WWYD - convenience store mishap

[Marrila]

I would pay for the 1st hot dog and pay for the second (dropped hot dog.)
I wouldn't treat myself to a third, and I would expect to pay. I wouldn't initiate a discussion about not to paying.

 

[QueenIsabella]

As an act of goodwill, the convivence store shouldn't ask you to pay for an accident. It would go a long way to let it pass and may encourage return business. Also, unless the cashier saw the hotdog hit the floor how did they know that you had 3 hotdogs and not just two? If they did see the dog hit the ground, they should have acted to have the mess cleaned up and not expect the customer to do it. I myself would have cleaned up the mess but really the store should take care of the mess especially if they want to pay for the dropped dog. I do like the idea of taking the dropped dog home for pooch, wash it off at home, cut it up and it makes a nice treat for the pup.

WASH IT OFF!?!? Then you would lose all that good, extra "convenience store floor" flavor! That would be my dog's favorite part! (Of course, she steals socks and licks inside ears. She's not exactly a discerning diner!)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This scenario happened to me. We were in a bigger convenience store so I don’t even know that they saw it happen. Same thing, dropped a hot dog on the floor and threw it away so I went to the register with one hot dog. I told them that I dropped one on the floor and threw it away. They did not charge me for it but I was prepared to have to pay for it (same as if I broke something).

That would be me, also. I'd tell them I'd dropped one, and plan on paying, but if they didn't charge me, I'd thank them very nicely. And, probably, leave a tip.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Similarly, I was in a department store once, and I dropped a glass ornament and it shattered. I waited by the stand while my sister went and got someone who worked there to clean it up because the glass was everywhere-I was mortified. The lady who arrived with my sister was amazed that we even waited by the mess. She said most people just scurried away so as not to have to pay for the item. I said I was sorry and intended to pay for it. She refused to charge me because I'd been honest.

I think in your WWYD situation, calling it to the attention of someone instead of cleaning it up yourself might have made the difference in having or not having to pay for the hot dog that was dropped. I'm not saying you're not honest, just that maybe if you told someone you might have not been charged.

 

[sam_gordon]

Notice we are talking about a Hot Dog. But if you want to switch up this question, assume a dealership asked you to move a car that was blocking yours to get out, and you accidentally bumped a pole doing $2,000 in damage to the building - now, what is your position on self-service?

I don't think that's the same. How about you want to take a car for a test drive, and while doing so, you do $2k worth of damage to the car. Who's responsible? Does your insurance cover you even though your policy doesn't cover that car?

I still say I would expect/offer to pay for any item I damage, even if it's before the sale, and hope the store doesn't charge me.

 

[mjkacmom]

If you're in a store that sells vases... you pick one up to admire it, and it slips through your fingers as you put it back on the shelf, dropping to the floor and breaking. Should you pay for it?

They can’t make you, they can’t get you arrested, they can take you to court.

 

[sam_gordon]

They can’t make you, they can’t get you arrested, they can take you to court.

Didn't answer the question though. What's "the right thing to do"?

 

[White Cat]

If you're in a store that sells vases... you pick one up to admire it, and it slips through your fingers as you put it back on the shelf, dropping to the floor and breaking. Should you pay for it?

What's the difference?

I would expect to pay wholesale plus maybe some handling fee. That would be fair. Unless it was extremely rare. In that case the full price.

 

[GAN]

I'm in the "pay for it group" but must say ... when you offer a self-service area you are going to have accidents ... my theory is they didn't train the (free - me) staff well enough lol. So if they say they are charging me for it, I politely challenge (mentioning I cleaned up the mess) and let it go if they say must charge me.

Notice we are talking about a Hot Dog. But if you want to switch up this question, assume a dealership asked you to move a car that was blocking yours to get out, and you accidentally bumped a pole doing $2,000 in damage to the building - now, what is your position on self-service?

Technically, it’s their vehicle you moved …their insurance should cover the damage. I think it would fall under something called permissive use. I’m not sure it would extend, but if you went into a shop and asked if you can pick up and look at a certain piece and they allowed you …then you you broke it -you may not be legally responsible. So with the hot dog, by making it self-serve they basically are granting permissive use. I’m sure I’m stretching that significantly but that’s one angle anyway….

 

[dpswift]

Similarly, I was in a department store once, and I dropped a glass ornament and it shattered. I waited by the stand while my sister went and got someone who worked there to clean it up because the glass was everywhere-I was mortified. The lady who arrived with my sister was amazed that we even waited by the mess. She said most people just scurried away so as not to have to pay for the item. I said I was sorry and intended to pay for it. She refused to charge me because I'd been honest.

