I’m curious to find out your opinion. Is the difference between right and wrong a mere 4 feet apart? Let me explain.
In Klang Valley, there are a few privilege cards (from hotels) which are sought after because they offer really attractive dining discounts. Among the few are Hilton Premium Club, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur Prestige and Starwood Privilege.
So here is the situation. 4 friends want to dine with 2 privilege cards. For the sake of this discussion let’s assume they are couples. Having privilege cards mean that each couple can dine and get a 50% discount off their bill. However, the terms and conditions state that the discount decreases accordingly the more people you have dining with you. So for 4 adults, the overall discount for the bill should only be 25% (if they are seated together).
To utilize the 50% discount, it would be perfectly fine if the couples sat on separate tables for 2… some 4 feet apart. That would be their right to get the discount. However, if they merged and joined the tables and still presented 2 cards at the end of the meal… is that still right? Is that kinda right but so cheep skate that it makes it wrong? If it is wrong because they are all seated together, that means that right and wrong is only 4 feet apart… yes?
What are your thoughts?
yeah kinda stupid..apparently if u sit at the sushi bar “separately”, 2 cards still count
LOL they have been practising this since the day they started such priviledge cards aeons ago. they’re satisfied also if there’s an inch gap between the tables! i’m not kidding!!! happened to us in Shang Penang and Sheraton Imperial
totally absurd!
okay what. hey, even at 50% discount, its not like they losing money you know. and i think for sets its even easier. we’ve sat at sushi bar at zipangu with that arrangement. for chinese food a bit harder la. so, i reckon, for set meals, sushi bar, and buffets, its okay. but for communal food, chinese restaurant etc, cannot.
also, say you were at the sushi bar, and another couple friend walks in, and plonks themselves next to you…. and all have a gala time chatting like no tomorrowm, how? okay ma, use 2 cards la.
snigger, then again, i am a cheapskate.
I’ll try to find one of the F&B managers to read this and comment… I’d like to know what they think too.
mmm this reminds me of a story where a couple (husband and wive) walks in to demand usage of two cards (i forgot what is the offer like) and was told that if they sat together they can only use one card, so end up husband and wife sit two different tables and eat by themselves, just so they can fully use each card’s discounts…how many feet apart doesn’t matter here, it is the idea of eating without the other companionship that counts. maybe restaurateurs are banking on ONE card bringing in a table full of people to cover back the offer, cause they can nearly safely assume nobody dines alone…ha-ha
I’m staying out of this discussion cos I’m a cheapskate. I’ll just dine with anyone who holds a privilege card
rokh, that story doesnt gel, coz you need TWO ppl to eat to maximise the discount. so husband and wife splitting up cant be right la. single diner i think only 20% off. two ppl is 50%, 3 is 33.33% and so on. (basically one dines free).
Perception vs Actual. If the restaurants allow it, then it is up to you – whether you wish to be perceived as being a cheapskate or whether you want to be perceived as being an extravagant spender with little regard to price sensitivity. From my experience, restaurants do allow you to split tables as little as a foot apart and even if you gradually inch closer, I’m sure they will not dispute it. But would I do it? hehe. Yes, IF I were dining with Fatboybakes. (but only coz we’d kill each other with sarcasm if we were sitting any closer)
me too.. at the end of the day its the price tht matters..so view me as cheapskate etc..thats the whole point of having the card in the 1st place right?
to make FULL use the privileges??
Hmmm… Never monogamous enough to apply for one of those cards. Always thought that the privilege would be theirs as I would be spending my hard earned cash at their establishment. And to be perfectly honest, the whole concept is just crap. Probably a good idea to boycott them and make the hotels sit up and really think about the food they are serving and not just giving out discounts to fill up the spaces.
fbb, i am not too sure of the card’s offer as i only roughly remember how the story ends up – hubby and wife seats separately apparently to maximise the card’s discount…haha..this is a whole different story btw but of the same kind of crap
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