Complaint Review: Chuck E. Cheese - Tyler Texas

"Today we printed a coupon from their web site, and took it with us. We were told that since it stated, "Not valid at all locations", they would not accept it. I asked the manager, and he very rudely informed me that
if the number was not in their system, they didn't have to honor it. No attempt to try and satisfy a disgruntled customer, just a rude brush off."

I second the vote for you should have called first. Did you read the part of the coupon that said not valid at all locations before you went or did they point it out to you.

In your opinion what would be a good option to satisfy you since you were already told that the coupon did not apply to this particular location? After you answer that question then tell us what your reaction would have been as the manager to your unreasonable request.

" The OP did state she printed the coupon off their website, so no chance the coupon was fraudulent.
Most people are not going to think to call ahead about coupon acceptance, regardless of disclaimers on coupons. "

I could snag a coupon off a corporate website and redo it to say whatever I want, keeping their logo and everything. the source is meaningless, what's important is that the coupon was not in the computer system used to validate coupons. Meaning it was not a coupon that this location accepted if it was even a real coupon.


" Web technology is sophisticated enough these days that the parent company site could be expected to at least provide a zip code based list of nearest participating locations when someone clicks to access a coupon. "

You would think that, but the overwhelming majority of company websites do not indicate which locations are participating locations. You are also assuming that the corporate website contacts each individual store to verify participation with every offer. They likely (at least in my experience with working in retail) will send out notification that a promotion is going to occur and the store can participate if they wish.

" Such companies with franchised operations, that allow each location to choose whether to honor coupons or not, engage in bad business practice and customer relations as far as I'm concerned.
People who own such franchises, if they don't want to participate in these promos, then getting blasted on sites like this is the price they have to be willing to pay for their refusal.
Their choice to opt out invariably leads to incidents like this, with angry, frustrated families and disappointed kids, all of whom had their time, gas and energy wasted making the trip for nothing. All choices have consequences. "

Yes, but it is not a ripoff. The coupon did indicate that it could only be used at participating locations and they took it to a non-participating location. The OP was not ripped off by chuck e cheese's. Blast them for their poor customer service, poor product, or whatever else. This coupon thing? The OP said it themselves that the coupon said "NOT VALID AT ALL LOCATIONS"

Why would they print that on a coupon if they expected every location to accept it anyways?

The OP did state she printed the coupon off their website, so no chance the coupon was fraudulent.
Most people are not going to think to call ahead about coupon acceptance, regardless of disclaimers on coupons.
Web technology is sophisticated enough these days that the parent company site could be expected to at least provide a zip code based list of nearest participating locations when someone clicks to access a coupon.
Such companies with franchised operations, that allow each location to choose whether to honor coupons or not, engage in bad business practice and customer relations as far as I'm concerned.
People who own such franchises, if they don't want to participate in these promos, then getting blasted on sites like this is the price they have to be willing to pay for their refusal.
Their choice to opt out invariably leads to incidents like this, with angry, frustrated families and disappointed kids, all of whom had their time, gas and energy wasted making the trip for nothing. All choices have consequences.

By asking. Which you could have done over the phone instead of going in. You do realize buisnesses do this to prevent fraud right? I could easily grab their coupon template off the internet and rewrite the coupon to say whatever I wanted to.  They put numerial codes or barcodes on the coupons so that they can identify the offer and what the special is. If the coupon code you used didn't work, it could have been a fradulent coupon.

Also, many of these type of stores are franchises. They aren't required to participate in offers, thats why you always check before assuming that a location is participating in the offer. Also, you jab at their "horrible excuse for a game room" at the end of your report. If you don't like their game room, then why are you even going to chuck e cheese? Surely not for the pizza.