Subway Refused Coupon Substitution

I work for Subway restaurants in the UK as a store manager. This is
not an official response.

Whilst I can understand that the store was following the terms &
conditions as outlined on the voucher. It is disappointing to hear at
how stringently they were followed.

I completely agree that this was a simple substitution, and in my
store would have been more than happy to accept this as part of the
voucher offer, we are often very flexible on vouchers. The only
negative impact this store would have faced by accepting this voucher
is that wraps cost nominally more than bread.

However by offering to transfer the contents to a bread, would have
incurred them further cost, and by Subway guidelines, the wrap and
full contents should have been destroyed and a full sandwich made from
scratch.

I do note as stated in previous comments that in some instances that
if stores "give an inch, people will try to take a mile". I have found
this is often the case. I mean this in general not to your specific
case.

There is a general consensus in Subway stores that the brand should be
consistent across all stores. This may have been a reason for
following the Terms & Conditions to the letter. As I have forgotten
the number of times I've had customers say to me "In X store they were
able to do that for me".

Whatever the reason they rejected this simple request you have found a
store which lacks basic customer service and staff with logic.

Most comments and complaints submitted via the official website is
read and then forwarded to the franchisee to which the complaint was
related, this should then be responded to in a timely manner, with a
copy of the response being returned to Subway. This clearly has not
occurred.

First of all congratulations to your wife for having the gastric
bypass surgery! My father-in-law got a lap band about two years ago,
and he is down from over 400 pounds to a lean mean 280 (at six foot
four) and doing things we never thought we'd see him do. It's a great
step to getting your health, mobility, and in some cases life back,
and I commend her.

Speaking from what I've seen of my father-in-law's experience, many
restaurants are just not willing to work with you on stuff like this.
Especially when he's just had a fill, FIL can eat maybe a quarter cup
of food at a sitting. If he tries to go beyond that he ends up with
indigestion and a gnarly case of the hiccups. At first, he would try
to order smaller portions when we would go out, but it soon became
clear that if there wasn't a button on the computer for it, the
restaurant just wouldn't or couldn't do it.

So my mother-in-law and he worked out a system: they'd order
something they both wanted, he'd eat his bites, and she'd finish it
up. It actually ended up with both of them losing some weight, since
restaurant food typically comes in "serves two" portions anyway, and
this helped her control her portions as well.

I absolutely understand why your wife would want a wrap instead: all
that bread is no good for a gastric bypass patient. She needs the
veggies, not the starch, right? It's too bad that they weren't
willing to work with you on that, but unfortunately based on my
experience that will probably be the theme eating out from here on in.
And it's too bad, really. Restaurants that are willing to work with
customers are so much more likely to retain customers.

Good luck to you and to your wife!

I can see both sides of the story, however, your complaint to this
site is that they never got back to you.

THAT should be addressed. I agree it was unprofessional for them to
just blow you off.

Hopefully, they get back to you.

I must say that I am on the side of Subway here. Instead of just
assuming that they should honour a substitution to the coupon, you
should have asked before you ordered if it would be okay. That way if
it wasn't okay you could still get the sub and wrap and pay
accordingly, get 2 subs, or leave.

I manage a pizza place, and I know that while some of our pizzas are
the same menu price, we will offer specials on certain pizzas because
the food cost and/or labor cost of making them is lower. Also,
whenever we do a big promotion on something, I can order my product
accordingly, stocking up on the relevant toppings because I can
anticipate sales. It wouldn't be a big deal to make a substitution
for one customer, but once you open that door you have to let EVERYONE
in, and that WOULD be a big deal.

I've written to Subway in the past. They can take a long time to
respond, if at all. Here's why:

Each Subway location is independently owned and operated. So, when
Subway gets a letter, they forward it to the location.

At that point, they apparently don't have a mechanism (don't want) to
determine if an individual location has responded or not. Unlike the
BBB, the act of responding doesn't gain you points (or a non-response
loses you points).

An individual location should care, of course, about responding. But
they don't always. I've experience (and read enough letters here at
PFB) to know that some (but certainly not all) Subway owners don't
have the same customer service attitude that you'd hope. I once had a
Subway manager say "this is my restaurant, you don't like it, you get
out."

