Reluctant to receive a free meal when unable to pay

[The Exception]

Tonight, I was going to my local deli for a quick bite. After placing my order, I realized I left my wallet behind at home and I only had checks in my purse which they did not accept. I started to walk out and explained to them that I left my wallet at home and would have to go back to get it when they told to me to come back because they would buy my meal.

I told them that they shouldn't have to do that, but they kind of insisted on offering me the free meal so I took it. I felt a little uneasy about it though. They said I shouldn't feel obligated to pay it back the next time I stopped in even though I would have preferred to do so.

I guess what makes me uneasy about this incident is that someone could potentially pretend to be forgetful to their advantage, hoping to score a free meal. Which isn't fair or right at all.

I've worked in various fast food places, so I'm aware of the scams that some customers will use to get free food, including the "I accidentally left my wallet behind" trick. I've also seen customers, plant their own hairs in their food and pretended that they dropped something just to get extra.
Most of the time, the restaurant gave the customers the extra food even when the employees were sure that the customer wasn't being honest. I know that having dissatisfied customers can seriously hurt business and a restaurant may be better off just giving free meals on occasion, even if they lose a little money because they could lose even more money if they lose customers due to dissatisfaction. Still it sickens me, that dishonest people who take advantage of the system get more than the honest people.

So anyway, are my feelings toward this in anyway type related? Such as an LII sense of justice thing?

[cracka]

I think it pays off ok in the end for the place to help you out if you need it like that. I may think of the negatives of it, but you'll see one bad person take advantage out of a few hundred most of the time. So they'd probably rather treat you well and hope they get your business again, rather than tell you to screw off if you can't pay and think you may never come back again. Sure, there are people out there trying to screw over the system in every way, but if you go around thinking everyone is like that, then it's worth stepping back and wondering why you think everyone in the world is a pos...lol.

[Mediator Kam]

Tonight, I was going to my local deli for a quick bite. After placing my order, I realized I left my wallet behind at home and I only had checks in my purse which they did not accept. I started to walk out and explained to them that I left my wallet at home and would have to go back to get it when they told to me to come back because they would buy my meal.

I told them that they shouldn't have to do that, but they kind of insisted on offering me the free meal so I took it. I felt a little uneasy about it though. They said I shouldn't feel obligated to pay it back the next time I stopped in even though I would have preferred to do so.

I guess what makes me uneasy about this incident is that someone could potentially pretend to be forgetful to their advantage, hoping to score a free meal. Which isn't fair or right at all.

I've worked in various fast food places, so I'm aware of the scams that some customers will use to get free food, including the "I accidentally left my wallet behind" trick. I've also seen customers, plant their own hairs in their food and pretended that they dropped something just to get extra.
Most of the time, the restaurant gave the customers the extra food even when the employees were sure that the customer wasn't being honest. I know that having dissatisfied customers can seriously hurt business and a restaurant may be better off just giving free meals on occasion, even if they lose a little money because they could lose even more money if they lose customers due to dissatisfaction. Still it sickens me, that dishonest people who take advantage of the system get more than the honest people.

So anyway, are my feelings toward this in anyway type related? Such as an LII sense of justice thing?

I could have written this if I was able to get my thoughts out right. I agree totally, I would have acted 100% how you acted in that scenario.

[Rubicon]

Tonight, I was going to my local deli for a quick bite. After placing my order, I realized I left my wallet behind at home and I only had checks in my purse which they did not accept. I started to walk out and explained to them that I left my wallet at home and would have to go back to get it when they told to me to come back because they would buy my meal.

I told them that they shouldn't have to do that, but they kind of insisted on offering me the free meal so I took it. I felt a little uneasy about it though. They said I shouldn't feel obligated to pay it back the next time I stopped in even though I would have preferred to do so.

I guess what makes me uneasy about this incident is that someone could potentially pretend to be forgetful to their advantage, hoping to score a free meal. Which isn't fair or right at all.

I've worked in various fast food places, so I'm aware of the scams that some customers will use to get free food, including the "I accidentally left my wallet behind" trick. I've also seen customers, plant their own hairs in their food and pretended that they dropped something just to get extra.
Most of the time, the restaurant gave the customers the extra food even when the employees were sure that the customer wasn't being honest. I know that having dissatisfied customers can seriously hurt business and a restaurant may be better off just giving free meals on occasion, even if they lose a little money because they could lose even more money if they lose customers due to dissatisfaction. Still it sickens me, that dishonest people who take advantage of the system get more than the honest people.

