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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Friend didn't give me a discount ....aibu?

386 replies

sofaslofas · 07/07/2022 13:14

My best friend of over 30 years ...her partner works at a well known chain restaurant that isn't the cheapest.
They get 33% staff discount for that restaurant (any in country) and 40% off other restaurants owned by same company.
To use the discount her partner logs into his staff portal and downloads a voucher which is sent to email and you have 24hours to use it.
You can use a discount voucher every day.
Every time it's my birthday she gets him to get one and he forwards it to her and she gets the 40% off my birthday meal.

Tonight I'm taking my partner to this particular restaurant and when she asked what my plans were I told her -and she didn't offer to get me a discount voucher and just said "have fun"
Now it would cost them nothing to get me a discount voucher

I used to work in a department store and every time she came in I made sure to serve her and she got 30% off
This was off beauty /clothes /homeware even a sofa.
So I've saved her a fortune over the years.

Aibu to think it's a bit tight not getting me a voucher?
These vouchers have no names or anything
Literally just a QR code

OP posts:
Stressedmum1966 · 08/07/2022 18:55

One of my DC has a part time job at a chain restaurant & with prices rises they have become very strict on staff discounts. Only useable when staff purchase and are actually eating with the party the discount is being applied to.
I wouldn’t take it personally.

UndercoverAspie · 08/07/2022 18:57

Perhaps she just doesn’t like your partner

Lj99x · 08/07/2022 19:00

Maybe don’t be so cheap and just pay full price. If you don’t want to pay in full then go elsewhere. I wouldn’t ever expect anyone to give me a handout if they weren’t there with me.

beautyisthefaceisee · 08/07/2022 19:00

I can't think why businesses would crack down after COVID.

Or maybe she's getting fed up of you using her.

Maireas · 08/07/2022 19:06

Beauty, clothes, homeware, even a sofa -
Was this usual practice? A massive discount for friends every time they came in?
30% off limitless items?

Evan456 · 08/07/2022 19:08

Maybe they can only use it if they are with you?

LuckyLuckyWoman · 08/07/2022 19:14

I work in a store and receive staff discount for myself and one nominated user.

I am not allowed to give my discount to anyone else, be it family or friends. Doing so could result in dismissal. There is also a spending cap, though I'd never reach that.

Charmatt · 08/07/2022 19:16

I receive discount as my husband works for a major high street brand. The rules are strict - only he and I are eligible. He can't use it for his family and I can't use it for mine, let alone friends.

Plenty of people in the past have asked me if they can use it, but I've never allowed it - it's a disciplinary, and potentially dismissal, offence.

When I was a student, I worked for Whitbread and the rules were very similar - most companies restrict it and OP is handing it out to her friends, she could end up out of a job!

LuckyLuckyWoman · 08/07/2022 19:16

Also, I tell staff that every button pressed on the till can be traced, which is true, so maybe it is not possible to give out the discounts willynilly anymore.

Autumn61 · 08/07/2022 19:23

So why didn’t you ask if there was a discount available ?

Grrrrdarling · 08/07/2022 19:27

sofaslofas · 07/07/2022 13:17

Well her partner gives them out to her to use whenever she does anywhere.
They can use 1 every 24 hours

YABALBU…
1)she could have already used her 1 in 24hrs discount

  1. many independent businesses are struggling right now so maybe they can’t afford to give everyone they know a discount right now.

  2. It isn’t your’s or your partners birthday so why should she feel the need to give you a special discount just because you are friend?

  3. You were very kind to give her a discount when she shopped at the store you worked in BUT if that was a staff discount you were giving her you were potentially stealing from the company you were working for😐

Let it go.

