The last compensation gift or voucher you got for an inconvenience

[95438756]

The waiting time may have been too long for the plane.
The film may have been cut short

20 years ago I was in the Square cinema and the power went while I was at a film a western with Mel Gibson I got a voucher which I used to watch a different movie the following week.

What are you experiences of vouchers, princely or paltry?

[765489]

I ordered online 2 x 10 kilo tubs of 100mm nails from Securall Fastenings there a while back. They only had one 10 kilo tub left in the warehouse. When they rang me they said they will ship me a 25 kilo box for the same price.

I thought that was very decent of them. Will be purchasing off them whenever I can in the future as a result.

[CelticRambler]

Not strictly within the rules of the thead, but the most impressive refund I ever got was at/during/after an open-air opera in Bregenz that was cancelled 15 minutes into the performance due to torrential rain. In the relatively short time it took us to get out of our seats, up the flooded walkways and into the adjacent opera/concert venue, I'd received a text saying "sorry about the cancellation, click here for a full refund". One click on that link, one more click on the "confirm your booking reference" button, and ping! all done, card refunded, better luck with the weather next year. (And the next year went without a hitch)

[490808]

This was a few years back. I got really thick reporting the same out of date stock on the shelves in a Dunnes store to the staff for the fourth day running (same stock on display all that time). Emailed all the directors on a Saturday night, because at the time Dunnes had no customer contact email. Got iirc €20 in Dunnes vouchers mailed to me. Another time after I did the same and they removed 4 trolly loads of stuff that was all out of date but at least that time they did something - maybe someone had said something - so didn't get anything out of it.

tbh I'd have preferred not to have to check every sell by date in that store before buying. Same store was known for a long time for its short dates. Now I don't have a problem eating stuff thats past its best before date but when a company has a company policy of reducing it before it reaches its best before date then I don't expect to see food items at full price with best before dates expired by 4 or more days.

Even further back. In the UK got a box of Smiths Crisps free when I wrote to them reporting underweight packets and cheese and onion crisps tasting of prawn cocktail. Tried that in Ireland and got told sorry that happens sometimes, nothing we can do about it the shop will give you another packet.

Also got a hamper about 50 punts worth of stuff from a company selling bacon when I reported something wrong with it can't remember what it was now (think it was a contaminant of some kind) but got royal treatment when they sent a rep out and the shop manager with the hamper of their stuff to apologize.

My wife does all the grocery shopping now so I don't get the chance to lock horns with poorly paid shop staff like I used to. It was always a total waste of time anyway, contacting head office is often the only way to change things.

[AmEireCan]

I don't get the chance to lock horns with poorly paid shop staff like I used to. It was always a total waste of time anyway, contacting head office is often the only way to change things.

You're correct that it's a waste of time. When I worked retail as a teenager, my colleagues and I would always get a good laugh when an indignant customer would get upset at the price of a cabbage and roar that they were taking their business elsewhere as they stormed out the door. (The same customer would inevitably come crawling back next week with their tail between their legs. There were not many other options in a small town). You're doing the staff a favour. One less rude customer to deal with. The minimum wage staff have no vested interest in the success or failure of the business. They will get paid the same regardless. In fact, fewer customers means less work for the staff so it's in their interest to piss off the public and keep them away!

Even the managers of these retails chains (who are often college dropouts getting paid a mere 50 cent an hour over the floor staff) have their hands tied by the corporate offices and have very limited influence in the running of the business. Think Tesco, Starbucks, McDonalds etc. They are little more than babysitters there to make sure the minimum wage staff don't burn down the building and steal inventory.

A bit off-topic but I just wanted to provide some insight into how modern business works. It's not the 1950s anymore where father and son are running the family business and take pride in ensuring their customer leaves satisfied. Globalisation and the race to the bottom for cheaper products has led us to the situation we're in today.

[95438756]

Ronald McDonald might attend kid parties, (well, after the pandemic) but he sure doesn't give a feck about the party kids loyalty and devotion to him.
E Toro have quickly forgotten Alec Baldwin and Netflix have turned their back on Kevin spacey