An employee who used to work for the Wetherspoon pub chain has warned customers they should 'never order' a certain type of menu item. The ex-staff member said that people should reconsider and order something else instead according to the Manchester Evening News.
The former staff member, Robert, worked at a Wetherspoon in Bristol while he attended University there. After spending two years working at the pub, he discovered something about the menu. He decided he needed to warn customers about the potential difficulties with ordering this menu item.
He issued a warning to customers that some items may cost more than they need to, and he urges people to think twice when it comes to choosing something to eat.
Robert told the Sun newspaper: “Premium burgers cost more - but usually the only difference is cheese, bacon and sauce. Go for a classic and add on the toppings.”
Robert said he used to add bacon to a classic burger to keep his costs down when eating at the chain. This costs around £1.05 - which would mean you would be paying £6.20 with a soft drink, or £7.50 with booze.
When it comes to pitchers, he said: “Customers think you can’t go wrong with a pitcher, and used to rave about how great they were. But if you just drink normal spirits instead, you’d end up saving money and drinking the same amount of alcohol.”
Although prices vary between branches, pitchers usually cost around £6.99 with each jug containing only two double shots in it. So if there are two of you are sharing, you’d be better off ordering a double shot and mixer instead, which will cost around £3.20 each - a saving of 59p.
Sophia Nasif, who used to work there full time, explained that when she poured someone a spirit and mixer, she used to offer them a “double” before offering a “single”.
This apparently tempts those buying drinks into opting for the double - and the trick has been backed by psychologists who specialise in consumer behaviour. Sophia said on Channel 5’s Wetherspoons: How Do They Do It?: “You say the word double so it sticks in their head first.”
She added: “It worked most of the time because most of the time people would go ‘do you know, why not? I’ll have a double then’.”
Psychologist Kate Nightingale added: “You are going for the easiest, fastest solution, that’s how your brain is designed. If you are asking them, double first makes it so much easier for the brain to quickly choose that first option.”
