The Islands - wrong change...

snootyusher · July 2006

I just got back from The Islands, deciding to try it out for the first time after hearing many good things about it.

The jerk chicken was $8, and I flipped through my wallet, and came up with a $20, not having exact change. As the lady behind the counter disappeared beneath the counter to get change, I flipped through my wallet again and discovered that I actually did have exact change. I alerted the woman, who was happy to not have to scrounge up the change, and gave her the $8, and she returned to me a $10 bill. The problem being, of course, I originally gave her a $20 bill. Rather than kicking and screaming that she made a mistake, I asked if she was SURE that I shouldn't be receiving a $20 bill, in a manner that says "if you just give me the proper amount of money back, we can just forget about this and perhaps I'll be a happy customer". She was sure it was a $10 bill. I am confident I didn't even HAVE a $10 bill, as I went to the ATM recently, which doesn't give those out.

Of course I have no proof, which is the problem. As anyone who has ever worked a cash register knows, you should always leave money out until you give a customer their change. That way you can just point at the money resting on the register when they think you've screwed them. This lady disappeared under the counter with my money. Having no recourse, I left (the jerk chicken was good, btw).

While it's only $10, I can't help but feel I got screwed. Has anyone had a similar experience at The Islands?

carnivore · July 2006

I'm sure the error wasn't intentional (although I'm sure I'd be equally frustrated in your place). I haven't seen or heard of any pattern of this there.

smokin joe · July 2006

not only have i not been ripped off there, but last time i was there as i came downstairs i made a comment to the woman behind the counter, probably the same one mentioned above, about a fabulous smell coming from the pan she was hovering over. it was a shrimp dish--i forget which one--and she said she'd put in some extra shrimp and insisted i try one. next thing i knew she'd forked one and was handing it over the counter. i don't recall ever in my life being given any sort of shrimp by any restaurant. and it tasted as great as it smelled.

smokin joe · July 2006

as to the wrong change, i will say that the service there does tend to be a bit lax and disorganized, more likely culprits than malice or larceny. those qualities, while less than ideal for a service business, are also authentically jamaican.

(i'll go ahead and apologize here for anyone offended by what is clearly an overly broad stereotype of jamaican businesses, which, for the record, certainly does not apply to all jamaican businesses and possibly not even the majority. but it's certainly more prevalent there than here. personally, i think the slower island pace has a lot going for it. our country has perfected the art of fast food and where has that gotten us?)

vanilla · July 2006

often they under charge me when i go in.. just to let you know.

sterling2000 · July 2006

Not related, but...I once got a counterfeit $10 bill at the PS Food Coop.

I loved dreaming about what kind of a socially conscious member was at home cranking out bills on their laser printer. :-)

vanilla · July 2006

sterling2000 wrote: Not related, but...I once got a counterfeit $10 bill at the PS Food Coop.

I loved dreaming about what kind of a socially conscious member was at home cranking out bills on their laser printer. :-)

but was it organic?

sweet tea · July 2006

vanilla wrote: [quote=sterling2000]Not related, but...I once got a counterfeit $10 bill at the PS Food Coop.

I loved dreaming about what kind of a socially conscious member was at home cranking out bills on their laser printer. :-)

but was it organic?

sounds genetically modified to me....

The Islands - wrong change...

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