Jolly Friar waitress misunderstanding

[meatpuppet2]

First of all i want to say the fish and chips were good. No complaints there and reasonable pricing although I wasn't crazy about the tartar sauce. Could have been just me. Usually I like it a bit more tart which could simply be fixed by adding more relish but what do I know.

 

We asked for separate bills ("2 bin please") when we ordered which is something my buddy typically does when we eat out. I personally don't care either way but he likes it separate. Anyways it's never a problem and they always understand what we are asking for.

 

We got a slice of bread and butter each before our meal which we didn't order. Butter was cold so not spreadable but whatever not a big deal and we didn't expect it in the first place. We figured it was just something that came with the fish and chips. Seemed a bit odd but I don't eat fish and chips regularly so what do I know.

 

First the waitress brings us the wrong bill. Actually she brought us change for someone elses bill. Don't know how you can make that mistake when there are only 3 tables of customers in the place and only 1 table has paid. There were probably more staff than customers. Not a big deal not a problem and we laughed it off. This is Thailand and all that.

 

The we get our bill. Only 1 bill and we are charged for 2 bread. Wtf? "We want 2 bin please and we didn't order the bread". So waitress goes away and comes back with other waitress who originally took our order which seemed to be the most senior one there and also the best english. They still had the 1 bin and she starts saying "you want 2 bin so we give you 2 bin". Now things are getting a bit heated. I figured it was a simple misunderstanding and she thought we wanted "2 bread". My buddy wasn't happy about it and figured it was yet another Thai scam where they try nickle and dime you and then act stupid about it when you question them. He lives here and says it happens all the time and he has no tolerance for it anymore.

 

I am only here for a short while, didn't want to make a big deal about it, figured it was a simple miscommunication with the translation and that she though we ordered 2 bread. It wasn't much money so I just wanted to pay it and leave without making a scene. For my buddy it wasn't about the money either but the principle of it. Anyways, it didn't end well and I suspect it will be a cold day in hell before my buddy steps foot in there again. He will most likely be badmouthing the place to all his expat friends. I asked another buddy who speaks near fluent Thai and has lived here a long time and he has never heard of Thais mistaking people asking for "bin" or "2 bin" or whatever for someone asking for "bread". So now I am starting to wonder.

 

So what are peoples thoughts? Were they trying to nickle and dime us or was it a simple misunderstanding? Trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here.

[ProudAussie]

I always get the same misunderstanding when I order a PINEapple juice and get apple instead ! Oh well that's life !

[Ohyesuare]

Sounds like a misunderstanding, I have had similar happen to me before as well. I doubt its a scam because the bread is on the bin so the waitress can't get anything from it.

[kansuwan]

And the price of the bread was......?

[Bagwan]

Did you enjoy the bread....?

[meatpuppet2]

And the price of the bread was......?

 

Does it matter?

[meatpuppet2]

Did you enjoy the bread....?

 

About as much as I would normally enjoy wonderbread and hard butter before a meal of fish and chips which would be not at all.

[MaiKowJai80]

Does it matter?

 

id say it does because if its something like 10 baht and you've been charged for it then it makes your pal look daft kicking off for 10 baht..surely his budget isn't that tight, as said you were billed for it so it wasnt a scam and by all acounts the food was ok

 

fwiw bread and butter is very common with fish and chips in the uk

[meatpuppet2]

id say it does because if its something like 10 baht and you've been charged for it then it makes your pal look daft kicking off for 10 baht..surely his budget isn't that tight, as said you were billed for it so it wasnt a scam and by all acounts the food was ok

 

fwiw bread and butter is very common with fish and chips in the uk

 

Perhaps your reading comprehension is not up to snuff. As I said it's not about the money or is this going to turn into another "the owner is a brit so it can't possibly be his fault" thread?

 

If it is so important to you then you are free to go and look on their menu and see what they charge for a slice of bread.

 

Based on some other comments here I think their ability to hire competent staff is in question at a minimum. Or perhaps they doesn't pay them enough so turnover is high and service is poor and they have that little extra incentive to pull these stunts? Perhaps the owner is in on it? It wouldn't be the first time someone in Pattaya tried to nickle and dime their customers.

