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Post by threegirls on Feb 1, 2016 13:24:24 GMT
I went to lunch at Steak and Shake with my mom and my three girls. The service was very slow but the server was nice. He gave the bill to my 85 year old mom. She said to me that she would pay. She didn't look at the receipt and just pulled money out of her purse. I caught a look at the receipt total and thought the amount was too much. After further inspection the items on the receipt were not what we ordered and it was almost $9.00 more than what we should have owed. In addition, the receipt looked like it had been pulled from the trash as it had some food stains on it and the time was 2 1/2 hours before we even got to the restaurant.
I went to the register (where the server was standing) and informed him that he had given us the wrong bill. He quickly came up with ours.
So, was this an honest mistake, laziness on the server's part or some sort of scam?
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BarbaraUK
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Post by BarbaraUK on Feb 1, 2016 13:36:56 GMT
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt........but add up all those things and it doesn't look so good, does it?  |
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Deleted
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May 7, 2024 18:07:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2016 13:38:43 GMT
Seems highly suspect to me...
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Post by jenb72 on Feb 1, 2016 13:40:02 GMT
Could have been an honest mistake. The area behind the counter at S&S isn't the cleanest (plenty of chance for grease stains and crumpling) and he honestly could have grabbed an old receipt thinking it was yours because someone else left it lying around.
On a side note, service at our S&S is always really slow when it's busy and the chaos I see sometimes could definitely lead to getting the wrong receipt. I'm glad you caught it before your mom paid it.
Jen
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Post by gar on Feb 1, 2016 13:41:04 GMT
Did you query the time on the receipt? What bill did the people who had that food get? Weird...
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Post by threegirls on Feb 1, 2016 13:56:48 GMT
Did you query the time on the receipt? What bill did the people who had that food get? Weird... I didn't ask the server about the time on the receipt. We really just wanted to pay and get the heck out of there. Mom was very tired and we had been there forever (or at least it felt that way). If it weren't for my mom wanting to get back home I probably would have asked for the manager. |
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Post by Zee on Feb 1, 2016 13:58:38 GMT
I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, but if it ever happened there again, I'd need to have it looked into.
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Post by STBC on Feb 1, 2016 14:04:58 GMT
I'm guessing honest mistake. When it came time to enter the payment, the cash register would have recognized that ticket as already paid and closed.
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tduby1
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Post by tduby1 on Feb 2, 2016 2:21:04 GMT
I'm guessing honest mistake. When it came time to enter the payment, the cash register would have recognized that ticket as already paid and closed. Actually, if it was a scam he wouldn't have been entering *that* receipt. The scam is, he would have kept the correct receipt w him. Then when they paid he would have entered the correct reciept, put the amount from that reciept in the register and keep the difference. Like someone else said, why would he still have access to this receipt from 2.5 hours earlier. Surely that receipt had been long cashed out and probably left behind as an after thought by the customers. Unfortunately, I can imagine a shifty server pocketing left behind/ thrown away receipts and pull something like this. Call me jaded but my vote is this is what happened. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Feb 2, 2016 2:24:56 GMT
I would assume it was an honest mistake. He’s “just” the server, what’s in it for him to try and rip you off? Even though the receipt looked like it had been taken out of the trash, that’s not necessarily what happened. ETA: Okay, NOW I see what could be in it for him: I'm guessing honest mistake. When it came time to enter the payment, the cash register would have recognized that ticket as already paid and closed. Actually, if it was a scam he wouldn't have been entering *that* receipt. The scam is, he would have kept the correct receipt w him. Then when they paid he would have entered the correct reciept, put the amount from that reciept in the register and keep the difference. |
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Feb 2, 2016 2:41:54 GMT
I would assume an honest mistake.. because how many parties of 5 do they get? And so that bill that was $9 more than yours... would have been a lot more for the typical diner, and the difference more noticeable.
That said... I just read about Papa John and Mario Batali each having to pay millions for skimming tips off employees so nothing really surprises me anymore.
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SabrinaP
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Post by SabrinaP on Feb 2, 2016 2:58:54 GMT
But how could it be an honest mistake. It was a 2 1/2 hour old receipt. It's not like he just mixed up tables. I would wonder if he was trying to skim tips.
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Post by originalvanillabean on Feb 2, 2016 3:07:32 GMT
But how could it be an honest mistake. It was a 2 1/2 hour old receipt. It's not like he just mixed up tables. I would wonder if he was trying to skim tips.  |
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zookeeper
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Post by zookeeper on Feb 2, 2016 3:33:59 GMT
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
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Post by scrapmaven on Feb 2, 2016 3:35:45 GMT
I'm suspicious.
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Post by chaosisapony on Feb 2, 2016 3:41:01 GMT
It sounds like an honest mistake to me. Now if it happens more than once...
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Post by mom on Feb 2, 2016 3:41:14 GMT
Id be suspicious enough to talk to the manager and have him figure it out.
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Feb 2, 2016 3:54:01 GMT
I've received the wrong ticket before so I'll go with an accident that shouldn't have happened.
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Feb 2, 2016 4:11:52 GMT
I'd be suspicious with the time difference. Early in my teaching days I waited tables and one of the best servers was running a scam. She even had access to cashing people out in the vault at the end of the shift if needed. She'd delete items off her ticket since she had the keys. They tracked her orders in the kitchen and was caught.
