Well I understand your complaint - but it says right on the coupon that you can only use one.
They were a little excessive though, weren't they?

That is just stupid. I would go back and speak to a manager.

Trin

Sounds like the individual franchisee's rule, not Mickey D's.

He should go into the store and get the name of the Franchisee, and then contact them, with the threat to write to local newspaper(s) and TV station's news departments about their actions. Give them 48 hours to respond...and then call the TV stations and paper.

I see coupons all the time like that ....the thing is...break the rule once and you hang yourself.

I agree with Trin. Our grandson manages a McDonald's and they bend over backwards to satisfy their customers. Something sounds fishy the way they treated him. I hope he gets some satisfaction for head quarters.

Having worked in retail, I can really see both sides of this issue. They should have gone ahead, honored the coupon and made a customer happy. But, at the same time, you have no idea how people abuse deals and coupons.

However, they told him he would have to leave and come back before they would let him use it and he did (4 times, once going inside) and they still refused to let him use the coupon.

Sue

They should have honored both coupons in spite of what it said. It builds goodwill with customers, and unless the "deals" were free, they are still probably making money.

That is crazy! I would be complaining to the owner and to corporate as well. This is one place I would really love to mystery shop.

Coupons are what they are. It plainly states on any coupon what, how much, or how many. No exceptions. The employees do not make the rules. I would imagine that an employee would get in trouble if they started letting everyone who comes in "double-dip" on the coupons. Although perhaps it could have been handled a little better I think the employee did the right thing.

I can see both sides, but personally, I think he should let it go. IMO, both sides were possibly being childish. The terms of the agreement were spelled out. Your sil wasted a lot of time and energy on something that wasn't technically his right to have.

That is ridiculous, some clerk was on a power trip and I would bet that if instead of your son the customer was their buddy it would not have happened. I would absolutely speak to the franchise owner and corporate as well.

When a coupon says, can use only 1, doesn't that mean you can use only 1 on that item? I've gone to several places and used several coupons, each on a different item...It would be like checking out at a grocery store....I don't think that employee knew what he was doing, or maybe he was trying to get fired.....There is no excuse for that kind of treatment....
You know, I'd go back and talk to the manager...I'd also send a message to the main headquarters....

First off, let's give responsibility and blame to all to which it applies. He should have read the coupon. He should have complied with the coupon. If it says one only, then he didn't. I don't know the details so I'm just going on what I read here. Now, after being advised that he couldn't use it he DID go around and come through again. There, I think he was right, albeit on a technicality and they should have honored it. It is then a separate transaction. I doubt the coupon prohibits the number per day that can be used, though some places do.

It would be childish to call newspapers and TV stations for not honoring a 50 coupon. The papers and TV are certainly not going to do anything anyway. Considering how most papers are surviving on a thread and TV stations are firing their top people to cut costs, news operations don't have the manpower to run the "On your side" features anymore, at least not in major markets. This is not headlines and wouldn't even get a response I'll bet. I'm surprised nobody has given the "call the BBB!" yet. Another worthless organization given way too much credit.

The reality is, just because one side went overboard doesn't justify the other to do the same. The proper course of action would have been to speak to the manager, and it should have been done at that time. Frankly, it sounds to me like it was some kids playing games and that should be nipped in the bud immediately. They could well be disgruntled employees intentionally trying to make trouble for the place.

Depending on the time you may not get the actual restaurant manager but there would be a manager on duty who could be advised and then give a call to the top boss. Contacting corporate isn't a great idea as a first step, especially if it's a franchise. If mistreated by the manager, and I mean mistreated not that s/he too wouldn't honor the coupon, then it should go to corporate for the mistreatment. However, you must realize that the most corporate would probably do is send a form letter and a coupon for a free Big Mac. (And they usually have restrictions on them too! LOL)

The best alternative on a transaction like this where you want to stretch things a bit, is to go inside rather than the drive-up window. It's easier then to make separate orders and they likely would have honored it then.

Few people realize that coupon fraud is prevalent and it can even be a felony. Having been in business a lot I always chuckle at this attitude so prevalent of oh they make so much money this doesn't mean anything!! And no, I'm certainly NOT suggesting he was attempting a fraud or anything sinister, merely pointing out that stores see this more that most realize. And it can cost the stores and also the employees too. If an employee takes a worthless coupon, or a worthless check for that matter, the employee can be held liable for it in some places.

