Tales from the road…

At an Arby’s/ Pilot Truck stop off I-65 in Indiana.  A conversation:

” I would like a medium Arby’s roast beef sandwich.”

“Would you like to get double meat for an extra dollar, sir?”

(surprised) “Wouldn’t that be a large?”

“Actually, Sir, that would be about 25% bigger than a large.”

“Then a medium with double meat would be an extra large?”

Stunned look,  “Sir, you could get a large with double meat for an extra dollar, and that would be larger than the medium with double meat.”

“Then that would be an extra extra large.  Could I buy a small and get double meat for an extra dollar?”

Cheerfully, “Yes sir!”

“Would that then be bigger than a medium?”

Puzzled, ” It would be about the same size as a medium.”

“But it would cost twenty cents less?”

Smiling, because she is smart enough to see the insanity, but she is just doing her job, so she is getting a little irritated.  “Yes sir.”

“Sorry to be a nuisance but your pricing scheme fascinates me.  I will just have the medium; no double meat.”

Fortunately there was no one waiting in line behind me.

So for you Arby’s fans:

The small beef sandwich costs $2.79, the medium is 3.99 and the large is 4.69. You can add a dollar to any size and get double meat.  If you do this the small becomes a medium but is cheaper, the medium becomes an extra large that is 25% bigger than the large and the large becomes an extra extra large.

This is some fool marketing genius’s brainchild.  I still haven’t figured out what damn size coffee to order at Starbucks.

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