Were Pizza Hut Racist?

[Jody R]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-s...to-pay-up-front-in-pizza-hut-115875-22766608/

I've been reading the story about the black footballers who were asked to pay up front in Pizza Hut while other groups of white customers, including a group of young white men who arrived afterwards and were not asked to pay up front.

The men have claimed that the only reason they were asked to pay up front is because they are black and that Pizza Hut (or at the very least the manager of that particular branch) is racist.

Pizza Hut claim that they mishandled the situation and treated the men "shabbily" but were not being racist, merely acting on the advice of police to get payment up front following a spate of people leaving without paying at the end of their meals.

The only fault they have admitted is not running the "payment upfront" method as a blanket policy for all customers.

So what do you think? And if you think they were racist will you still be giving them your custom (assuming you do now).

 

[Jody R]

Personally I would have to agree with the footballers. I'm appalled that anyone could think they could pick and chose which customers were told to pay up front and which could be left to pay after they had eaten without something like this happening.

I am white but if someone judged me on the way I was dressed or my accent or something and decided I was a risky customer who had to pay upfront while others didn't I would feel so humiliated.

My thoughts on this are that Pizza Hut should have either charged every customer up front or left every customer to pay after their meal and taken the rist that some may leave without paying.

They have left themselves wide open to this racism claim and I think they should be held accountable to it.

 

[caz81]

I think this policy they have is insulting, discriminatory and in this case quite possibly racist. How can you decide based on what someone looks like whether or not they are gong to pay their bill?

I will not be using pizza hut again as I do not want to go somewhere that bases their judgments on people on what they look like.

 

[mlyn26]

Definitely racist, even if just subconsciously.

 

[SKATERBUN]

Outrageous!!

 

[Dopeyjopey]

I voted unsure because:

It seems the colour of their skin was one of the deciding factors in making them pay upfront. However, if there had been a lot of people doing a runner without paying and they were black i can understand why they would do it, even though it was wrong. I see it like this... if a white man had robbed a bank it would be useless for the police to arrest and question a black woman in relation to the crime. It is a bit like that in my eyes.

However - that is discrimination at least, if not racism. They should have charged every large group of people upfront to stop making that particular group of people feeling singled out.

It's a difficult one for me. I can't stand racism but sometimes it is just ignorance/stupidity!

 

[smokey]

I think this was deffinatly handled badly but tbh we do the same thing at my work.
Not based on colour as such but more if we think a person (of any colour) is not to be trusted then we are told to use our judgment and not offer a tab, we dont say to them "no you have to pay upfront" we just dont offer a tab and hope they dont ask for one (we never refuse one)

After a while you do tend to get a feeling for the ones that might not be trusted (we get alot of walkouts) and its not based on colour its based on personality.
A few years back I had a bloke order his meals and for some reason straight away I had a bad feeling about him, I dont know why he had a young family of two children 4-6 years old and a baby with him so not your typical normal runner but there was just somthing about him so I chose not to offer him a tab, sods law though anouther person at the bar spoke of a tab so this guy then asked for one.
I spent the whole time watching him and towards the end he suddenly got up and said he had to get a nappy out of the car and took the baby with him, he left his 2 kids playing in the resturant so I thought wheres he going to go without them, a few minutes later the kids ran out the door into the beer garden where he was waiting at the side of the road with his engine running lifted the kids up over the fence in the car and was gone.

The kids must have known when to run out and that he would be there so thats what made it even more discusting that he used his children to scam and steal.

I dont agree that it should be applied to a certain race or colour but I do agree in making people pay up front (no matter who thay are) if you have a bad feeling about them.

 

[Kimboowee]

I've been asked to pay upfront at a restaurant before.
There was a big group of us and it was 11pm on a friday night and we fancied a curry on the way home from the pub

 

[annawrigley]

I've been asked to pay upfront at a restaurant before.
There was a big group of us and it was 11pm on a friday night and we fancied a curry on the way home from the pub

Your avatar just made me lol! Cute!

 

[special_kala]

I read this in the paper and was shocked. I actually read it out to my OH and said how did they think theyd get away with this.

Its pretty clear cut they ask a group of black lads to pay upfront but when a group of white lads come in there not asked.

It is racism

 

[cherryglitter]

There was a white person with them as well, so im not too sure what's going on really!!

"He replied ‘no, but it’s the way you lot look’. I was gonna tear the place up but then it would just prove that he was right not to give us our food. The fact we left without even raising our voices will count against him.”

Might be an indication to the way they were behaving previously to being asked. I don't know! We're never told the full story.

 

[rubixcyoob.]

Can't be truly racist, since there was a white person with them.

I agree with Dopey Jopey. If they had reports of a lot of young black men leaving without paying, why would they give this group the benefit of the doubt? Why would they make other customers pay up front?
It's all about circumstance, I doubt it was racism or it would have been reported long before this.

The fact one man said he was going to "tear the place up" because what was asked of him, does give indication to how they may have been acting. Someone sitting having a nice calm meal does not respond that way. Someone being rowdy and boisterous, more than likely does. Another indication for them to pay up front perhaps?

Discrimination based on the stereotype they recieve yes, most likely. Racism, I don't really think so.

 

[Libra Mariah]

The same thing happend to me 2 weeks ago at Pizza Hut. It was my first time having to pay up front at any Pizza Hut. However the table next to me was brought a ticket to their table. My family is very diverse so we had white people, black people, and Mexican people with us.

 

[Dragonfly]

The only fault they have admitted is not running the "payment upfront" method as a blanket policy for all customers.

discrimination fir sure!

 

[Nibblenic]

I think when dealing with the public you have to judge on a superficail level. For example I work for a company who does NVQs. I have to make a judgement call on certain groups of people like voulenteers and basically people who are a little on the crazy side. As to whether baised on my experience I think they will comit to the course. Now I have to judge these people after talking to them for a very short period.
When I sold furniture we were allowed occasionally to let people take things on 100% interest free credit. But I had to be sure they wouldnt cancel the order. Also jusdging things like not showing someone head to toe primark a £5k bed. So yes when you work with the public you have to use your descretion and judgment.

However its plain bloomin stupid to make is very apparent that you are making some people pay upfront and some not! At the very least when you are doing this you have to be discreet! FFS

I dont think it was a racist action. However it is discrimination but basically you are judged on superficial level under many many circumstances

 

[AriannasMama]

Racism. I work in a clothing store and asking them to pay up front would be like us asking every black customer to leave their purses or wallets up front with us until they were done shopping.