If you write to corporate about a corporate item, you also run the
risk of not getting a response. Or getting one that's wildly
off-base. I once wrote to Subway (anyone detecting a pattern here)
about a chain-wide issue. I got a quick response, but it had nothing
to do with the issue. When I wrote back, I got a response that
apologized, but explained (and I'm not making this up) that she (the
person that read my original message) was deaf and this sometimes kept
her from being able to respond fully. I'm not sure what deaf would
have to do with being able to respond to a written e-mail, but there
you have it. She said that because she was unable to handle my issue,
she'd pass it along to her supervisor. Who sent me a "Thank you for
writing" and nothing more.

I'm just wondering..if the OP's wife can only eat small quantities and
subway would not substitute the coupon..why didn't the OP just order
the sub (with healthier toppings of course) and just take the rest of
it home with her for later or even let the OP eat the rest of it?
The coupon is used and food is not wasted...problem solved.

If it's the same price/they had no problem paying for the more
expensive item (if there was one, the OP said there was no difference)
in the interest of customer service they should've just let him have
it. I can understand a cashier not wanting to go out on the limb for
this w/o management approval, but they should have forwarded the
decision to the store manger and if he refused..well...I just know
that if this was my business and the prices were the same, i would've
given it to them.

Subway seriously dropped the ball here. The OP is ticked off about
Subway's total lack of response to a legitimate query, posed in polite
language. In similar situations I've had the same feeling, and have
written a few nastygrams of my own on the subject. Refusal to respond
to a legitimate query is guarenteed to turn a current customer into a
former customer PDQ.

The original coupon situation should also be addressed of course, but
at this point it's secondary. IMNSHO they dropped the ball on that
too.

Was is possibly in the fine print at the bottom "No Substitutions"? If
it said this, and the coupon was for a sub, then thats what the coupon
is for.

Otherwise, I don't see why they wouldn't have done it for you.

Subaway has a right to refuse the substitution. Even you agree on
this.

Knowing that this coupon was out there, this store probably stocked up
on some sub supplies, not wrap supplies.

This branch is educated,obviously, because they were able to
understand the coupon.

The time to ask if you could substitute was at ordering, not after it
was made. The wasted wrap is on you shoulders. It would not have been
wasted had you spoke up and not just assumed.

This is why many places require you to present the coupon at the time
of ordering.

I applaud Subway for upholding what the coupon says.

I'm wondering:

1. Those of us who didn't see why he's taking this request re: the
coupon so far (to HQ) to get a different "ruling"

or

2. Those of you who don't see why Subway couldn't make the
substitution

I don't dicker over prices at antique stores, yard sales, or flea
markets. I would be horrible at negotiating a price on a vehicle. I
wouldn't ask to substitute something in a coupon, or if I did, and was
told "no," I'd be fine with that.

I wonder whether the others in Group 1 are like me in the "no
negotiating/dickering" camp, and those in Group 2 are more
willing/able to dicker over prices, ask for substitutions, etc.

I sometimes ask about substitutions, but I always

a) Ask before ordering, and when I forget to do that, I accept the
consequences.

and

b) Never get upset that they will not make special rules for me.

I think that the coupon should be followed. First of all the
computers are not set up for substitutions. Secondly, wraps do cost
more than bread. Thirdly, you are getting a discount on something, so
you should be happy about that. Lastly, have you ever brought a
coupon to a grocery store and expected to get something else (oh yes,
I know it says I get a box of cereal for free, but why can't I have a
can of soup instead? The soup is less expensive).

I would never assume I could substitute without asking first. I agree
that it didn't make sense to throw away the wrap, if that's in fact
what they did, but if you had just asked first, you would have known
where you stood with the coupon and substitutions. That would have
given you the option to not order at all. It would have been Subway's
loss, but at least you would have had a choice.

I have mixed feeling on this one. Do you know for a fact that the
cost of bread and the cost of a wrap are ths aame.

I do know Subway bakes it own bread. Not sure they create their own
wraps.

It could really just be a cost factor. I feel cetain if they wanted
you using it for a wrap they would of said wrap on the coupon.

You know now they are offering only certain sandwiches at a certain
sale price now.
A few months ago it was any sandiwch. If I think the way you do I
would think I should be able to sub any sandwich for the sale price.


Coupons are a benefit most of the time for select products and sizes.
Most of the time they are draw to get you in the door.

I buy dog food using coupons all the time. Almost every visit a
different size bag of the product I use is on sale. I know if I wait
the following week or two my size will be on sale. That is a decision
I have to make. I don't expect the store to just give me the sale
price or allow the coupon on the size I want.

If the coupon doesn't allow or state the product I am buying I assume
I can't use it for something else.
Doesn't hurt to ask...but if they say no. Then I have to respect that
answer.

