Buy Two, Get The Third Free, But........

[tolsti]

Late this afternoon and feeling in need of some grooming I went, as I occasionally do, to a hairdressing salon on Bangla Road.

This establishment is I believe unique on Bangla Road as they have a bar in front of the hairdressers. Indeed you have to go through the bar to get in.

After a haircut and a shave I emerged and decided to avail myself of some of the adult refreshments provided by said bar and installed myself on a stool at the bar. To the side of me was a sign advertising Asahi beer on a buy two, get one more free basis.

Liking Asahi and having taken advantage of this particular promotion before I asked the barman for an Asahi... he pointed to the sign and said that one?... Yes please I responded...... and his reply astounded me

''you have to take all three straightaway''

I explained that...No, I wanted to have one, drink it, get another, drink that one and then get the last one..... Indeed if I got a thirst on I might repeat the procedure.

No can do... must take all three at once. I explained that if I did that the first beer would be cold, the second lukewarm and the third definitely tepid!!

His reply... I don't care.

End of conversation, last visit, thank you and good night.

I thought the Americans had the trademark on The Muppet Show. Obviously not.

[BangTaoBoy]

That's standard practice all over the world isn't it? I would never expect to get a multi drink deal, served as and when I needed one.

I think it's aimed at 3 or more people drinking together!

[Semper]

How much was the haircut?

[tolsti]

That's standard practice all over the world isn't it? I would never expect to get a multi drink deal, served as and when I needed one.

I think it's aimed at 3 or more people drinking together!

Point taken.... if I hadn't been able to do exactly that less than 3 weeks previously at the same bar.

[Dondon]

Got to tell you, I would react the same way, but that's Thailand, don't assume and you did right thing, ask before to make sure they don't surprise you or as I have experienced "old sign, not do anymore" type answers. That IS my favorite barber shop in Patong by the way, and yeah, I prefer to drink across the street at Chicago Bar but, this place does offer great facials, though lately their pedicures vary in quality depending on who you get and seemingly how tired they are. Never use to be that way. Highly recommend the head massages as well.

[BangTaoBoy]

That's standard practice all over the world isn't it? I would never expect to get a multi drink deal, served as and when I needed one.

I think it's aimed at 3 or more people drinking together!

Point taken.... if I hadn't been able to do exactly that less than 3 weeks previously at the same bar.

Fair enough. If you did it that way before, then it's understandable you thought you may be able to do it again. Although to be honest, I would say the person who let you do it before, was the one who made the mistake, not the one stopping you this time. It completely defeats the money making object, to allow people to drink them one at a time. So I think last time you did it, was just a bit of luck on your part.

[seriouseats]

Fair enough. If you did it that way before, then it's understandable you thought you may be able to do it again. Although to be honest, I would say the person who let you do it before, was the one who made the mistake, not the one stopping you this time. It completely defeats the money making object, to allow people to drink them one at a time. So I think last time you did it, was just a bit of luck on your part.

in the end, they sell 3 beers either way and they have a happy customer.. Doesnt defeat any purpose. It will entice groups to buy and a single person to get drunk slowly while maybe ordering food/deciding to get way drunker instead of just buying 1 then leaving 10mins later.

OP could of asked for a bucket of ice though, that'd be the thai way out of this.

[keestha]

Promotions like this are bound to create confusion. I will never forget passing by a bar in Patong which was a bit out of the way, which advertised outside "first drink free".

[KarenBravo]

You were probably at cross-purposes with the barman.

He probably meant that you had to pay for two first.

If you did that, I don't see why he would object keeping two in the fridge whilst you drank the first one.

[Phil Conners]

^ I was thinking the same. If you paid up for all 3 when ordered why should there be a problem keeping the unopened ones in the fridge until you drink them. But then again, TiT ...

[tolsti]

^ I was thinking the same. If you paid up for all 3 when ordered why should there be a problem keeping the unopened ones in the fridge until you drink them. But then again, TiT ...

I would quite happily have done that as I had every intention of consuming them however that option was never offered. Indeed when I mentioned the fact that the others would go warm I was told ''not my problem''.

Anyway, it's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned, there are lots more bars in Patong. Unfortunately not that many carry Asahi as a regular line. Few carry Beer Lao or even Federbrau, both of which make a change. Some of the Aussie stuff is OK but it does make for a more expensive after work thirst quencher.

[grumpyoldman]

Highly recommend the head massages as well.

Hmmmmmmm.............before or after the three beers?

[BangTaoBoy]

in the end, they sell 3 beers either way and they have a happy customer.. Doesnt defeat any purpose. It will entice groups to buy and a single person to get drunk slowly while maybe ordering food/deciding to get way drunker instead of just buying 1 then leaving 10mins later.

OP could of asked for a bucket of ice though, that'd be the thai way out of this.

Firstly, I assumed the OP was offering to pay for all three at the same time. That is undoubtedly required, if there was to be any chance of getting all three at once. Expecting to pay for them seperately, and get them one by one, is taking the piss big time. So perhaps as someone mentioned, that's where the confusion lay, and wht he was allowed to do it last time and not this.

To answer your point, it is not the same at all. If 3 people walk in to that bar, and ask for the deal, then again, and then again. By the time the OP has nursed 3 bottles (not saying you were going to nurse them OP, but the bar doesn't know either way) the group of 3 have drunk 9 bottles, in the exact same time span. The whole idea of a promotion like that, is to sell a larger amount of bottles, to make up for the fact that you are losing money on the free bottle, and at the end of the day, make more profit than you would if you didn't do the promotion at all. This will not happen if people can drink one at a time and keep bottles in the fridge, and therefor, like I said, defeats the object for the bar.

This is not a dig at the OP. He has made it quite clear he isn't bothered, and certainly didn't lose any sleep over it. But if that was me, knowing the objective of the promotion, would make me feel like a complete cheap charlie, if I asked to drink them one at at time, to the point where I would be way to imbarrased to even think about asking.