So THIS is a first! Which is saying something...

theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
With it being September 11th, I was running a campaign today that any active or retired military, Fire, Police, EMS, or First Responders could come in for a free cupcake. Sounds good, right? Well it was. Had a ton of service people in today, and I really appreciated their service at various times in their lives to make the US a better place to live.

So then, out of nowhere, THIS happens:
Skinny middle aged white woman walks in the door... with about a half dozen people in the dining area...
Her: "I just want you to know, I have been a customer here almost since you opened, but you will never see me again!"
Me (slightly confused): "I'm sorry, did something happen I can fix?!?"
Her: "Yeah, you can offer free cupcakes to everyone who helped on 9/11, not just the ones you mentioned on your offer"
Me: (now really confused): "I'm sorry, who did I not include?"
Her: "Flight attendants. We put our lives on the line every day just as much as army guys and cops."
Me: (equally as confused and a little irritated): "So that's what you're mad about?"
Her: "Yeah, so you won't see me or any of my crew here ever again, have a nice day!"

So yeah, there was that. What the heck is wrong with people?!?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
No matter what good you do in this world someone will always find a problem with it. Sounds like she was waiting for you to offer her clan some free cup cakes as well. Kudos to you for not giving her one. It's not good to reward selfish behavior.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Quote:
"Flight attendants. We put our lives on the line every day just as much as army guys and cops."

What!?!


I appreciate flight attendants, I really do, but she's off her rocker.

Kudos to you Clemson! What you did for the troops was a very nice gesture.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
Lmao! Kudos clemson.
In retrospect you should have said flight attendants are charged double to curb them from losing their figure so they can fit down the aisles.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Should have asked her who saved the White House on flight 93 twelve years ago. It sure as hell wasn't the flight attendants.
 
theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
Well this story has a somewhat interesting ending...

So after the woman storms out of here, she proceeds to go on our Facebook page last night and basically say the same thing, only in a comment to our page. Apparently she was unaware that a lot of my 10,000 fans defend us rigorously, and once she posted she got BOMBARDED with people calling her names, asking if she was serious, photo bombing her page, etc. So when I get in this morning, I get a private message from her begging for me to take the post down, and how she was really sorry!

I told her I would when I get around to it, which I purposely took an extra hour!


All is well that ends well, right? hahaha
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I wonder if she has emotional issues. She sounds a tad unbalanced. Kind of you to let her off the hook considering the ruckus she made. I think I would have waited 24 hours before kindness prevailed upon me.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Eh, one hour is all that it takes. She should have known better then to do that. Telling the owner that she wouldn't be coming back should have been sufficient enough instead of doing some public display of her disgust. I hope that she takes away something from this, and learns from it and moves on...

No cupcakes for her. LOL

(put her facebook pic up on the wall with the other people who have had credit cards and checks bounce. No cupcakes for her!) Just kidding,... I think the situation was really well handled. Go Clemson!!!
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
Next time she comes in, take the persona from the soup nazi in Sienfeld to heart.
Loudly scream at he in yourbest german accent No Cupcakes for You!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
First...I think you did just fine and handled things well. Indeed Kudos to you for that. I really like what you did for remembering 9/11


What age is this poor dear? She sounds like she is menopausal, if that's the case...well we get a little weird around that time.

I was thinking...reading between the lines kind of sounds like a nice thing to do is offer some kind of reward system for those who made your business strong. You know like offer a card that after you get it punched 12Xs you get a free cupcake. (make sure it's a custom punch you use if you ever try it). I think that was what she wanted to see happen, and stupidly decided to make a big deal of it over you awarding the hero's of 9/11.

For the folks who stood up for you on facebook...great free advertising.
 
theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
I know all my regulars, and I am often throwing in an extra cupcake here or there, or knocking a few bucks off their orders. I also take any cupcakes that are left over each day and spread them between three local food banks and two churches soup kitchens. Sometimes too, just for funsies, I'll throw a trivia question, or silly Instagram picture contest or something, for a couple free dozen cupcakes. I always find it funny that a lot of small businesses will spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on print or internet advertising, when all they really need to do is connect with their customer base on a personal level and make them feel like a friend. And if you can give away a product or service that costs you less than $100 in real costs to you, people will be in love with you forever. I guarantee that $6 in actual cost for that dozen cupcakes I just gave away is worth WAY more to me than the $10 per person it takes to "land a customer" through a coupon, or worse, a Groupon.