I do think they should of responded. I am guessing the letter was
sent to the franchise owner and he might of even been the manager that
told you no that day.

I wrote a letter to Subway on here a little over a month ago and never
got a response from them... Good luck!

If they clearly advertise that you can subsitute a wrap at no charge,
then they should really honor the coupon as such

I doubt that corporate has anything to do with the decision regarding
these coupons. Its usually the local Subway stores that have their
coupons placed in these area coupon savings books.
And there are usually locations written on the back of the coupon
since all Subway stores are not owned and operated by Subway and these
coupons are not accepted by all Subway stores.

However I think it was petty of them to not accept it for the same
priced wrap if they would have for the 6" sub.

If you have not heard from them by now I doubt that you will. But
please let us know if you do.

I read this particular letter not as a rehashing of the original
complaint, but a complaint that the original complaint was not
addressed.
I agree that while Subway absolutely has every right to word their
coupons any way they see fit and to stick to as strict an
interpretation as they want, I personally don't understand the logic
of wasting a wrap to make you a sub. They should have honored your
request as a courtesy and maybe reminded you (respectfully!!!) that
next time, it's for a sub only. At least that's what I would have
done.

I'm kind of stunned that this relatively minor incident happened
several months ago and it's still on your mind?

Personally, I think they should have done what you asked. Same price,
same items, etc. Only difference is the "bread"

Subway further annoyed you by not responding to your original letter.
I have a feeling if they had responded saying they were sorry bu no
substitutions, you would not be nearly as annoyed as you by their
complete lack of acknowledgment.

it is their right not to substitute, but on something this simple, it
makes no sense for them to say no IMHO.

I think they should have accepted this. After all, you said that it
was the same price. They would not be losing money by giving you a
wrap instead of a sub.

If anything, they gained a sale because if you didn't have the coupon,
you wouldn't have gone to Subway and given them business.

I also understand why you are sending this letter again. They should
have given you a response quickly after you sent the first letter.

Why do customers always think their situation is "special", that they
are free to tailor anything to their benefit and they are exempt from
rules and regulations?

It said sub - it means sub.

Restaurants approach coupons a bit differently than retailers.

Retailers usually offer coupons to generate trial of specific product;
either because they want to get rid of large stockpiles, it's a new
product, it's a seasonal campaign, they got a special buy, they want
to spur sales or some combination of all of the above. The coupons
are traditionally product specific and usually state that no
substitutions are allowed.

While restaurant coupons are usually product specific, there's almost
never an underlying cost or stockpile factor. Restaurant coupons
almost always are intended to drive traffic into the store and that's
it. Usually, the product offered on a coupon is one that the company
thinks will be attractive to the broadest base of customers.

This Subway is a perfect example of that concept...their main product
is a sub sandwich so they've put out a coupon which is likely to lure
a large number of folks who might decide on a sub today instead of a
hamburger. Clearly, they don't care which one the coupon user orders
as long as the free one is of equal value or less. It's the OFFER
that matters, not the product.

Therefore, the customer's request to substitute a wrap is perfectly
reasonable and should have been accommodated with a genuine smile and
thank you. In fact, I'll take this even further...if I were the
Subway manager and a customer came in with the coupon and said, "Gee,
I bought this coupon book and I really would like to use this coupon
but I dont want a sub, I want salads", I'd be jumping up and down,
saying, "Go for it dude!! Knock yourself out!!"

And if the customer said, but it says only subs, I'd be saying "Oh
come on, live a little. Take a chance. Walk on the wild side. What
salads do you want with your drinks and chips?"

And I guarantee that customer would have walked out of my Subway shop
with a big smile on their face, thinking they just "won" and I would
have a big smile on my face, KNOWING that they had just "won" and, in
doing so, I would win too.

This particular Subway blew it big time. Hopefully Subway corporate
will respond and make it right for this customer.

Alan,

If they wanted them included, trust me, they would do it.

Time to let this one go my friend.

BillR.

"It felt like the manager was being arbitrarily strict in his
interpretation of the coupon"

I didn't see any "interpretation" at all. Just a reading of the very
clear wording on the coupon.

I'm not sure that you do, because you go on to say your respect for
Subway has diminished. The coupon, according to you, clearly states
it applies to a "6" sub". While it is fine to ask if a wrap
substitution may be made, why isn't the answer acceptable?

You're still upset over the inability to accept a store policy 2-3/4
months later. You may want to consider moving on.