[zonnk]

And the price of the bread was......?

 

 

Bread and butter is 15 bhat.

Complete mountain out of a molehill MP2.

Let it go.

[sinbad5]

Does it matter?

 

Yes. If you ate it, you pay. Simple. Even given that your account is naturely coloured by your perspective, it just sounds like a (very small) misunderstanding. Can't understand how it got so heated at your end.

[PeterKe]

I'm with you in that I think it was a miscommunication - hardly an effective way for the place to increase their profits, and I don't see how the waitress could benefit so I don't think it is their scam either.

 

I want to go through life believing in the general decency of people and giving people the benefit of the doubt. I'll probably be ripped off a few dollars by a taxi or bar here & there. If the alternative is to go around being suspicious of everyne and everything, then I think a couple of bucks every year or so is good value for maintaining my blood pressure at a healthy level. I'm not totally naive, and check bills etc., but when it is a 50/50 call, I just let it go.

 

I am also autely aware that my time on this planet is temporary and that at sometime in the future I won't exist. I believe my time has more value here than my money.

Good to know the F&C are good though... cheers...

[MartyBKK]

Some people have way too many things that set them off. Your mate is one of them.

 

It's a foreign country. Misunderstandings happen. It's like 20 baht. Seriously ....

 

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[SRA]

2 errors;

 

* taking the bread - just need to say "We didn't order this." And there would be no problem. Unless the bread was welcome, then just need to ask "how much?" Or in Thai, "

* 2 check bin. Ok, check bins is more commonly heard in bars. It means you want to settle your bill. Saying ''2 check bin" will just confuse things. It's easier to point at each other and say check bin, that will make more sense. Although in a restaurant setting it's more appropriate to say "kep tang". And of course, don't forget to follow either phrase with "khap" to be polite & respectful.

 

That's my 2 cents worth.

[meatpuppet2]

Some people have way too many things that set them off. Your mate is one of them.

 

It's a foreign country. Misunderstandings happen. It's like 20 baht. Seriously ....

 

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So we can agree to that and move on them...mkay. All I am asking is if this is a common scam or a common misunderstanding or neither....or both or ?

[meatpuppet2]

2 errors;

 

* taking the bread - just need to say "We didn't order this." And there would be no problem. Unless the bread was welcome, then just need to ask "how much?" Or in Thai, "

* 2 check bin. Ok, check bins is more commonly heard in bars. It means you want to settle your bill. Saying ''2 check bin" will just confuse things. It's easier to point at each other and say check bin, that will make more sense. Although in a restaurant setting it's more appropriate to say "kep tang". And of course, don't forget to follow either phrase with "khap" to be polite & respectful.

 

That's my 2 cents worth.

 

Like I said, we both thought it was just included. A lot of restaurants do that although it's usually a nice fresh bun rather than a piece of wonderbread type thing.

 

I've never eaten there before and rarely eat in fish and chips places in general so what do I know.

[enterprise]

Sorry but think youv'e got caught up in the heat of the moment, seems like a genuine mistake, 2 bin -2 bread. if you think about it there is no profit for the girl and i would have thought the owner wouldn't instruct staff to do this,

Life is too short to worry/think about such things. If i was you i would sit down and take stock of myself.and why you are letting such things get to you.

Saying this i still remember getting pissed off by a songtow driver ripping me off for 10 baht, so can understand how things can get out of control in the moment, but now i just laugh about it

[MartyBKK]

 

So we can agree to that and move on them...mkay. All I am asking is if this is a common scam or a common misunderstanding or neither....or both or ?

 

You really reckon its a scam? Seriously.

 

If you really didn't order, then don't pay if it's that important. A polite comment, an explanation that it was a misunderstanding and a request to speak to management (if the other failed) would sort something like this out. But for 20 or 30 baht I'd reckon you just put it down to experience and move on.

 

It's not a "common" scam in that I've never heard of that exact misunderstanding before. It's also not common in places of that type (Farang owned) to run any scams, let alone one that nets 20 baht or so...

