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AIBU?

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Original poster

WIBU to be annoyed in this cafe?

582 replies

Hoppinggreen · 06/02/2023 18:42

Went for lunch today at a local cafe. I was paying as a treat for my friend. Bill was about £30.
When I went to pay the person on the till made a mistake and over charged me by £10. It was actually a lot more complicated as she mixed up my bill with someone else then tried to add on someone’s takeaway but that was basically it.
After a lot of discussion between 2 staff members they said the only thing they could do was refund and charge me again. No problem I said.
So they did the refund and I said it hadn’t appeared back on my banking app to be told that I had to wait up to 10 days to get it. I was then expected to pay again.
I (calmly) said that I wasn’t happy about that as I would have paid £70 for a £30 lunch until the refund arrived. I was told there was no other alternative. I said again that I didn’t think this was reasonable. The staff member who made the mistake kept apologising and I said that it was a simple mistake and everyone made them so she really didn’t need to be upset about it. The other staff member said that I just needed to pay again and if I hadn’t received it in 10 days to call in.
There was a queue at this point so I said fine but I wasn’t happy about it. The staff member then told me that I had “upset” her colleague and was very short with me. I said again that I didn’t blame her for a simple mistake, it was the lack of resolution I was annoyed at. I did not raise my voice at any point and was very calm and measured. We left and I could hear the staff member telling her colleague she could come out now (she had vanished into the back as apparently she was too upset to deal with me) since I had gone. I left feeling as if I had done something wrong, honestly happy to be told I did
Was I unreasonable being annoyed at this? It won’t cause me any issue financially but I’m a bit miffed at being £40 out of pocket due to their mistake for up to 10 days. It might come earlier I know

OP posts:
lindyloo57 · 07/02/2023 18:31

Sorry to put this on this thread I thought I had started a new one

KatysMumJen · 07/02/2023 18:33

Hoppinggreen · 06/02/2023 18:42

Went for lunch today at a local cafe. I was paying as a treat for my friend. Bill was about £30.
When I went to pay the person on the till made a mistake and over charged me by £10. It was actually a lot more complicated as she mixed up my bill with someone else then tried to add on someone’s takeaway but that was basically it.
After a lot of discussion between 2 staff members they said the only thing they could do was refund and charge me again. No problem I said.
So they did the refund and I said it hadn’t appeared back on my banking app to be told that I had to wait up to 10 days to get it. I was then expected to pay again.
I (calmly) said that I wasn’t happy about that as I would have paid £70 for a £30 lunch until the refund arrived. I was told there was no other alternative. I said again that I didn’t think this was reasonable. The staff member who made the mistake kept apologising and I said that it was a simple mistake and everyone made them so she really didn’t need to be upset about it. The other staff member said that I just needed to pay again and if I hadn’t received it in 10 days to call in.
There was a queue at this point so I said fine but I wasn’t happy about it. The staff member then told me that I had “upset” her colleague and was very short with me. I said again that I didn’t blame her for a simple mistake, it was the lack of resolution I was annoyed at. I did not raise my voice at any point and was very calm and measured. We left and I could hear the staff member telling her colleague she could come out now (she had vanished into the back as apparently she was too upset to deal with me) since I had gone. I left feeling as if I had done something wrong, honestly happy to be told I did
Was I unreasonable being annoyed at this? It won’t cause me any issue financially but I’m a bit miffed at being £40 out of pocket due to their mistake for up to 10 days. It might come earlier I know

They should’ve rang you up a new bill, taken a tenner from the till to settle up your end and then settled their own end of day with regards the balls up.
it’s not difficult. I have a small business and use sum up, it’s not difficult to rectify. Although I would’ve had to refund you the tenner in cash to avoid you waiting ten days for your refund.
there’s no excuse small business needs to fix up!

restingbitchface30 · 07/02/2023 18:33

I work in retail and mistakes like this have happened with me. You shouldn’t have paid in the first place if the amount seemed incorrect. Fortunately I’ve never been left upset by an encounter but I’ve had colleagues who have. She was probably feeling overwhelmed that’s why she left.

Jayne35 · 07/02/2023 18:35

That is ridiculous, they should have just refunded you the £10 over charged then sorted it out internally afterwards, as another poster said, books would have balanced.

Dingdong90 · 07/02/2023 18:41

Why would they do that ? It would have made more sense to just refund you the £10 you overpaid.

