My wife and I often visit IHOP on 103rd St.in Jacksonville, Florida. A few weeks ago a waitress offered us a Senior Citizen Discount of 10%. We are both senior citizens and it is quite evident that we are since I am 68 years old. We had NEVER been offered or even knew that IHOP offered a Senior Citizen Discount since it is NOT posted.
I asked the waitress why this discount was not posted and was informed that it was IHOP policy to NOT post it and to NOT offer it to senior citizens unless they ask for it. My reply was how do senior citizens know of this discount to ask for it since it is not posted. Her reply was that their District Manager, a lady named "Penny" instructed them to NOT offer it.
At this time I filled out a Customer Comment Card as to the facts stated above, and asked as to why they hide this fact from customers. As we left I handed the comment card to the Manager and asked why the Senior Discount is not posted. His ONLY reply was that "You don't look like a Senior Citizen". My reply was that they were trying to hide the fact of this discount. His reply was to shrug his shoulders and walk away.
Yesterday my wife and I re-visited IHOP to see if things had changed. When we told our waitress we wanted the Senior Citizen Discount, she returned with our bill and an additional copy of the bill and asked if I would sign it, stating that she needed it to show and prove to the District Manager that I, the customer, had requested the discount.
When questioned as to this practice, the waitress advised me that she had offered the senior discount to a customer and when the District Manager found out she had her butt "chewed out". This is when the policy was instituted that customer had to sign an addition billing which would be show to Penny, the District Manager, proving that I personally had asked for the discount.
I contacted the IHOP main office and was told that this IHOP was a franchise and that they could do nothing. I later contacted them again with the new information of this waitress coming close to being fired because of offering the discount to customers, and the fact of the customer having to sign a bill to indicate they had asked for the discount. I am not aware if this is the policy for ALL the waitresses or just this one.
Furthermore, our local schools provide students with "Discount Booklets" with to sell as a school project which has discount coupons for Jacksonville establishments. Of course these businesses agree to provide a discount and have their coupon provided in the booklet. IHOP agreed to this with the School District and a coupon was provided in the booklet. However, when purchasers of these booklets took the coupon the IHOP, they refused to honor them.
If IHOP offers a Senior Citizen Discount but does not display this fact and advise their employees to NOT advise customers of this fact, why don't they just discontinue the discount? No doubt it is a national policy of IHOP to offer this discount as a "good neighbor advertising tool", yet try to hide this fact from customers. According to the waitresses I have spoken to at this IHOP, their job is on the line if they OFFER it to senior citizens without the cusotmer personally asking for it. However, how are we to know of it unless it is posted within the restraurant, which they refuse to do.
I personally take exception with IHOP trying to put out an image of being a good neighbor to us senior citizens, and then practice the unethical practice of hiding this discount from senior citizens. We are being used as a pawn to further IHOPs reputation as being good citizens to the local seniors citizens.
Call it what you want, but I say it is a form of fraud and unethical.
0 comments