Franchisees have a tough situation. A McD's franchise has the potential of being very profitable but not as profitable as many people think. You don't keep all the money. You pay up front so you start out way in debt. You pay a percentage of your profits. You don't get to buy cheaper napkins from a paper supplier, even if they're the same. You must buy basically everything from McD's, they will tell you when you WILL spend money on a new building, whether you need it or not, and you buy the furniture, utensils and supplies from them and there are a lot of other catches to the agreement.

One interesting thing though, McD's doesn't require the franchisees to honor nationally advertised specials as does Burger King. BK franchisees sued BK over the $1 cheeseburger promo, claiming that it costs them over $1.10 to make it and they must sell it at a loss. The response from corporate was that they're profits are up because of it since most people also order something else with it to offset the loss. Haven't heard if that one is settled yet or not.

Cynic hit the coupon...I mean nail on the head. All this over a few cents off a burger. Dottie

Remember last summer when KFC put out coupons giving away free grilled chicken pieces and dinners but none of the local stores would accept them? It appears the parent companies run these coupons and then itr's up to the local franchises to take them , or not. Each MCD and KFC is run by a separate owner. They are really just little guys trying to make a buck and feed their own families. Sorry your son was given such a hard time .

I wouldn't eat at McD's if it was the last restaurant on earth. Ick! JMHO!

I'm not saying who was wrong or right but seems to me he spent enough gas driving around the drive through to spend the extra money on the meal and save the coupon for another time.

Sounds like simply 2 kids trying to prove a point for the "principle" of it. It had, IMO, nothing to do with a few cents. I'm sure that McDonald's reason for only one coupon per visit (and I'm not getting into how many visits this actually constituted) is that one person will get a break with the coupon but the other person will pay full price, securing McD's profit for that visit. Next time (the other coupon), same thing. So McD's would get these people (the coupon users) visiting once and buying one or more meals at full price and the other with a coupon, then the same thing the next time. If they are allowed to use both (or more) coupons at the same time, who knows when or if they'll visit again.

In this case, what a waste of time, emotional energy, and silly aggravation by the SIL and what a jerk the employee was.

There are many places we go to that will honor more than one coupon for different items. Some of the places don't even keep the coupon. Some will even take expired coupons. Hardee's is good about letting you print coupons online and bring them in and use as many as you want of the same item. Capn' D's, Arby's, and Steak and Shake do not keep the coupons but return them to you so you can come back again and you can use different coupons at the same time. McDonald's is one that seldom has coupons. This coupon came out of the paper the same day. I think the workers inside were just being jerks. After all they did tell him he would have to come back, not come back another day.

Sue

When you park your car on the street at a parking meter and put in the appropriate amount of money to get a "full meter's worth of time," do you go out there before the meter expires (or even after the red flag has popped up) and put more money in to get more time? If so, you still can get a parking ticket. You can go to court to fight it, but you will lose. You are NOT entitled to add money to add time. You are entitled only to park in that spot for the maximum time allowed by the meter. Period.

You can pull out of the space, then back up and park in it again, put more money in, but you'd still get a ticket and still get stuck with it.

Pulling shenanigans to try to beat the rules on a self-perceived technicality isn't really gonna get you anywhere except to the point of frustration. Isn't your time and energy worth anything?

One coupon per order - I understand that.

He used one coupon and was first told he would have to leave and come back again to use the second one.

He left and came back to the window again to make a separate order with the second coupon.

But then they said he didn't go far enough away before he came back?

Sounds like someone was jerking him around. If it were me, I might complain to higher-ups, and I certainly wouldn't buy food there again.

When the employee refused me on the second go-round, and I drove off of the lot and returned, when s/he refused me that time ...

... I'd have been asking to speak to the head employee on duty, and would have argued the point about three times over, being reasonable, with a regular-level voice, stretching out the issues ... but being persistent.

Old buggers like me can be really persistent!

By that time, the drive-through line would have been sitting for something like ten miutes (and in our city, if someone sits with engine idling for over 5 min., they're liable to be fined ... which some claim they can avoid if they'd moved in a drive-through line during that 5 min. period) and some folks would be blowing horns, etc.

Would the manager order me out of the line - I'd tell him that this is where the deal was in trouble - this is where I'm staying.