 

One of the Thai words used in respect of bread (piece) is pronounced somewhat similar to pen (so that 2 pieces would sound like 2 pen (roughly)). So 2 bin v 2 pen with the appropriate accent is entirely possible as a misunderstanding...

 

And thanks for the sarcasm in your post. Probably better aimed at your uptight mate.

 

 

 

 

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[meatpuppet2]

Sorry but think youv'e got caught up in the heat of the moment, seems like a genuine mistake, 2 bin -2 bread. if you think about it there is no profit for the girl and i would have thought the owner wouldn't instruct staff to do this,

Life is too short to worry/think about such things. If i was you i would sit down and take stock of myself.and why you are letting such things get to you.

Saying this i still remember getting pissed off by a songtow driver ripping me off for 10 baht, so can understand how things can get out of control in the moment, but now i just laugh about it

 

Like I said, I didn't care and just wanted to pay and leave. I am not on some mission here. Just thought I would post about it to see what people think. If I conclude it was probably a misunderstanding then I will go back because I liked their fish and chips. I will also tell my buddy he is wrong. If I conclude it's someone trying to nickle and dime me then I won't go back and probably will tell other people not to go there. Simple as that.

 

I have heard of lots of places that seem to consistently make 'mistakes' on your bill by 5 or 10 or 20 baht. Surprisingly the 'mistakes' are ALWAYS in their favor so you can't tell me it doesn't go on and if you willingly let them do this to you then up to you. If it happens to me more than once or twice at the same place then I let them know that I noticed and then I won't go there anymore and make sure to tell other people not to go there. Does not matter if it's 5 baht or 50baht 'mistake'.

 

The more you let them get away with it the more it happens and what goes around comes around.

[bungarra]

While you are running around bad mouthing the joint over 10 bht or so, could you also tell them that Bungarra thinks they sell the best fish and chips in Pattaya. And never had the slightest problem with service. Its CH's like you and your tightarsed mate that can kill a hard working business person's reputation for fuck all.

Why the fuck do you need to be dribbling all this shit over the forum on HIS behalf. Get a life.

[MartyBKK]

 

Like I said, I didn't care and just wanted to pay and leave. I am not on some mission here. Just thought I would post about it to see what people think. If I conclude it was probably a misunderstanding then I will go back because I liked their fish and chips. I will also tell my buddy he is wrong. If I conclude it's someone trying to nickle and dime me then I won't go back and probably will tell other people not to go there. Simple as that.

 

I have heard of lots of places that seem to consistently make 'mistakes' on your bill by 5 or 10 or 20 baht. Surprisingly the 'mistakes' are ALWAYS in their favor so you can't tell me it doesn't go on and if you willingly let them do this to you then up to you. If it happens to me more than once or twice at the same place then I let them know that I noticed and then I won't go there anymore and make sure to tell other people not to go there. Does not matter if it's 5 baht or 50baht 'mistake'.

 

The more you let them get away with it the more it happens and what goes around comes around.

 

The more one reads the more one suspects your mate is imaginary ...

 

 

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[meatpuppet2]

While you are running around bad mouthing the joint over 10 bht or so, could you also tell them that Bungarra thinks they sell the best fish and chips in Pattaya. And never had the slightest problem with service. Its CH's like you and your tightarsed mate that can kill a hard working business person's reputation for fuck all.

Why the fuck do you need to be dribbling all this shit over the forum on HIS behalf. Get a life.

 

Urrum....because it's the restaurant section of the board and I have no affiliation with the restaurant or any other restaurant and don't care who owns and how nice a guy you think he is. I'm just another customer. Frankly if I had read some of those other comments about service in the other Jolly Friar thread before I went there I probably wouldn't have gone there in the first place.

 

Anyways I digress. Carry on shooting the messenger.

[Edge]

I can't help thinking that you should change your name to 'PeatMuppet'.

 

You didn't order the bread but you didn't send it back, you ate it, so you pay for it.

 

Can you explain where the "scam" is in this crap?

.

[meatpuppet2]

The more one reads the more one suspects your mate is imaginary ...

 

 

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Yea must be.....and the central part of the story...the 2 check bins was because???

[sinbad5]

I can't help thinking that you should change your name to 'PeatMuppet'

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