So anyway, are my feelings toward this in anyway type related? Such as an LII sense of justice thing?

I'm not sure if it's type-related, but I'd feel funny about it too. This one time, I had forgotten my wallet when I went to pay for some coffee, so the guy said not to worry about it. I tried to pay double next time, but he refused.. so I put the money in the tip jar. :-P He seemed a bit offended lol, but I don't like feeling like I owe a business my continued custom.

[Creepy-Pied Piper]

Removed at User Request

[crazedrat]

Alright, let's thoroughly analyze this:

Workers can judge, generally, whether a person is congruent and scamming them. They're only likely to offer a free meal if everything adds up immaculately. Not to mention the scam would only work once. What's the use in putting a ton of effort into a scam which yields such a minor gain?
You're probably being excessively paranoid about "your knowledge of the scams customers will try to pull". Customers don't scam THat much. Because it's such a small gain to be had, and a big waste of time if it fails. Not even economical for the scammer.
Since it's such a waste of time you'll only really be scamming out of convenience, anyway. aka you did legitimately forget your wallet.. you're only pretending not to have noticed before you arrived at the cash register. In those scenarios it's more of an appeal to charity than a scam.
By giving you a free meal the worker is establishing an emotional connection with you, a customer.. making it more likely you'll come back in the future. So you could even consider it advertising.
All around there's nothing wrong.

[FDG]

No problem for me with people giving me free meals. I'd live of free meals, if people were always willing to give me free meals. By the way, I've never heard of this type of "scamming", to be honest I don't think it happens here, it would be really weird if people tried to get free meals by faking a forgotten wallet.

[1981slater]

Tonight, I was going to my local deli for a quick bite. After placing my order, I realized I left my wallet behind at home and I only had checks in my purse which they did not accept. I started to walk out and explained to them that I left my wallet at home and would have to go back to get it when they told to me to come back because they would buy my meal.

I told them that they shouldn't have to do that, but they kind of insisted on offering me the free meal so I took it. I felt a little uneasy about it though. They said I shouldn't feel obligated to pay it back the next time I stopped in even though I would have preferred to do so.

I guess what makes me uneasy about this incident is that someone could potentially pretend to be forgetful to their advantage, hoping to score a free meal. Which isn't fair or right at all.

I've worked in various fast food places, so I'm aware of the scams that some customers will use to get free food, including the "I accidentally left my wallet behind" trick. I've also seen customers, plant their own hairs in their food and pretended that they dropped something just to get extra.
Most of the time, the restaurant gave the customers the extra food even when the employees were sure that the customer wasn't being honest. I know that having dissatisfied customers can seriously hurt business and a restaurant may be better off just giving free meals on occasion, even if they lose a little money because they could lose even more money if they lose customers due to dissatisfaction. Still it sickens me, that dishonest people who take advantage of the system get more than the honest people.

So anyway, are my feelings toward this in anyway type related? Such as an LII sense of justice thing?

People regard alpha NTs as honest and useless.

[Creepy-cinq]

I'm not sure if it's type related. I think the majority would feel/think the same as you. I'd feel uneasy and would want to correct the situation by paying. Perhaps motive is different for the various types.

[DirectorAbbie]

Were you a regular customer? If so, take the food as a thank-you present for your loyalty. If you were a stranger, in your place I would insist on paying them back.

The thread title reminded me of something else: we were traveling on a school trip; I happened to be in a car driven by an SEE. She bought pizza for the people riding with her. An ILI was reluctant to accept any free food. I told him that some people got a lot of pleasure out of giving things away, and that by accepting it you're accutally doing them a favor.

[Creepy-Pied Piper]

Removed at User Request

[Brilliand]

"More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have “lost”. What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with."

[The Exception]

I've worked in various fast food places, so I'm aware of the scams that some customers will use to get free food, including the "I accidentally left my wallet behind" trick. I've also seen customers, plant their own hairs in their food and pretended that they dropped something just to get extra.
Most of the time, the restaurant gave the customers the extra food even when the employees were sure that the customer wasn't being honest. I know that having dissatisfied customers can seriously hurt business and a restaurant may be better off just giving free meals on occasion, even if they lose a little money because they could lose even more money if they lose customers due to dissatisfaction. Still it sickens me, that dishonest people who take advantage of the system get more than the honest people.

I should have never posted this. Don't want to give people any crazy ideas to try.....