I think people can really relate to my business because I don't have that "corporate" mentality, where no matter what "the customer is always right". I can't tell you in the four years I've been open how many of those "there was a hair in my cupcakes" people have come in trying to score something for free, just because. If it's a legit complaint, I ALWAYS take care of them, and then some. But you can bet your sweet butt that if you come in there and say "I found a long dark hair in my cupcakes, I want a free dozen", that dog don't hunt. Especially when they say its a long black hair, and I did the baking that day, and I don't have long black hair. Or someone says "I bought these earlier and they were so dry I want a free dozen", when I know that's impossible. So those folks, I say "Sorry you had a bad experience, have a nice day". And then of course they look at me like Im crazy, and demand to speak to the "manager".

So (because I am a sarcastic smarta**) at that point, I tell them to hold on, I'll get him, and walk to the back. I of course come back out 10 seconds later and say "Hi I'm Jonathan and I'm the owner, what can I do for you?" I get a lot of "Oh s**t" looks at that point. haha

Bottom line is, if you are one of those people, just looking for something for free... don't let the door hit you on the way out! And a lot of my customers appreciate that attitude
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
I know all my regulars, and I am often throwing in an extra cupcake here or there, or knocking a few bucks off their orders. I also take any cupcakes that are left over each day and spread them between three local food banks and two churches soup kitchens.  Sometimes too, just for funsies, I'll throw a trivia question, or silly Instagram picture contest or something, for a couple free dozen cupcakes.  I always find it funny that a lot of small businesses will spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on print or internet advertising, when all they really need to do is connect with their customer base on a personal level and make them feel like a friend.  And if you can give away a product or service that costs you less than $100 in real costs to you, people will be in love with you forever.  I guarantee that $6 in actual cost for that dozen cupcakes I just gave away is worth WAY more to me than the $10 per person it takes to "land a customer" through a coupon, or worse, a Groupon.
I think people can really relate to my business because I don't have that "corporate" mentality, where no matter what "the customer is always right".  I can't tell you in the four years I've been open how many of those "there was a hair in my cupcakes" people have come in trying to score something for free, just because.  If it's a legit complaint, I ALWAYS take care of them, and then some.  But you can bet your sweet butt that if you come in there and say "I found a long dark hair in my cupcakes, I want a free dozen", that dog don't hunt.  Especially when they say its a long black hair, and I did the baking that day, and I don't have long black hair.  Or someone says "I bought these earlier and they were so dry I want a free dozen", when I know that's impossible.  So those folks, I say "Sorry you had a bad experience, have a nice day".  And then of course they look at me like Im crazy, and demand to speak to the "manager". 
So (because I am a sarcastic smarta**) at that point, I tell them to hold on, I'll get him, and walk to the back.  I of course come back out 10 seconds later and say "Hi I'm Jonathan and I'm the owner, what can I do for you?"  I get a lot of "Oh s**t" looks at that point. haha
Bottom line is, if you are one of those people, just looking for something for free... don't let the door hit you on the way out!  And a lot of my customers appreciate that attitude :flamed:
The one's I just love are the people that say "well my groomer only charges me XX." Looking them dead in the face I say, 'Then why are you here talking to me if you are happy with that?"
Or, I can buy this across town for this price. Well you are welcome to do that and waste the gas to save a dollar.
My businesses didn't get voted best in the city in there category by being the cheapest.
 
theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darthtang AW http:///t/396318/so-this-is-a-first-which-is-saying-something#post_3530938
The one's I just love are the people that say "well my groomer only charges me XX." Looking them dead in the face I say, 'Then why are you here talking to me if you are happy with that?"
Or, I can buy this across town for this price. Well you are welcome to do that and waste the gas to save a dollar.
My businesses didn't get voted best in the city in there category by being the cheapest.

Haha, I hear you man. When people give me the "Well I could go to Sams Club and get them for half this price" line, I always say "Ok, just turn right out of here, and its a left at the second light!"
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I would messenger her back at this point now that she's appologized after being blasted on face book and tell her she can have one free cup cake. You never know, you may make her whole week at that point and consider you and your business the greatest thing since sliced bread.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
You kidding. I'd make her apologize on FB before I'd take down her comments. LOL
 
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