Be Careful with Your Money at the JP Licks in Coolidge Corner

[gnomi]

As my lunch break today, I went out to run errands. One of those errands took me to the JP Licks in Coolidge Corner. I placed my order, and while my items were being put together, I went to pay. The total came to a bit more than $9, so I gave the clerk a $20 bill, and she gave me back a couple of coins and shut her drawer.

Now, having just come from the bank, all I had in my wallet was two $20 bills.

I told her that I had given her a $20 bill, and she said, "Oh. I have to get my manager." She came back with the assistant manager, who explained to me that the procedure now required the clerk to cash out her drawer, a process that would take about 5 or so minutes. Once the clerk cashed out her drawer, she reported a number to the assistant manager (note: the cashout was done totally out of my sight). The assistant manager then told me that there was a $1.07 discrepancy between what the clerk said there was in the drawer and what the computer said there should be in the drawer, and if I truly had given her a $20, there would be a $11.07 discrepancy. I explained to the assistant manager that that might be true, but I was positive that I had given a $20 to the clerk.

"The only thing I can do is have you talk to my manager. If I give you $10, we will be short $10 at the end of the night."

The assistant manager went and got the manager, and he said the same thing. He could not give me the money that is rightfully mine because the computer told him that there was only an extra $1.07 in the drawer. He could not help me, and so I left.

Now, if the cashing out had been done by computer and not a human, I would have had no problem with this. But there's such room for human error in the cashing-out process that I can see a miscount of $10. And, anyway, there's such a thing as customer service. The Tips jar had quite a lot of cash in it, and $10 could have been gotten from there to give me back the cash I was owed. Instead, they are left with an irate customer. I would love to never go back there again, but since they are the only hechshered (kosher certified) ice cream shop in my area, I am stuck.

I therefore say to all people who go to the JP Licks in Coolidge Corner, double-check what bill you are handing the clerk, and make sure you count your change.

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

It is quite possible that the cashier palmed your $10, and it went in her pocket. Stinting you, and her employer.

[madfilkentist]

Yeah, it sounds like a scam to me.

The clerk and the manager stole $10 from you. There's no other word for it. If they were short $10, it's the clerk who has to eat it, not the first handy customer.

[byrne.livejournal.com]

That sucks and it's theft. I'm sorry, honey. :(

[magid.livejournal.com]

Might be worth writing a letter to the company.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

All I can say is: my husband used to be a restaurant manager, and he would say that is incredibly bad show on the part of management. I will hope for your sake that another local kosher ice cream place opens *soon*.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Doesn't the Emack & Bolio's in Washington Square still have a hechsher?

[arib.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, it never did.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

It did for many years, but apparently now it's just certain types: http://www.emackandbolios.com/icecream.htm

[42itous.livejournal.com]

What magid said.
If they get more than one letter about the same employee, they may be able to track down the problem and take care of it. And by identifying yourself to the company, you stand a chance to get your $10 back.

[aunt-becca.livejournal.com]

write a letter to the owner. Then, go to Friendlly's down the street- their ice cream is KVH.

[violetcheetah.livejournal.com]

That bites. When I worked in a bookstore, even if I -had- suspected the customer of scamming me, I still would have erred in her favor; what's 10 bucks if you're right, compared to the bad word-of-mouth if you're wrong? And that was before the wonders of the Internets.

[jcbemis.livejournal.com]

that sucks. Pay them in exact change in pennies if you must go there? that might annoy them sufficiently in the future

[pisicutsa.livejournal.com]

Write a letter. Address it as "an open letter to my congregation"... See policy change. (And I'm sorry, that is unacceptable)...

[cellio]

Wow, inept at best and theft at worst. I agree with the "open letter" suggestion; it stands a decent chance of both restoring your money and correcting the policy.

Failing that, either paying in pennies or using a credit card should get their attention.

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Among other problems, it shouldn't have been the same clerk who made the mistake who did the cash out, in case it was an on-purpose mistake.

That's sucktastic customer service. And the amount of business they just lost from those who don't have to worry about hechshers is going to come to way more than $10.

If they are completely hamstrung in terms of giving you cash because they are all a slave to the computer and policies they didn't write, they could at least have offered you $10 worth of ice cream or gift certificates.