Three Crowns Hotel, WEST MELBOURNE, VIC

On 17/12/14, my sister & I, and a friend visited the Three Crowns Hotel at 6:15 PM.

My friend and I both had Entertainment Book vouchers, so we double-checked with the waitress what we could order before doing so. She stated that we couldn't use two vouchers because we needed four people at the table. While I was double-checking this in the Entertainment Book, she snapped at me, "I've been doing this for many years and that's the rule."

So I said that my friend and I would pay separately so both vouchers could be used, and showed her the 50% off option on the bottom of the voucher. She was taken aback and remarked, "I've never seen that before – it must be new." She then took our order and left to place it.

When we came to pay, the manager disingenuously said the total was $56, so I told him that we were going to pay separately because of the vouchers. He snapped, "You can only use two vouchers if there are four people at your table."

I replied that we had already discussed this with the waitress and she allowed us to use both vouchers. He then became aggressive and said, "No, she didn't say that! I'm the manager and you can only use one voucher!"

I said that we ordered only after the waitress allowed us to use the vouchers, and we ordered only on that basis. "She wouldn't have said that!" he argued.

I countered, "Are you saying I'm a liar?"

He snapped, "No – you must have misunderstood what she said."

I said, "I didn't! Go and ask her."

He went and asked her, came back in five seconds and said, "She said that she told you 'we will work it out at the end'."

This was patently false, and I made it clear: "No – she said that she hadn't seen that offer on the voucher before and that it must be new." (By the way, it's noteworthy that the waitress was nowhere to be found as soon as we got up to pay – evidently because she didn't want to lie to my face.)

He then retorted, "Well, that offer is only for people dining alone. Your friend didn't dine alone."

I replied, "So did you want him to sit at a separate table? Would that have made you happy?"

He snarled and admitted the validity of my statement and said, “You make a valid point, but it doesn't matter – this is our policy and I'm not going to accept both vouchers."

I repeated that we ordered based on what the waitress said, and that she should have double-checked with him before we placed the order.

He parroted his policy line, and I repeated that we only ordered because the waitress allowed the voucher – I added, "You can't change your mind after we place the order; that's like false adver–."

He cut me off and growled, "[Waitress' name] told me about this issue after you ordered and she said you would push this, so I'll put it through this time just because there are two people waiting behind you. How would you like to pay??"

At this point, the manager became even more condescending and arrogant, speaking down his nose at us like we were worse than the scum of the earth – I exaggerate not.

He yelled, "How would you like to pay, SIR? Can I PayWave that for you, SIR? The machine takes a while to load, SIR."

While waiting for the EFT machine to load, he jeered, "So have you three pulled off this scam before?"

I asked him to repeat what he said, and he changed his words, "So have you three gone to other restaurants and done this before?"

I replied, "Yes, other restaurants have allowed us to use two vouchers before."

He then took the payment off my friend, continuing the utterly patronising tone: "How would you like to pay, SIR? Please be aware that American Express has a 3% surcharge – but I'm sure you already know that, SIR. Would you like a receipt, SIR?"

Finally, the humiliating ordeal was over.

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I have NEVER been treated in such a patronising, humiliating, demeaning manner in my life – no exaggeration whatsoever. I am still brooding over how this so-called manager embarrassed me in front of my sister, my friend and a whole restaurant full of people – over a voucher THEY VOLUNTARILY OFFERED. And all simply because my friend didn’t sit 50 cm away from me at a different table!!!! Restaurants shouldn't go around providing vouchers if they aren't going to honour them – because that's THEFT. Waitresses shouldn't tell patrons one thing, and then lie about it to the manager. Managers shouldn't go around calling customers liars and scammers. Managers shouldn't imply their customers are dumbasses who couldn't understand what a waitress said. Managers shouldn’t humiliate their customers, arguing with them over an issue they were already planning to relent on. Most importantly, managers should not talk arrogantly, sarcastically & condescendingly to customers as if they are little children.

In summary, if you want to be demeaned, bullied, humiliated, and treated like a thieving, scamming scumbag, then the Three Crowns Hotel fits the bill perfectly!