Derek G.
Yelp
In response to Scott's statement:
"FREE promotions focused on generating business during slow times do expire and that is clearly stated."
Yes, it is clearly stated that they expire, but what is not stated on the certificates is that the certificate holder will be turned away if they wanted to use a certificate just for dessert.
When my wife's parents returned on their two subsequent visits they paid an additional amount as the certificates could not be combined and their meals came to much more than $20 per visit. When my wife and I came back for lunch to use one of the $20 certificates, I still had $9 and change left from the original $300 gift certificate I purchased, and we still paid an additional $10+ as our tab came to just over $40. I can only assume that my wife's parents' tabs were about $40 or more per visit, for a total of $80 or more, which would have cost them an additional $40+ after the deduction of the $40 worth of certificates. So in the end, the certificates did exactly what they were supposed to do, they generated business for FG in the tune of an additional $50+.
"In the end, I think you received very good value to the tune of $60 or 20% OFF of your $300 gift certificate purchase."
It would have been a better value if I would have received $80, but I was unable to use a $20 certificate that had not expired yet because I was turned away at the door. Furthermore, it was not 20% OFF of my $300 purchase because I still paid $300. It would have been 20% OFF if I had only paid $240 for $300 worth of gift certificates. So to do the math, I spent an initial amount of $300, then with the three subsequent visits FG received another $50 (or more), for a total of $350+. Add to that total the generous $60 tip I left on the initial visit, and the tips on the three subsequent visits. I don't recall how much I left for a tip on our return visit, nor do I know how much my in-laws left, but I do know a tip was left on each occasion. Let's say a minimum tip of $5 per visit, for a total of $15. Our total is now at least $425 actually spent + $60 in bonus certificates for a grand total of at least $485. So the $60 off we received in subsequent visits works out to 12.4% OFF of the grand total of $485.
"As far as being turned away, we were booked solid with reservations. Walk -ins are always welcome, but if we don't have a table available... "
When we walked in, there were two tables with no one seated at either one. I asked the server who greeted us at the door if those tables were available and he never said no. What he did respond to was when I mentioned we only wanted a table for dessert, he said he would have to check if they served only dessert. He left to speak with Scott and came back a moment later to inform me that FG does not serve just dessert.
In summation, it would have been nice if Scott would have informed us that the tables were apparently unavailable and invited us back on a different day to have lunch or dinner and possibly dessert to make up for the fact that he could not accommodate us at that time, even though the certificate would have been past its expiration date. Perhaps Scott will still do the right thing...