Threaten to call a cop? I'd suggest that he go ahead - that I'd obeyed their employee's rule - twice - and that both of them had refused to serve me.

And then ... that the cop might tell me to get lost ...

... but that, next time they called, maybe from a cell phone while a robbery was in progress ...

... the cops might not be in a hurry to reply, having been called this time on what they'd consider a frivoulous matter.

Also ... that I'd be suggesting to the cop that, since at least a half dozen vehicles behind me had been sitting with engines running but not moving for over 5 min., that they were in violation of the law and should be ticketed: I'd have turned my engine off, of course.

Would s/he order me off of the lot?

Possibly.

I'd ask for the coupon back, then walk back the line until I found a car that had no coupon and give it to them.

But in the meantime, the held-up line would have cost him/her a great deal more hard feelings than would have agreeing to my request: I had, after all, complied with the employee's requirements ... including driving off of the lot.

And I agree with the claim that it's hardly worth the gas, time and hassle.

We don't get a lot of coupons in Canada... but sometimes do get them from Macdonalds - which I rarely use.

Good wishes for skillful, persistent frugality: you remember my claim that Grandma was wrong when she said that a penny saved is a penny earned, as one must earn about a penny and a quarter before taxes to equal a(n after-tax) penny saved.

But ... keep the persistence within reason, O.K?

ole joyfoul

I just have to know. Sorry for subject change.

I never heard the parking meter "rule." Our town does not have meters. I would have thought it would be for the township to make money, like any commercial parking lot does. Just rent the space.
Does that rule apply everywhere?

Glad you warned me, if I ever get to go to the big city.

I agree with petaloid. He was willing to comply & get back into line. I would definitely complain to the mgmt. jmho

Another thing that aggravates me is when business offer specials to "new customers only". Heck, their business was built on their existing customers--how about giving them a break and a little appreciation for being a return custome in the first place . again JMHO

Soxxx, Metered parked is to discourage long term parking on a street. Otherwise there would be no need for meters as they are generally put in congested areas. If the posted time is one hour or two hours that is the maximum time you are allowed to park there. Technically you can be cited even if you move to another space, even across or down the same street. "Meter feeders" are caught by chalking their tires.

Yes, a popular misconception is that when you pay money into a meter you are paying to rent the space. The meters are there to ensure that spaces keep opening up so that businesses can have short term parking for their shoppers who run in for quick sales or service ie; dry cleaner, bank, coffee shop.

Yeah they do chalk the tires. If a person gets caught kicking the chalk off the fine is HUGE and it also might involve a possible jail time if the judge so decides. I think they charge with obstruction of a law officer or obstruction of justice or something egregious.

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The McDonalds coupons in my area will say one coupon per person per visit, and then it goes on to define that a "visit" must be at least an hour apart from each other. It is also printed that they have the right to refuse any coupon based on their discretion.

Soxxxx, the "parking meter rule" is the law in California. I don't know where you live, but if you're not in California, it might not be the law in your area.

People feed meters here and I haven't heard of people getting ticketed for staying beyond the maximum time set on the meter.

Some meters are set for, say, an hour and someone planning to be in a shop for 10 min. may only put in that much money, adding later if more time were required, but as long as a total parking time of under an hour was adhered to, I think that the person could avoid getting ticketed - usually the meter people take about an hour or slightly more per cycle.

ole joyful

Can't remember the last time I was at a McDonalds, but if a coupon says "one per visit" or "one per customer", it's one per vist. Why do some people feel entitled?? Those McDonald owners are trying to make a living too.

Ole joyful, are you sure the time you can run your engine is 5 minutes? I thought the new law was either 2 or 3 but not 5. You can't even get through some intersections at rush hour in 2 or 3 minutes.

I had a coupon for Arby's but they wouldn't take it as I didn't have the required code. I came home and tried to get it on the internet, as suggested,but couldn't. I phoned the 800 number and was told that particular store was not honoring them, Why do they give them out if they don't intend to honor them? Some Burger Kings won't honor theirs eiher. I guess it must depend on the manager.

I'm just glad the McDonalds deal was his biggest problem of the day.

Amen Vannie!

Seems like he burned all that gas to try to save what, maybe 50 cents? By that time his chicken nuggets are cold too.
Nothing like eating cold greasy nuggets to prove a point. LOL

Next time he should leave the coupons at home and just order off the value menu. It all tastes the same anyway.