I had posted the PROMO AD alongside my story for a better view of what I will be talking about. Of note is the catch phrase “Buy any 2 of these exciting flavors,” Deluxe Beef, Hawaiian and Pepperoni, Salami & Garlic. If you are a Pizza Hut pizza lover and craving for it, you can never go wrong, especially if you're a group. At least that's what I thought.
So I ordered my two choices, Pepperoni and Deluxe Beef. The Pizza Hut lady crew who was in charge of the promo told me that I can only pair the Pepperoni with Hawaiian. Quite surprised that I must have misunderstood what the AD says, I took a second look at the cartolina-sized AD they had on the stand right in front of the table where she was at and read it once more. There’s nothing in there that said Pepperoni goes with Hawaiian. Nothing.
I got back to her asking how she understood the phrase “buy any two” to be. She only said, "I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t give you what you want. Pepperoni can only be paired with Hawaiian." I asked her again the same question a couple of times yet the same answer. Annoyed and irritated, my frustration had elevated. Standing in front of her with my arms akimbo, I freaked out, “I am not going for Hawaiian! I want the Pepperoni and Deluxe Beef! Your AD says ANY TWO! I just ordered this VERY SAME PAIR at SM Clark last Monday -- that was February 21, 2011 -- and I got no objection from them with the choices.”
I berated her with more questions: How come yours is different? What makes this promo any different from your branch at SM Clark?” She was still insisting on the pair. “No,” I said, “I want my choices. In America, you can easily be slapped for false advertising.”
Our argument would not have ended had I not blurted, “I am going to post this in my Twitter!” There I’ve said it. Now I got her attention. I said, “Obviously, I am. I am going to have this blogged in my Facebook, in my Blogspot and in my Twitter.” She retaliated, “Okay, I’m giving you what you want. I just don’t like you telling me about posting in Twitter.” The MAGIC WORD! “Gotcha,” I thought, and it really felt good.
The thing is, it’s a promo, a printed AD that clearly says it all. Anything contrary to what it says will mean deceiving the customer. The cliché “Customer is Always Right” does not even come into play here. I was right. What I don’t understand is employing a little finesse in their AD to bamboozle people. It’s implicitly misleading, as if it had a “fine print” in there, a silent stipulation, so to speak.
I may not have the Pizza Hut Party Deal Promo receipt with me anymore. Don't let the same thing happen to you, too. If it does, confront them all at once. Make a stand. If it’s printed, you can’t miss it. It's your money and it's your right as a customer.
