Ever have a "bait-and-switch" happen to you? Sorry to hear about that. Have you ever had it done to you on Mother's Day with your family?
Now we have a Mother Fucking Problem:
Here's the letter I wrote to The Original Pancake House (NOT IHOP) - and CCed to some other parties that may be interested.
If you don't stand up, you'll get walked all over.
Dear Original Pancake
House-
Attn: Better Business Bureau, The
Record News, and Herald News, and My Mother.
This past Sunday, Mother’s Day, my
Fiancé and I took my Mother, two Aunts, Brother, and Cousin out for breakfast.
My Fiancé and I are frequent customers and even have a Customer Loyalty Card.
The Original Pancake House is our absolute favorite breakfast place, or
was.
After waiting over forty-five
minutes looking at the outside posted menu with the normal prices posted and all
the delicious descriptions, we were seated.
My Mother lives in Tennessee and doesn’t
have The Original Pancake House there. Every time she comes to visit, we always
have breakfast at The Original Pancake House. It’s a scrumptious
ritual.
We were then given the “Mother’s Day
Specials” menus with prices that were severely raised. If these were specialty
menu items I could understand. But they were not. In fact they were the same
exact menu items and portions, but with a price raised over 30%. I have
attached the pictures of both menus as proof. Some examples: Omelets were
raised to $14.00 when they are usually around $11.00, Bacon and Eggs with
Pancakes are usually $7.75, on Sunday they were $10.00, even the coffee was
raised to $3.00, usually it’s around $2.25.
I have heard of businesses offering
specially made items at raised, specialty prices. I have heard of discounting
prices for special holidays, but never have I had the experience of prices being
raised for the same exact menu items. Raising the prices on an already busy
Mother’s Day without prior notification is wrong, the customers sitting at the
next table also agreed, so did the ones on the other side of
us.
Working for a very prominent
investigative firm in Manhattan, I am unfortunately quite aware of
these tactics. In the event that you are unaware, the practice of advertising a
certain price (ie: the normal menu pictured outside) and then supplying a menu
with the same items at a raised price (the “Mother’s Day Special) without
advertising or notifying the consumer prior to sitting, is known as a “Bait and
Switch” and that is reportable to the Better Business Bureau, it’s also known as
false advertising.
We did speak to The Original Pancake
House management and were told there was nothing they could do, they felt poorly
of the owner’s decision, but could not honor the regular prices.
Did we then have a choice to leave?
Yes. However, knowing how much my Mother looks forward to her twice a year
special breakfast; I didn’t have the heart to walk out. What was supposed to be
a fun and delicious Mother’s Day breakfast, instead, left us with a bad taste in
our mouths.
I ask you, The Original Pancake
House, how would your Mother feel? How would you feel if someone did this
unapologetically while you were treating your family to a Mother’s Day meal? In
these tough economic times, did you really feel it necessary to over-charge on
an already busy day, for those looking to treat their Mothers? Would your
Mother be proud?
I am asking that I be reimbursed for
the difference in price if you do not want to lose our business and if you have
any integrity. I would be more than happy to supply our order to you so that we
may properly calculate the bill.
I have also forwarded this
information to The Bergen Record, Herald News, The New Jersey Better Business
Bureau, as well as my Mother.
Attached are pictures of your normal
menu posted outside, the raised menu prices, the business card I was given and
my receipt.
Sincerely,
Lindsey
Koester
