Johnny Rockets

[ATCO]

I won't go into a lot of detail here, but I have started to boycott the 50's dinner chain Johnny Rockets... If you'd like to avoid them as well, it'd be appreciated, but no biggie, as it's a personal choice.

Last year sometime, my wife and I ate at the Johnny Rockets here in Bakersfield. We paid for our meal and included a tip. We round up the the nearest whole dollar, so when we checked our statements, we saw an overcharge for $.01... Ok not a big deal, but morals... They overcharged a penny, and for what reason? I contacted their customer service who contacted the franchise manager of the location in Bakersfield, who simply said, ok we are wrong, come in anytime, and we'll give you the penny... It's not so much about the penny, as to why... So we decided the one in Bakersfield wasn't managed well enough for us to eat at, and avoid it.

My wife, myself and a friend decided to eat at the Johnny Rockets location in Sacramento, CA on Jan. 23, 2005. We were in a hurry to catch a train, and let the waiter know that we were in a hurry, he responded "It's as fast as it is". Which to me was the same as saying, "Whatever". We decided to order food that was easy for prep, therefore fast. It came to us with in 20 min. and was not too bad. I waited for a refill on my soda, and it never came. Eventually I asked for the receipt when he showed no interest in expediting our bill. Anyways, thats not the true cause for my concern.

We carefully calculate our payment we pay with our debit card. TO make our accounting easier, we pay to the rounded dollar. We also tip according to our service (far fetched idea, huh?). While we got our food, and it was warm, that deserved a little bit of a tip, besides we round up. So we paid $22.00 on a bill for $20.73, anotherwords we tipped $1.27. That comes out to 6%. We checked our account and saw the establishment charged us $22.46. We have saved our reciept just in-case something like this happened again.

I have yet to figure out the scam, but when several locations are overcharging credit card/debit cards, it makes you wonder... and it's not alot they take in addition, but if you add everyone they do it to, it's sickining I'm sure... Besides if the waiter is doing this because we didn't tip them well enough, then they need to learn what service is, and doing this overcharging is morally wrong...

If you've been to a Johnny Rockets Latelly, check your reciept, see if you were overcharged. If you were, please let Steve Devine know [email protected], he was the customer service person I had contact with, and he has yet to respond to my previous claim... Please feel free to foward this to anyone you wish. I may be filling out a BBB claim against them, if it appears to be done to others as well...

http://www.johnnyrockets.com/index2.php


-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA
Wannabe

 

[fastman_1]

I always pay cash for Food. Just for this Reason.

 

[The Gibster]

Hey ATCO,

We keep track of our reciepts as close as you do and also have run across overages. After getting answers on phone calls like you did from the business we just started going right to our card company.

We have the Flying J card and we call them, advise them of the problem so it's on the computer. They have us write a brief dispute letter and fax it to them. Then they go after the company doing the overcharge or whatever.

It puts a little more weight behind your complaint when the company finds out their ability to accept cards can be jeprodized. Refunds are usually quick to follow.

Good luck!
The Gibster

 

[ATCO]

very good, thanks...

However, it won't be an issue at Johnny Rockets anymore... We just don't go there... I do wonder if it'll work the same way as you suggested with the debit card?

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA
Wannabe

 

[The Gibster]

Ours is actually a debit/check card. I guess the question is does your card have the Visa or MC logo? We used a check card with the visa logo from the bank a couple of summers ago to buy a painting - it was to be framed and sent to the shop for us to pick up.

The shop in the meantime closed up and vanished. The mall could only give a forwarding address. We went to the bank, they went after the shop and within 3 days we had a refund. The bank considered it fradulent use of the card by the shop . . .representing they would charge us correctly and deliver as promised.

The banks are really sticky about that stuff. So from then on we always get the bank involved.

Hope that helps.

The Gibster

 

[ABEJR2004]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong. But businesses that take credit cards have to pay a cut to the credit card company, and so they maybe trying to skim that from the customer

 

[S18wheeler]

My husband and myself have had restaurants try to charge our account sometimes 5.00 more then what the bill is.We called our bank on this before,our bank only pays the restaurant for the amount that we sign for.So regardless of what they punch in to charge,when that receipt gets to our bank signed that is what they get.THE CORRECT AMOUNT> As for only leaving 6% tip-thats alittle cheap.The rate is 15-20%.Not that I agree that they get a pay increase .We as truckers don't.

 

[miko]

Skimming from customers in order to pay for the card fees
is not justifying the reason to make out the reciepts higher than they really are... thats fraud, period.

 

[ATCO]

Give me good service, they get a good tip, give me fair service they will get a fair tip. Give me bad service, or sub standard service, they will get a poor or sub standard tip, period. I am not made of money, and when a waiter or waitress think they deserve a 15-20% just because they put the food on the table pisses me off so much... My biggest grip is I don't have a soda/tea whatever in my glass while I'm eating. I will stop and wait until I get refill, you know when they come over and finally ask if the food is ok... Anyways, as I stated in the story, the service was poor, and I shouldn't have tipped him at all, but I decided to round up...

I pay a little over 7% for tax, why should I honestly be expected to pay 15-20% to a waiter or waitress... I get more for my 7% tax, then I do with these people... Can you imagine paying 15-20% tax? Unfair isn't it?

btw, I am not a difficult customer in any way shape or form... No putting up to do... Just bring me my food, and keep my glass full...

-Joe Bohannon
Bakersfield, CA
Wannabe

 

[The Gibster]

I echo ATCO's reasoning for a tip. We're big tippers, (last night $10 for a $39 dinner because the waiter was extremely attentive, and gave us what we wanted without batting an eye after we picked some of this and some of that off the menu).

But we also have left a dollar because we had to almost refill our stuff ourselves. And once we left a penny. Learned from wait staff that the penny represents the waiter needs to get with it, a clear message.

We tend to forgive a waitperson having a bad day with a big tip, hoping to spark them out of the dulldrums. And we remember the waitperson may be only the tip of the iceberg, there may be cook and management problems.

But we fully agree with ATCO . . .poor service equals poor tip. There's nothing automatic about the 20-30% we leave.

The Gibster

 

[RichM]

one important thing I always do with a credit card charge is to put a Dollar{$} sign in front of the tip amount and total amount. That way they can't add another number in front of your tip amount.

 

[LDB]

With a daughter who worked for a while on waitstaff I can confirm it's a tough job. Waitstaff salary is half of minimum wage. If they are going to have an income it has to come from tips. At most establishments if someone walks the check it comes out of the server's pocket not the restaurant's. If there is breakage that's out of the server's pocket. If they want to eat they pay half price out of their half minimum wage. That being said, I'm not going to leave a big tip for poor service however I'm going to reward a job well done. That seems to be the attitude in the thread and I believe it's the right one. I just thought I'd add what I learned when my daughter began serving.

Leo
truck 4958

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[RichM]

I actually tip much better now then I used to,because one time I was complaining about having to tip everyone when my daughter in-law who is an angel in disguise said to me"Have you ever been a waiter" and this guilt trip has stayed with me.

 

[highway star]

Just a bit of trivia. The word "tip" is actually an acronym standing for "to insure promptness". Back in medevel(sp?) times, after a hard day of maiming and pilaging, the men would go to there favorite pub and put their tip on the table as soon as they sat down. The bigger the tip, the better you were taken care of.