Companies adding surcharges due to material shortages

[bcla]

LOL.

You do realize that all happened in 2012...right?

Nobody else in California has that kind of fuel discount for loyalty program members. I thought it was relevant.

 

[bcla]

I'm confused. I buy gas at Safeway with my Club card and still get a 10 cent a gallon discount, which is usually about a penny a gallon more than ARCO.

The only discount they have now is for earned rewards or cash/debit. And it's supposedly valid at Chevron and Texaco stations too. I remember the 3 cents/gallon discount for Safeway Club Card members when they didn't have any difference in cash credit prices.

https://www.safeway.com/justforu/program-details.html

It's really based on a point system and I guess 10 cents discount per gallon, but can be multiples. They say the rewards are used for up to 20 cents/gallon at Chevron or Texaco, and up to $1.00/gallon discount at Safeway gas stations.

 

[RedAngie]

Back when I was a kid, gas stations had a cash and credit price. It looks like these are coming back too.

Back when I was a kid, gas stations may have offered lower prices for cash, I don’t remember. What I DO remember is gas stations giving out free road maps, and other various gifts and promos with a purchase.

Specifically, during the summer of 1969 one chain gave away free cardboard cutouts where you could build your own Lunar Module from the Apollo space program.

Some gave away free drinking glasses, usually with a sports team’s logo on one side and the station logo on the other side. I also remember cheap low end snow brushes/ice scrapers, collectible stickers/decals, and dish towels.

Sorry for the interruption. Back to regular programming. My company is selling gas at 15 cents off per gallon in October when paying with the app. Cash customers without credit/debit cards or e-payment options can buy a gift card with cash and link it to the app.

 

[tvguy]

The only discount they have now is for earned rewards or cash/debit. And it's supposedly valid at Chevron and Texaco stations too. I remember the 3 cents/gallon discount for Safeway Club Card members when they didn't have any difference in cash credit prices.

https://www.safeway.com/justforu/program-details.html

It's really based on a point system and I guess 10 cents discount per gallon, but can be multiples. They say the rewards are used for up to 20 cents/gallon at Chevron or Texaco, and up to $1.00/gallon discount at Safeway gas stations.

Just took my Mustang out for a drive and the price sign still says one price for Club Members, and a price 10 centers higher for none club members and credit debit. Do you get points for buying gasoline? I never go in the grocery store, Safeway is just too darn expensive.

 

[bcla]

Just took my Mustang out for a drive and the price sign still says one price for Club Members, and a price 10 centers higher for none club members and credit debit. Do you get points for buying gasoline? I never go in the grocery store, Safeway is just too darn expensive.

This is kind of an old photo (I'd love those prices if I could get them today), but it's of the Safeway gas station at 8369 Elk Grove Florin Rd in Sacramento.

I've personally bought gas at a local Safeway gas station and they don't have a standard Safeway Club Card discount. I remember when they did have a 3 cent/gallon discount back in 2012 and no cash/credit/debit price difference. All they have now is a Reward redemption for a discount, but that requires spending at the store to get the rewards.

 

[georgina]

Went out to eat this weekend and had a surprise 10% restaurant fee added. Something about the fluctuating price of goods, but this restaurant also emphasizes that they use local suppliers. Apparently it was listed in fine print on the front of the menu, but we missed it. Seems a bit high.

 

[mom2rtk]

Went out to eat this weekend and had a surprise 10% restaurant fee added. Something about the fluctuating price of goods, but this restaurant also emphasizes that they use local suppliers. Apparently it was listed in fine print on the front of the menu, but we missed it. Seems a bit high.

Restaurants should tread lightly with this. Servers are likely to see that come off their tips in a lot of cases.

 

[JimMIA]

Restaurants should tread lightly with this. Servers are likely to see that come off their tips in a lot of cases.

Agree -- cheap tip is the obvious easy fix, and that's not fair to the servers.