It could have been an honest mistake, but it seems odd.
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lindas
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Posts: 4,152
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Post by lindas on Feb 2, 2016 4:16:18 GMT
What a suspicious bunch. Mistakes happen, not everyone is out to get you.
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on Feb 2, 2016 4:22:58 GMT
I watch "Mystery Diners", so I think tduby1 is correct. |
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Post by RiverIsis on Feb 2, 2016 4:31:11 GMT
I have to be honest, this would bother me enough to contact head office to double check that it was an honest mistake and not a scam.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Feb 2, 2016 4:37:35 GMT
I would be suspicious but not because of the time on the receipt. I've had time stamps be off before - power went out and no one thought about the time being wrong or someone didn't know how to set it. I'd be suspicious because he automatically gave the receipt to your 85 year old mother.
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Post by lucyg on Feb 2, 2016 4:55:42 GMT
I'm guessing honest mistake. When it came time to enter the payment, the cash register would have recognized that ticket as already paid and closed. Actually, if it was a scam he wouldn't have been entering *that* receipt. The scam is, he would have kept the correct receipt w him. Then when they paid he would have entered the correct reciept, put the amount from that reciept in the register and keep the difference. Like someone else said, why would he still have access to this receipt from 2.5 hours earlier. Surely that receipt had been long cashed out and probably left behind as an after thought by the customers. Unfortunately, I can imagine a shifty server pocketing left behind/ thrown away receipts and pull something like this. Call me jaded but my vote is this is what happened. But that would only work if she were paying cash for the meal, right? Don't most people use credit cards? |
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on Feb 2, 2016 5:57:14 GMT
Actually, if it was a scam he wouldn't have been entering *that* receipt. The scam is, he would have kept the correct receipt w him. Then when they paid he would have entered the correct reciept, put the amount from that reciept in the register and keep the difference. Like someone else said, why would he still have access to this receipt from 2.5 hours earlier. Surely that receipt had been long cashed out and probably left behind as an after thought by the customers. Unfortunately, I can imagine a shifty server pocketing left behind/ thrown away receipts and pull something like this. Call me jaded but my vote is this is what happened. But that would only work if she were paying cash for the meal, right? Don't most people use credit cards? Couldn't he charge her cc for the higher amount on the old receipt but claim that the difference is supposed to be his tip? I don't know how servers get paid tips on a cc sale, though. |
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Post by lucyg on Feb 2, 2016 6:22:27 GMT
But that would only work if she were paying cash for the meal, right? Don't most people use credit cards? Couldn't he charge her cc for the higher amount on the old receipt but claim that the difference is supposed to be his tip? I don't know how servers get paid tips on a cc sale, though. I don't know, either. |
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anniebygaslight
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Post by anniebygaslight on Feb 2, 2016 6:45:29 GMT
Iffy, and I would have asked for the manager, or telephoned later to discuss.
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JustTricia
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Post by JustTricia on Feb 2, 2016 11:44:15 GMT
At our Steak and Shake they bring the bill out with your meal. If you order anything after that (shake to go or whatever), they take that bill back and bring a new one. Maybe that's what happened with the original table and he put the old one in his order wallet or apron and just pulled the wrong one out.
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Post by Bitchy Rich on Feb 2, 2016 12:41:25 GMT
I went through our local McDonald's once and the kid gave me a total that was exactly one dollar higher than it should have been. I'm positive he did it on purpose. I went in and told the manager and she could not have cared less. One dollar on each car through the drive through is a lot of money to skim, in my opinion.
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Post by threegirls on Feb 2, 2016 13:26:33 GMT
I'm guessing honest mistake. When it came time to enter the payment, the cash register would have recognized that ticket as already paid and closed. Actually, if it was a scam he wouldn't have been entering *that* receipt. The scam is, he would have kept the correct receipt w him. Then when they paid he would have entered the correct reciept, put the amount from that reciept in the register and keep the difference. Like someone else said, why would he still have access to this receipt from 2.5 hours earlier. Surely that receipt had been long cashed out and probably left behind as an after thought by the customers. Unfortunately, I can imagine a shifty server pocketing left behind/ thrown away receipts and pull something like this. Call me jaded but my vote is this is what happened. I told my husband what happened and he thinks this is what the guy was trying to do. Keep the correct receipt and enter that amount into the register but charge my mom the higher amount and pocket the difference. It was not busy (even though it took forever for our food to come out) as it was about 3:00 in the afternoon. Not a busy lunch time and there was no hustle/bustle going on. I'm thinking it would be hard to pick-up a wrong 2.5 hour old receipt. Also the fact that he very quickly produced the correct receipt (right in front of me) when I told him he had given us the wrong one. He knew exactly where our receipt was. He never said "Oh, sorry I gave you the wrong bill." But that would only work if she were paying cash for the meal, right? Don't most people use credit cards? He made it a point to talk to my mom (she is 85) and he made it a point to give the receipt to her (not me). Most (not all) elderly people still pay with cash. He was probably banking on that. He wasn't banking on me checking the receipt. We have already decided to never go there again. OK with me! I'm going to write a letter to the manager or district manager. I won't come out and say it was a scam because I don't want to get the server in trouble if it really was some weird mistake but I do want them to be aware of what happened so that they can keep a closer eye on things. The lesson here is this, if you don't already check receipts make sure to do so. |
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