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DASM: Do you want a refund?

DASM: Do you want a refund?

There’s a big truck in front of me at the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through line. It’s so big, the driver can’t get near the tinny speaker and has to shout his order for a coffee. He turns the corner to go to pay and I then place my order for two coffees. But when I turn the corner, the truck is gone and there’s a pickup in front of me. When I get to the window the charge is higher than usual, but I pay it, and the woman then hands me three coffees! I tell her one isn’t mine and she stares at it. I suggest the large truck couldn’t fit close enough to get to the window, so the driver just left, the third coffee being his.

She then says to me, “Do you want a refund?” with a pained expression. Now, I would gladly have treated someone else to the coffee, but it was clear that the guy who ordered it was gone. “Yes, I want a refund,” I reply, and she’s nearly in tears.

It turns out, the owner has never taught her how to provide a refund, but fortunately, someone else knows. I wonder what happens if you teach a nurse to put a needle in a vein but not how to draw the blood, or a cook how to start to make an omelette but not how to know when it’s done? The owner here has done stupid things before, like discontinuing dog biscuits or refusing to take anything over a $20 bill. The twenty is the MOST counterfeited bill, but he accepts them, just not 50s or 100s.

Small business has a lot of problems these days, but one problem you can’t help is dumb ass, stupid management.

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

Comments: 2

  • Duke Merhavy

    August 30, 2020

    Cool story, Alan, and very typical.

    It reminded me of an encounter I had a few days ago at Burger King. I placed an order in the drive through and the total was $12.97. I handed the cashier a $20 and 2 singles. She raised her hands (almost in a ‘don’t shoot me’ gesture), refused to take the bills from me and said “no-no, it’s only $12.97”. I explained that I knew that and it would help me if she just gave me $10 and 3 cents in change, or just the $10 wold be fine.

    She was dumbfounded and still refused to take my money. She then called for help and another employee came over to help — he wasn’t helping… then the manager came over, and the three of them discussed the predicament I presented to them for several minutes! After a few minutes she agreed to take my money and gave me $10 in change. She behaved as if I was scheming them and she just wanted me out of there, clearly not understanding what just happened.

    I can’t tell if it was just stupidity, lack of basic math skill, or bad/lacking training… but boy, she had a sophisticated and computerized cash register and she/they still couldn’t figure it out…

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