nannykatherine · 07/02/2023 18:43

Hoppinggreen · 06/02/2023 18:42

Went for lunch today at a local cafe. I was paying as a treat for my friend. Bill was about £30.
When I went to pay the person on the till made a mistake and over charged me by £10. It was actually a lot more complicated as she mixed up my bill with someone else then tried to add on someone’s takeaway but that was basically it.
After a lot of discussion between 2 staff members they said the only thing they could do was refund and charge me again. No problem I said.
So they did the refund and I said it hadn’t appeared back on my banking app to be told that I had to wait up to 10 days to get it. I was then expected to pay again.
I (calmly) said that I wasn’t happy about that as I would have paid £70 for a £30 lunch until the refund arrived. I was told there was no other alternative. I said again that I didn’t think this was reasonable. The staff member who made the mistake kept apologising and I said that it was a simple mistake and everyone made them so she really didn’t need to be upset about it. The other staff member said that I just needed to pay again and if I hadn’t received it in 10 days to call in.
There was a queue at this point so I said fine but I wasn’t happy about it. The staff member then told me that I had “upset” her colleague and was very short with me. I said again that I didn’t blame her for a simple mistake, it was the lack of resolution I was annoyed at. I did not raise my voice at any point and was very calm and measured. We left and I could hear the staff member telling her colleague she could come out now (she had vanished into the back as apparently she was too upset to deal with me) since I had gone. I left feeling as if I had done something wrong, honestly happy to be told I did
Was I unreasonable being annoyed at this? It won’t cause me any issue financially but I’m a bit miffed at being £40 out of pocket due to their mistake for up to 10 days. It might come earlier I know

They are acting like snowflakes .. hiding in the. BAck??? Seriously 🤷🏽‍♂️

Buttalapasta · 07/02/2023 18:44

I would have suggested I come back in in 10 days to pay the new amount. What a stupid system.

magicthree · 07/02/2023 18:47

Chasedbythechaser · 07/02/2023 09:37

In the short term the OP loses out.

In the long term the cafe loses out because the OP will never open their door again and will give negative views online or in person.

People vote with their feet in retail. Coffee shops and restaurants are ten a penny, and until their so called customer service is customer friendly, they will lose customers.

Show quote history

I agree. Reputation is everything in business, something a lot of people don't seem to grasp, then wonder why they fail. If someone told me this about a cafe near me I simply wouldn't go there - they are ten a penny as Chased said.

AllOfThemWitches · 07/02/2023 18:50

'Common sense' would include things like checking the amount and not agreeing to a solution you're not happy with..

PermanentlyinUAT · 07/02/2023 18:51

Hoppinggreen · 06/02/2023 21:21

I was very nice, I told her we all make mistakes and she shouldn’t get upset.
Apparently this meant she had to go and hide

Show quote history

Did she have blue hair and facial piercings? 😁

Mandyjack · 07/02/2023 18:52

It always amazes me that payments come out immediately yet refunds take days

Mandyjack · 07/02/2023 18:54

Did you not get a receipt to show your card has been refunded? Suggest you call your bank

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 07/02/2023 18:55

AllOfThemWitches · 07/02/2023 18:50

'Common sense' would include things like checking the amount and not agreeing to a solution you're not happy with..

I was distracted by the fact that they had already tried to charge me for a different tables food and add a takeaway. I was also trying to say goodbye to my friend who was rushing off as her parking was about to expire - as was mine. But yes, I should have checked.
As for agreeing with the solution I was told that after 2 staff consulting on it for several minutes and people behind me wanting to pay that it was the only solution. I suppose I could have stood there arguing about it for a bit longer

OP posts:
Mandyjack · 07/02/2023 18:56

Hoppinggreen · 06/02/2023 19:29

Nope
Obviously a mistake with hindsight but as I was holding up a queue while being accused of upsetting a staff member and at risk of a parking ticket an easy one to make.

Show quote history

You need to go back to the place & ask to see proof they did a refund. If they have no proof then ask them to do it again

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 07/02/2023 18:59

I’m going to give them until Friday before going back.
Hopefully I will have my money back by then

OP posts:
Mummyofmaniacs · 07/02/2023 19:06

You are so much nicer than me, I would definitely have cracked at some point in that conversation!
There is ALWAYS a way to correct errors obviously!! (and yes I do work in accounting!)
the combination of snowflake staff and appallingly trained manager is a recipe for pain for the customer
The bit that gets my goat though, is the assumption you actually had the spare cash in your account to cover their error. What would they have done if you hadn't, expected you to meekly scuttle away another tenner shorter?
Name and shame them - or if you are feeling mellow, just leave a very concise review warning customers to check their receipts carefully

Missingpop · 07/02/2023 19:08

I’d go back & ask to speak to the owner about the situation & explain that at no point did you upset the member of staff but it was the other way around & that they need to sort out how returns are refunded I’m pretty certain it shows up pretty much instantly

Princespea · 07/02/2023 19:16

I can not believe the answers on this thread. I would be very annoyed at being charged an extra £10, let alone waiting for a refund for 2 weeks. What if it was her last bit of money to last until payday? What if she needed it to get to work? What if she didn't have it? Personally I wouldn't have paid I a second time. Tough shite.

Rosscameasdoody · 07/02/2023 19:17

Missingpop · 07/02/2023 19:08

I’d go back & ask to speak to the owner about the situation & explain that at no point did you upset the member of staff but it was the other way around & that they need to sort out how returns are refunded I’m pretty certain it shows up pretty much instantly

I have two bank accounts - with different banks. If I make a payment from one bank to another, it shows up within a couple of minutes. If I make a payment to a retailer via a payment system like Worldpay or Klarna, it shows up immediately I. But a credit card payment, or payment to an online account like Next takes a couple of days to clear. I have never understood this. Surely if the facility for instant payments is there, it should be there for all.

