This is Subway we're talking about.
RAGE ON THE SUBWAY! (EAT FIST!)
- Thread starter Plecostomus
- Start date
It's not the uncommon: They figure if they report it, they'll be hanged for it breaking so they play dumb and hope someone else gets stuck with it.
Plecostomus
Commodore
Factories. I've seen people not report damaged or malfunctioning machines out of fear of job loss. They rig a work-around and not tell anyone.
Most annoying example was two jobs ago, we had a punch press that had a borked clutch pin. Rather than fix it so the press could run in Semi-Auto mode the operator opted to run it in manual and "eyeball" the proper start and stop points.
Came to light when he took two weeks off and the temp operator put the press in Semi-Auto and promptly smashed a tool.
Interesting part of the whole thing... if the regular operator had spoke up about the broken machine he would have kept his job, and I wouldn't have been hired on permanently to take his place.
I can't see even the slightest glimmer of logic in this. Why *would* anyone lose their job in such a situation? If anything, they'd lose it for NOT reporting the failure.
Cause some bosses a are dicks. They figure if you report, you broke it.
Plecostomus
Commodore
It has happened to me before. Some companies seem to think that anything that goes wrong is an employee's fault therefore the employee should be terminated when something goes wrong. The logic (from the shop floor leadership POV) is this way they can say "hey nothing wrong down here, just a bad worker" and their own little empire is safe.
More often than not you'll get a worker in who has been through this and they cover up severe problems out of fear of losing their job AGAIN, and then you end up in very deep trouble. Like the punch press incident. Had he spoken up and had the tech replace a $5 spring he would have kept his job.
So the machine is broken.... They don't have the slips and the kuncle-racker to do it manualy?
I used to work in a convenience store, and we had both a manual credit card reader and a MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON on the cash register. That way, if the power went out (which it did a couple of times) we could still function - which is good for a small community - people could come and buy batteries for flashlights, or whatever they needed.
I've been in stores before where a fuse has blown, and they can't process any transactions because the cash register won't open
I used to work in a convenience store, and we had both a manual credit card reader and a MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON on the cash register. That way, if the power went out (which it did a couple of times) we could still function - which is good for a small community - people could come and buy batteries for flashlights, or whatever they needed.
I've been in stores before where a fuse has blown, and they can't process any transactions because the cash register won't open
Hells, one time I was working in a Cafe and we lost the register connections and the card reader. They looked at me like I was nuts when I suggested someone get the adding machine out of the office, run across the street to Wal-Mart for a stack of invoice books and adding machine tape, and we'd just ring manually.
I got a coffee at Starbucks in a similar way, once. It was before this particular store began accepting cards, and after getting ready to pay, I realized that the only cash I had in my wallet were two $100 bills (my band had played the night before and I hadn't broken down my cash share). The girl at the stand, upon my apologetic presentation of the hundred, just smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, I'm not going to destroy my drawer for a $2 coffee." She then pulled the money out of the (meager) tip jar and put it into the register.
I went back later that day and returned the money, but a little gesture like that was pretty awesome.
Back when I worked in a book store there were times when the system broke and we got the audit roll calculators, manual credit card thingies and a sheet of A4 paper to keep a list of what was sold for stock control
I got a coffee at Starbucks in a similar way, once. It was before this particular store began accepting cards, and after getting ready to pay, I realized that the only cash I had in my wallet were two $100 bills (my band had played the night before and I hadn't broken down my cash share). The girl at the stand, upon my apologetic presentation of the hundred, just smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, I'm not going to destroy my drawer for a $2 coffee." She then pulled the money out of the (meager) tip jar and put it into the register.
I went back later that day and returned the money, but a little gesture like that was pretty awesome.
Wow, don't see service like that much anymore! That was nice of you to return the money later as well.
Plecostomus
Commodore
I run my workshop out of a ledger book. I'm not setting up a computer system for the amount of work I do.
Inventory is the same way, I have a notebook saying what I have and where.
MUCH easier than using a computer.
Inventory is the same way, I have a notebook saying what I have and where.
MUCH easier than using a computer.
I couldn't believe that the Baskin Robbins here doesn't take credit cards at all. I had ordered my ice cream and my son was already eating his when I discovered this. 
Thankfully, the woman who had come in with her family right behind me offered to pay for ours.
Of course, this is a slightly different situation than yours, since the Subway has the capability, they just refuse to fix the machine. Have you considered calling in a complaint to their corporate office?
Thankfully, the woman who had come in with her family right behind me offered to pay for ours.Of course, this is a slightly different situation than yours, since the Subway has the capability, they just refuse to fix the machine. Have you considered calling in a complaint to their corporate office?
Plecostomus
Commodore
There are three Subways between here and where I work, and four of them between home and the city.
All owned by different franchise groups.
It's a matter of avoiding the defective one and putting my business at the one that actually accepts cards.
All owned by different franchise groups.
It's a matter of avoiding the defective one and putting my business at the one that actually accepts cards.
My store is in the same shopping center as one, and one of their employees came in the other day asking if we had extra receipt tape because they ran out, and their manager wouldn't put an order in for some reason.
I've had different experiences when it comes to this situation.
I've seen places put up signs--even at the drive-thru--that they can't take cards right now. Fair enough. When they say something, I let them know I don't have cash and so I'm pulling off. I figure that's more polite than just taking off without saying a word.
Same if I walk inside, if I notice the signs before I get up to the counter I walk out.
I've seen places here use the manual card imprinter. I don't mind that. Whatever works!
I did go through a Taco Bell drive-thru once, and they didn't have a sign up that their card reader was down. It came as a surprise to me once I got to the window.
"I'm sorry, sir, our card reader is down."
"Oh, crap. I don't carry cash, though!"
Without even thinking about it, he handed me the bag and said, "It's on me today." Pretty sure he was a manager.
A really nice gesture, I thought.
I've seen places put up signs--even at the drive-thru--that they can't take cards right now. Fair enough. When they say something, I let them know I don't have cash and so I'm pulling off. I figure that's more polite than just taking off without saying a word.
Same if I walk inside, if I notice the signs before I get up to the counter I walk out.
I've seen places here use the manual card imprinter. I don't mind that. Whatever works!
I did go through a Taco Bell drive-thru once, and they didn't have a sign up that their card reader was down. It came as a surprise to me once I got to the window.
"I'm sorry, sir, our card reader is down."
"Oh, crap. I don't carry cash, though!"
Without even thinking about it, he handed me the bag and said, "It's on me today." Pretty sure he was a manager.
A really nice gesture, I thought.
Am I being incredibly old fashioned and 'British' here? I would never think of going into a fast food place and paying with a card 
It's like getting stuck behind someone in the quick queue in the supermarket paying for a sandwich and a drink on a card ~ Do you not have £1.70 in change in your pocket?
It's like getting stuck behind someone in the quick queue in the supermarket paying for a sandwich and a drink on a card ~ Do you not have £1.70 in change in your pocket?
Similar threads
