Is it U to ask the local Chinese Takeaway for "tick"

[cheekyornot]

Local Chinese we've used for years (take away once every 2-3 months)
They recognise us when we go in and have our details on file (when we phone up they know it's us on their system)
They only take cash and have no card payments either in shop or over phone.
Dh stopped in tonight from work to pick up our takeaway that I'd phoned in earlier. Once he got there and went to the cash point next door and realised he had forgot his bank card and only had his credit card so would need to come home first to get a card.
I told him to pop in and ask if he could take the food and we'd drop off the money tomorrow. Obviously if they said no there would be no problem but considering they "know" us I couldn't see the harm in asking.
Dh, who is quite socially awkward, goes in a strop saying that's ridiculous and no way would they agree, you wouldn't try that at Tesco etc?
I agree you wouldn't do it at Tesco/McDonald's but feel this is different and think they would rather give regular customers hot food rather than them coming in half an hour later to pick up cold food?
In the end he withdrew money from his credit card which I think was stupid rather than asking them first if we could pop in tomorrow
I know this is boring first world problems but would you have asked in this case?

Of course he should have asked. They know him and the food was already cooked. What were they going to do with it? Throw it away? They could have said no but it was worth asking. If he didn't bring the money in they could just refuse to serve him next time and forever after.

I’m with your dh too I’m afraid. It would put the business in an awkward position, it’s really unfair.

Little businesses like that have really struggled over the past few years, too. It’s a stressful way to make a living.

I'm with DH. I would not dream of doing this. You are not even a regular customer- you only give them business once every 2-3 months.
You would be taking the piss out of a small business. As you say, you wouldn't do it in Tesco, so why do you think it is ok to do it to a small business?

Absolutely not

That would be pretty rude. They're not your mates.

no of course not, it's essentially begging.

No, definitely not

Embarrassingly cheeky. I can't believe you thought this would be ok.

I wouldn't do it because I would worry I was putting them (the takeaway) in an uncomfortable position whichever way they answered.

I'm definitely team DH. Presumably he phoned you to say he didn't have his bank card so you could've called to ask instead if you knew he wouldn't.

That's quite rude, having a small business myself it puts the owner in an awkward position and I'd think they were so cheeky. We get a Chinese every week and wouldn't ask that.

Absolutely not.

I wouldn't class someone who offers 4-5 times a year as a 'regular'

This was exactly my thinking

It’s a bit embarrassing. And they might think twice before taking more orders from you again. So no; I’d not have done it.

No and a horrible position to put the counter staff in

I think I would have offered to do a bank transfer, and then if they wanted to they could offer to let me pay tomorrow.

We use a local laundrette for a service wash every week. They only take cash, they know me (by name) and will happily let me pay later if the local cash points are out of service. There are still local businesses that operate this way. In return I will now pick up 200 duty free benson's and hedges when we go away for one of the owners on trust! 😂

Worth asking if food is already prepared if know your a regular so are less likely to rip them off but would probably ask first if able to pay via some other means like bank transfer, PayPal etc and see if they suggest you to pop back later and pay cash. He solved it his own way though.

I would have asked,s the food was already cooked and it would have gone to waste.

Hmm, I'm torn. I've only ever done this once and it was the idea of the shopkeeper. That you think it should be second nature is an unreasonable assumption.

But when you say “If he didn't bring the money in they could just refuse to serve him next time and forever after” — that’s basically the same as “if he didn’t bring the money in they could just write it off and never get paid and also lose a customer“ How is that a reasonable thing to expect them to take a risk on?

No! That’s total CF behaviour

No - I would have done what your DH did.

Also, my credit card has an app where you can pay money in any time so when I got home I would have used my bank card to pay the money back on the credit card and little interest would due.

Given that you go in so infrequently, I would assume that you are short of money and refuse. At the nail salon I go to, the number of clients that claim to have 'forgotten their bank card' or offer similar excuses is astonishing and it's simply because they have no money yet still expect the salon owner to provide the service. They're often women who go to great lengths to try to fabricate an affluent lifestyle yet fool no one.

They weren't suggesting having the food for free! It was already cooked and they would have paid!!