ThinWomansBrain · 08/07/2022 19:29

They can use 1 every 24 hours
surely the key word is "they"?
probably as a perk for them, not intended to be handed out to anyone they know.
Unless it is defined in T&Cs as available for family members, could be a bit dodgy for the partner to be using them.

fussyhousewife · 08/07/2022 19:30

A member of staff (not mentioning chain) was sacked for giving her 20% discount to her friends and that grew to their friends and so it was it was discovered that her discounts were most used and that cost her her job

keeptheaspidistra · 08/07/2022 19:33

Wow, the sense of entitlement you have! You sound like a massive CF and a bit of a cheap skate. This has to be a reverse

Hmm1234 · 08/07/2022 19:33

You are being unbelievably cheeky and cheap! Eat somewhere in your budget. Maybe it’s company policy not to give out these discounts or there could be serious repercussions. Have you thought about that? It’s not just expensive restaurants that have had to crack down on their employees sharing discount codes it happens in retail too

GirlFaeMars · 08/07/2022 19:37

sofaslofas · 07/07/2022 13:23

The vouchers have no name
Just a QR code
There's no way for them to know if it was him,his partner or mr blobby using the voucher

The qr code will link back to information about him if a new one is generated each time it’s used.
qr codes are digital business cards, basically. They can only link back to one set of info, so one sent as a mass employee email will be a generic discount, one made each time one is requested will hold personal identifiers so they know which staff member requested it. My work does something similar.

Jalepenojello · 08/07/2022 19:42

You’ve said for years she asked to use your discount but you’re annoyed because…? You didn’t ask her for a discount, did you? She never said no?

If she is someone who is comfortable asking you for discounts then I take it she is a straightforward person. In theory you should have just asked her outright as she would to you. I doubt she even gave it a second though when you mentioned you were going.

It’s not the same either really. This is her husbands discount. Not hers.

Ortega888 · 08/07/2022 19:45

Don’t be upset with your friend maybe she’s got in trouble for these vouchers you never know. I am sure if she could have got one for you she would have done. Be gracious and accept she cannot get you a voucher. Maybe when you and your friend go out next time see if she has a voucher if she does that’s great but then if she doesn’t she may no longer be able to get any. A lot of business’s are changing policies so just accept that the discount is no longer available and please don’t let this come between you and your friend. Have a lovely evening when you go out with your partner.

tattygrl · 08/07/2022 19:51

It’s obvious to me why she hasn’t: you say that usually, on your birthday, she takes you out for a birthday meal and uses the code for that. Is that correct?

If I’ve understood that right, it means that SHE is the one using the code, and SHE is the spouse of the employee who has the discount. In other words, she doesn’t ever get the code for you, she actually gets the code herself and uses it for money off your birthday meal you have together. Am I wrong? This seems really obvious I’m wondering if I’ve missed something.

Bekstar · 08/07/2022 19:51

Honestly you sound very entitled, she has clearly given you discount other times but.you didn't ask for a voucher this time maybe she'd already given that days out, either way you weren't born with a right to a voucher even if you've given her a discount in the past. I've given friends family perks some times doesn't mean I'll give them it every time, if you wanted a voucher why not ask, maybe she didn't want to be offer.

tattygrl · 08/07/2022 19:53

Ok, exacrly: you’ve said it yourself, SHE uses the code! She doesn’t get the code and give it to you for your birthday meal, she, as the spouse of an employee, uses the code. There’s no mystery here OP, she never gives the code out to you. She uses it herself, as she’s entitled to do. This seems very clear.

IDreamOfTheMoors · 08/07/2022 19:58

sofaslofas · 07/07/2022 13:36

@IncompleteSenten she pays for my birthday meal
I pay for her birthday meal-she's the one who saves the money not me

Why are you so over-the-top upset about one silly voucher?

What’s really going on?

BoJoGoGo · 08/07/2022 20:04

It was never your friend’s to give.

Imissmoominmama · 08/07/2022 20:11

Did you book that restaurant so you’d get the discount?

It might’ve been an idea to ask her first…

HaveringWavering · 08/07/2022 20:11

Clearly OP booked this place thinking the discount was in the bag, and was never prepared to pay full price.

Perhaps her friend and his partner are more interested in the company he works for staying afloat (by selling its food at full price) than they are in saving OP a few quid.

OP, is the department store where you worked still trading? Hmm

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