B to the rescue, totally at A's expense.

B is no friend.

I can't believe the rest of the party haven't pointed out that the vouchers should be yours.

Were you planning on complaining?

I once paid for a meal for my family, my friend and her two children. Later that night, my son and I were struck down with food poisoning. My friend complained while we were ill and as we were coming out of the other side of it was delighted to tell me her complaint had awarded her a free meal. All things considered I was happy for her to have it. 😄

@shouldistop I guess it depends on how it was presented to them,
“Oh hey remember lunch the other week at X Restaurant and wine was corked and the wait staff were really rude ? They sent vouchers as an apology, here’s yours!”

The recipient might just think “oh that’s nice” and not even think about that A paid
Unless they were handed out when the group was all together

Embarrasing. I would give all the vouchers to person A.

Person B is an absolute disgrace imo.
Clearly just money grabbing, if you have a problem, you complain when the problem can be fixed.
I'd think so much less of person B and definitely not treat them again.

Hello all,
Yes, I am A.
No, I was not going to complain.

At the meal we did have a long wait for drinks. But I would not have complained about that.

We were asked if all was ok during the service a

We were asked if all was ok during the service and everyone said they were happy, without exception.

Of course A should receive them.

What a truly appallingly rude thing for B to do.

If I were you I would contact the establishment and let them know how unimpressed you are with them sending vouchers to B for a meal YOU paid for.

B is a piece of work.

Person A should 100% get the vouchers.

I am intrigued that the restaurant would hand out vouchers to somebody who complained after the event and wasn't the one who paid. Presumably they must have given enough detail in their complaint for them to be sure they were there.

@billy1966

Of course A should receive them.

What a truly appallingly rude thing for B to do.

If I were you I would contact the establishment and let them know how unimpressed you are with them sending vouchers to B for a meal YOU paid for.

B is a piece of work.

Excellent idea. Maybe they'll send out another lot of vouchers; restaurants are ankle-deep in cash at the imminent and can definitely afford to do this.

A restaurant receiving a complaint like this is unlikely to want to inflame things further by asking if they were the bill-payer. They'd assume they were because frankly only a serial fucking knob complains (and accepts vouchers) in respect of a meal for which someone else has paid.

If I were you I would contact the establishment and let them know how unimpressed you are with them sending vouchers to B for a meal YOU paid for.

How would they possibly know who, out of a party of 6, paid for the meal?

Is B your mother?

Person B is a chancer, and definitely a CF!

I am intrigued that the restaurant would hand out vouchers to somebody who complained after the event and wasn't the one who paid. Presumably they must have given enough detail in their complaint for them to be sure they were there.

Some people are very good at playing their face and causing a scene. I'm not saying that applies to B here, but it's very common that the squeaky wheel knows exactly which noises to make to get the oil.

Presumably the restaurant would just check that the details matched up so party of X on X date at X time. It would be unusual I suppose for a restaurant to get a complaint from someone who hasn't paid, but I suppose if it's justified they may well just go through their normal complaint procedures.

I've complained a couple of times to restaurants after the event - both times they were semi buffet style places where you were reliant on food either being presented or available to you at reasonable intervals. In both cases I'd been before and enjoyed the experience but the issues had caused me to be reluctant to go again.

In both cases I got vouchers for another visit and one place had completely rectified the issues, whereas the other place remained the same so I never went back.

I'd absolutely never complain as a paid for guest. Presumably the host has picked the restaurant so it would be very discourteous to raise any issues as it implies a poor choice on their behalf.

Why did the other 4 accept the vouchers? That is worse to me than what B did! At least B put some kind of effort in to make a complaint and then bothered to share them out instead of keeping them all.

The other 4 did nothing, paid nothing, and got a voucher!