I think in your WWYD situation, calling it to the attention of someone instead of cleaning it up yourself might have made the difference in having or not having to pay for the hot dog that was dropped. I'm not saying you're not honest, just that maybe if you told someone you might have not been charged.

I see your point. Honestly with it being a hotdog I would personally clean it up myself. If I wasn’t too embarrassed I would wrap it up and buy it for the dogs. Either way the best thing to do would be to tell the girl when you went to check out.

 

[anniemae]

I would not expect to have to pay for it, but would not cause a fuss if they charged me. Think about all the food they throw away at the end of the night. I think of it like if you knock over a jar of spaghetti sauce at the super market they come and clean it up and you are not expected to pay for it.

 

[tvguy]

It is illegal to make employees pay for accidents in the state of California.
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_Deductions.htm

A.

No, your employer cannot legally make such a deduction from your wages if, by reason of mistake or accident a cash shortage, breakage, or loss of company property/equipment occurs. The California courts have held that losses occurring without any fault on the part of the employee or that are merely the result of simple negligence are inevitable in almost any business operation and thus, the employer must bear such losses as a cost of doing business. For example, if you accidentally drop a tray of dishes, take a bad check, or have a customer walkout without paying a check, your employer cannot deduct the loss from your paycheck.

There is an exception for willful misconduct or gross negligence but it must be proven before said deduction is made.

This was the 1970's, so I suspect this law didn't exist yet. But come to think of it, a local restaurant chain did get in trouble last year, so while it is illegal, it still happens.

 

[tvguy]

Seriously people shouldn’t be eating before paying, however after working several years in food service I know that even people with excellent credit can have their cards turned off without realizing it. Always give people the benefit of the doubt.

Yup, which is why you should always have some cash. Just back from 7 days in Missouri and Illinois, mostly rural small towns where some businesses are still cash only, or levy a surcharge for credit cards.

 

[dpswift]

Yup, which is why you should always have some cash. Just back from 7 days in Missouri and Illinois, mostly rural small towns where some businesses are still cash only, or levy a surcharge for credit cards.

Agree you should always have some cash on you. It has come in handy on more than one occasion. It surprises me how many people don’t carry any.

 

[Imzadi]

I wouldn't pay for it ...it's a cost of operating a self-service area. They understand there will be some loss -in fact, if an employee saw it happen more than likely they would tell you not to worry about it

Very true. For a hotdog I would expect them to eat the cost. In food service there is room for mistakes. I once broke a watermelon in a grocery store. I asked for a bag intending to purchase it but the manager picked it up and refused to let me pay.

If it were a piece of glass in a china shop I would definitely expect to pay. However again some loss is figured in so I might not have to. But having worked in food service I know accidents happened

I also worked in a big box store. We had many guests that would happily tell us of things that they had broken so that we could clean their mess. They had no plans to pay nor were they asked to.

Food are consumables. Not the same as a vase that is expected to last for years and has a higher perceived value when broken.

Dropping food, either by the customer or employee, should be built into the cost of operating a food business. The customer shouldn't be expected to pay.

 

[Imzadi]

Also depends on how the employees are monitored by the owner. My wife worked at a snack bar where they not only had to count out the money in the cash register, they had to count soda cups, hamburger patties, hot dogs and pizzas and if 100 hot dogs were sold that day, 100 hot dogs had to have been rung up and paid for, what ever hamburger patties were gone had to match the sales, sodas, etc or the employees had to pay for it.

There is also a category for SPOILAGE or DAMAGED ITEMS. IF the employee opened up the package of hotdog buns or cups and found a few have been smashed and unusable, the employee is is not dinged for those items. They write it down, throw away the damaged items or put it aside for a supervisor to approve of the loss, and they all move on.

The dropped hotdog should have been written up as a spoiled or damaged item.

 

[tvguy]

There is also a category for SPOILAGE or DAMAGED ITEMS. IF the employee opened up the package of hotdog buns or cups and found a few have been smashed and unusable, the employee is is not dinged for those items. They write it down, throw away the damaged items or put it aside for a supervisor to approve of the loss, and they all move on.

The dropped hotdog should have been written up as a spoiled or damaged item.

The cup count always had to balance, so any damaged cups would have to be kept until a manager dealt with it.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

If the store paid an employ to make you a hot dog. They would be responsible for there employees actions.

However,

Over a dollar, it wouldn’t waste the time to argue about it….