Tillow4ever · 07/02/2023 19:18

No read the full thread, only up to page 5… just wanted to add that I get it OP. Years ago, I had a Tesco home shop ordered, and it was close to Xmas so a pretty big one. We woke up to a blanket of thick snow the day it was due to be delivered. A few hours before delivery, I had a phone call to say they weren’t delivering as couldn’t get out. Fine, not a problem as I pretty much expected it with the weather. They then went on to say that I’d get the refund in 4-5 working days. Given it was just shy of £200 and about 2 weeks before Xmas, we simply didn’t have any spare money to go out and buy more food til the refund came through. But what pissed me off the most, was that Tesco only take the payment, at the store, on the morning/day of the delivery. At that point they KNEW about the weather, and likely should have realised they weren’t going anywhere, certainly not a town 12 miles away across some treacherous country roads! They should never have taken the payment in the first place.

I posted on their Facebook page about it to suggest in future they consider not taking payments til they know they’ll be delivering in adverse weather - I was roasted by people online telling me how I should budget better to account for things like this, etc. Given I’m with a rare company that still pays weekly, as was my husband who worked at the same business, it’s pretty hard to find an extra couple of hundred pounds in a week when you only being home around £300 each, and £200 each of that goes into the house account for standard bills!

The system is crap. There should be something that if a refund is processed within day 15 mins of the transaction for the full amount, the original transaction should simply get cancelled. Nothing actually leaves the account that way, except for the bank “reserving” the funds for 15 mins. That would allow for situations like the OP’s where a mistake at the POS happened. I don’t believe for a second the banks can’t do this - I think them holding the refund money tor several days gives them a huge amount of money to play with across all transactions, which makes them a lot more money overall.

Rosscameasdoody · 07/02/2023 19:22

Tillow4ever · 07/02/2023 19:18

No read the full thread, only up to page 5… just wanted to add that I get it OP. Years ago, I had a Tesco home shop ordered, and it was close to Xmas so a pretty big one. We woke up to a blanket of thick snow the day it was due to be delivered. A few hours before delivery, I had a phone call to say they weren’t delivering as couldn’t get out. Fine, not a problem as I pretty much expected it with the weather. They then went on to say that I’d get the refund in 4-5 working days. Given it was just shy of £200 and about 2 weeks before Xmas, we simply didn’t have any spare money to go out and buy more food til the refund came through. But what pissed me off the most, was that Tesco only take the payment, at the store, on the morning/day of the delivery. At that point they KNEW about the weather, and likely should have realised they weren’t going anywhere, certainly not a town 12 miles away across some treacherous country roads! They should never have taken the payment in the first place.

I posted on their Facebook page about it to suggest in future they consider not taking payments til they know they’ll be delivering in adverse weather - I was roasted by people online telling me how I should budget better to account for things like this, etc. Given I’m with a rare company that still pays weekly, as was my husband who worked at the same business, it’s pretty hard to find an extra couple of hundred pounds in a week when you only being home around £300 each, and £200 each of that goes into the house account for standard bills!

The system is crap. There should be something that if a refund is processed within day 15 mins of the transaction for the full amount, the original transaction should simply get cancelled. Nothing actually leaves the account that way, except for the bank “reserving” the funds for 15 mins. That would allow for situations like the OP’s where a mistake at the POS happened. I don’t believe for a second the banks can’t do this - I think them holding the refund money tor several days gives them a huge amount of money to play with across all transactions, which makes them a lot more money overall.

I’ve had this issue in the past with Asda. And they take an AGE to refund. They also appear to charge your card as soon as you place the order because if you go in and amend your shopping at some point before delivery, they charge you for it immediately. So if you place an order a week beforehand, and then amend a couple of times, it doesn’t take much to complicate things. I’ve spent many a happy hour on the phone trying to sort out the ensuing mess !!

Manthide · 07/02/2023 19:23

About 15 years ago I went to a branch of Costa that had just opened with my 4 children and we had snacks and drinks. I was a bit stressed as my 2 youngest ( under 5) were being a bit difficult so I just put my card in and paid. I got to the table and looked at the receipt - £ 1650 ( or something close)! I rushed back to the till and they were very apologetic and refunded the money. I was told I'd get it back within 10 days. I then had to pay the correct amount. Thankfully we weren't as poor then and actually had that amount in the account- or not as it would have been declined.

mrswibblywobbly · 07/02/2023 19:31

YANBU.
She should have explained before she refunded you that it would take up to ten days for it to appear in your account(it is unlikely to take that long😀)
However when I was waitressing I did this and it was horribly embarrassing,I was able to deduct their pudding which took the sting out it for them.
Her colleague was completely out of order not you.

Manthide · 07/02/2023 19:33

And it was fun explaining to dh why I had spent over one and a half thousand pounds at Costa!

Isinglass20 · 07/02/2023 19:36

Am I missing something here? The correct bill was £30 agreed by waitress. So why didn’t OP pay £30? The outlet can sort out the incorrect charge in their till afterwards. The customer is always right. Probably staff not received any customer attitude training, still if they want to run the business into the ground and all lose their jobs…….