David S.
Yelp
I eat ice cream most days, and I have been a Ben & Jerry's fan for a long time. My visit to this location in December, however, was the worst experience I have EVER had in any ice cream shop. I ordered the Chocolate Peanut Buttery Swirl. When I met the employee at the register, I handed him a small cone certificate I've had in my wallet for a number of years. (I have two of them from my college's admissions office -- a thank you gift for my work as a volunteer tour guide.) His first reaction was to say that it was only valid at the location printed on the certificate, but I pointed out to that it only specified that is where it was purchased -- not where it could be redeemed. He continued to make excuses as to why he couldn't accept it -- e.g. that it was old. I pointed out that dollar bills are sometimes old -- that does not mean they are worthless. He showed my certificate to his manager, who wouldn't budge, either. I left the scoop shop without my ice cream. I don't know what the Ben & Jerry's staff did with my ice cream cone, but I hope they ate it rather than throw it out.
Six weeks later, I decided to try again -- maybe it was just the particular staff that day? After donating blood just over half a mile away, I walk in and speak to a friendly employee who, recognizing what I have just done, asks if I'd like some sugar. Since I don't want to risk my order going to waste this time, I show her the certificate and ask if there will be any issue using it. She says she should check with her manager, who comes to the counter and says to me that she can't accept it but can offer me a 10% discount instead. How generous. When I ask what the problem is, all she says is that the store hasn't taken such a certificate in five years. This is the typical bureaucratic response that does not actually offer any explanation: "We can't take accept it because we don't accept it."
As I previously stated, my certificate does not say it is only valid at certain shops. It does not expire, and it is not a forgery. (Has this Ben & Jerry's been victimized by a forger that I haven't heard of? Has the staff been trained to assume anything a customer tries to use is a fake?) There are dozens of quality ice cream shops in San Francisco to choose from. I won't visit this one again, and I'd strongly encourage anyone reading this to spend your money elsewhere, too.