 

[georgina]

Restaurants should tread lightly with this. Servers are likely to see that come off their tips in a lot of cases.

Yeah. It's our anniversary, the bill was over $100, and the 10% fee was on top of the 10% taxes we have around here. DH always asks me how much to tip, definitely not tipping on the taxes and fees amounts!

 

[mom2rtk]

Agree -- cheap tip is the obvious easy fix, and that's not fair to the servers.

And given how understaffed some of these restaurants are, losing a server or two could be a big problem.

 

[kdonnel]

And given how understaffed some of these restaurants are, losing a server or two could be a big problem.

Closing because the price charged doesn’t cover expenses would be an even bigger problem.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Closing because the price charged doesn’t cover expenses would be an even bigger problem.

In that case, it would be better to raise prices than potentially cause people to tip less.

 

[Southernmiss]

The few times we've eaten out this year, we well over tip our servers, even would on top of surcharges. They've earned it I'm sure.

Like others have said the reason for surcharges could be to save on getting new menus printed, especially with costs rapidly changing week to week and supply availability. A restaurant would constantly need new menus.

 

[tvguy]

Closing because the price charged doesn’t cover expenses would be an even bigger problem.

Several of the restaurant owners were interviewed over the past year said it really is a fine line. They can't raise the prices to cover expenses because customers are very price sensitive and that could put them out of business.

 

[Southernmiss]

An interesting anecdote, our son worked at a yogurt shop through college.

The owner put in new electronic touch screen cash registers in January this year with a more prominent button for adding a tip to the payment.

His tips drastically went up because of the button.

I can see restaurants being creative to encourage tips for their employees.

Also, he caught covid from work, and had anti maskers in his face. So there definitely was some 'hazards' to doing the job this year.

 

[kdonnel]

In that case, it would be better to raise prices than potentially cause people to tip less.

Raising prices costs money as menus need reprinting. Since food prices are changing rapidly right now, it seems like a reasonable compromise to have the surcharge rather than reprinting menus weekly or monthly.

I don’t feel like the owner is responsible for ensuring they only allow patrons who tip properly.

 

[JimMIA]

The few times we've eaten out this year, we well over tip our servers, even would on top of surcharges. They've earned it I'm sure.

We do too, because we recognize that most of them were unemployed for a long time during the pandemic.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Raising prices costs money as menus need reprinting. Since food prices are changing rapidly right now, it seems like a reasonable compromise to have the surcharge rather than reprinting menus weekly or monthly.

I don’t feel like the owner is responsible for ensuring they only allow patrons who tip properly.

That way of thinking is the reason many businesses can't get or keep employees.

 

[mom2rtk]

The few times we've eaten out this year, we well over tip our servers, even would on top of surcharges. They've earned it I'm sure.

Like others have said the reason for surcharges could be to save on getting new menus printed, especially with costs rapidly changing week to week and supply availability. A restaurant would constantly need new menus.

I've heard stories about places like Weimar and Venezuela where inflation was so bad you'd buy something at lunch and by dinner the price had skyrocketed even further. Or you'd get paid and by the time you cashed the check it was worth far less. And I never thought we'd see that here.

But here we are saying restaurants can't print new menus because the prices will change too fast.

Unbelievable.

 

[georgina]

An interesting anecdote, our son worked at a yogurt shop through college.

The owner put in new electronic touch screen cash registers in January this year with a more prominent button for adding a tip to the payment.

His tips drastically went up because of the button.

I can see restaurants being creative to encourage tips for their employees.

Also, he caught covid from work, and had anti maskers in his face. So there definitely was some 'hazards' to doing the job this year.

Makes people feel guilty if they don’t tip.

ive seen the debates here before, should you tip on pre-tax or post-tax amount, I feel like we tip very well on the price of food and drinks, the added fee doesn’t lower our tip amount, but it is not going to raise our tip either!

I REALLY would prefer they get rid of tipping altogether and just raise prices to pay the staff a decent wage.