Outback Steakhouse

@Isaiah4031a....help me understand why you would turn a shop down because it involves paying with a credit card?

what benefit do you get from paying with cash?

I pay with CC all day every day. Costco credit card has 3% cash back. Some other cards are even higher for restaurants.

@Isaiah4031a wrote:

@mjt9598 wrote:

They also changed it that you have to pay with a credit card. I had previously used a gift card.

For sit down places like that I do not like to use a Credit card., I like to use cash.

With the no fee and having to use a Credit card, think I will pass.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Steakhouse Restaurants

Some folks don't have credit cards. When a CC is the only acceptable form of payment, I get a Visa gift card, the transaction details look the same, and where it describes the transaction, it says Visa. But if they mean that they want it paid by CARD and not paper money, I use my Visa Debit Card.

I don't know what it says in the Outback guidelines, I have to get paid to work. And there isn't currently any shopper pay on those jobs.

I used to love the Outback and would look forward to going there as a kid. It was a once in a while thing since we did not eat out often. What happened? It's not the same as it was 20+ years ago.

The instructions on the ones in my area say 2 beverages, 2 entrees, one must be steak and an appetizer. Rotation every 90 days.

I can easily make it just under the $75 reimbursement with 2 8 oz sirloin, Blooming shrimp appetizer and 2 iced teas. Tip and taxes also figured in. $73.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2023 02:35AM by whosear.

I may consider trying one. Many years ago, I did them for another company.

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

@Isaiah4031a....help me understand why you would turn a shop down because it involves paying with a credit card?

what benefit do you get from paying with cash?

I pay with CC all day every day. Costco credit card has 3% cash back. Some other cards are even higher for restaurants.

@Isaiah4031a wrote:

@mjt9598 wrote:

They also changed it that you have to pay with a credit card. I had previously used a gift card.

For sit down places like that I do not like to use a Credit card., I like to use cash.

With the no fee and having to use a Credit card, think I will pass.

@hbbigdaddy, I know many people who prefer to use cash, debit for their purchases. Their reasoning is that they like to see their present cash balance. We use CCs for everything. The only instances when I use cash is for MS compliance.

@isaiha....Why cash just for sit down places?

@madetoshop

I never use cash unless forced to (mystery shop compliance) or there is a larger incentive to use cash than to pay with credit. In Little Saigon (part of Orange County), lots of those places will give 20% or more off if you pay with cash. That is far more than what I will earn paying with a CC, so I will do it...Otherwise, it's always CC.

Debit is the worst. Someone gets your card and can drain your account. Yes, maybe you eventually work with the bank and get the $ returned, but in the meantime...you have things going haywire. I maintain that Debit=Dummies. I would pay cash before using debit. Heck, if I needed to, I would get a secured CC before using debit.

@Madetoshop wrote:

@hbbigdaddy, I know many people who prefer to use cash, debit for their purchases. Their reasoning is that they like to see their present cash balance. We use CCs for everything. The only instances when I use cash is for MS compliance.

@isaiha....Why cash just for sit down places?

I use credit whenever I can because the % back as well as specific offers add up. I often pay the balance online before the statement is even issued.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

"I never use cash unless forced to (mystery shop compliance) or there is a larger incentive to use cash than to pay with credit."

Entering a , not shop, restaurant last weekend a huge sign was on the door "credit card payments will have a 3.9% surcharge" That is more than the 2% rewards my credit card gives. Cash it was.

I am seeing that sign in many more places than before. The credit card companies charge a great deal each month to the vendors and by adding the charge to the customers, it pays for the service a little bit at a time.

@Insight wrote:

I am seeing that sign in many more places than before. The credit card companies charge a great deal each month to the vendors and by adding the charge to the customers, it pays for the service a little bit at a time.

Guess that's why there are all the presto shops looking for CC fees!

Yes, I see it too. When the cost (fee) is greater than the rewards, I agree, I will pay with cash. But I will NEVER use debit. That is opening potential to a ton of problems.

However, it seems like the independent places and not big chains are doing this with the fees You are not seeing national chains whether fast food (McD, Wendys, etc) or restaurants (Red Robin, Cheesecake Factory, etc) do something where there is a cash discount (or penalty) for using CC.

I would suspect that the govt would prefer being "cashless" and with the surge in crime...it might be better to not have cash and get robbed.

It's interesting with Costco who runs on THIN margins...they encourage you to use THEIR branded CC. The rewards you get with their branded CC are some of the best. That is a store where it seems like they would offer you a better deal for cash, but then you would probably see all kinds of robberies happen due to the amount of volume Costco does and the amount of cash they would have especially after a Saturday or Sunday.

@Insight wrote:

I am seeing that sign in many more places than before. The credit card companies charge a great deal each month to the vendors and by adding the charge to the customers, it pays for the service a little bit at a time.

I did an Outback dinner shop last night. This was my first Outback shop although I have done MANY dining shops in the past.
I was not sure what they wanted in the first section about service so I basically gave a play by play of what the host and server said and did. The narrative came out to be quite long. I was wondering if I get another one if a more generic narrative with comments such as:
The server did a good job of upselling and making recommendations as to menu items to consider. The server mentioned the seasonal menu suggesting we consider ordering one of the seasonal items. The server used a tablet to take the order and present the check. The courses were delivered in acceptable time frames. The pace of the meal was perfect.

So- when any of you have done these reports with good scores, did you write a play by play or present generic statements as listed above?
Thanks for any tips

I don't like writing or reading long narratives. So I say as little as possible, as succinctly as possible.

I have done 3 of these so far and have found they are not really picky as long as you have the required characters on the topic in question.

@Niner wrote:

I used to love the Outback and would look forward to going there as a kid. It was a once in a while thing since we did not eat out often. What happened? It's not the same as it was 20+ years ago.

Yeah, when I found out the bloomin' onion has 1000 calories, it doesn't feel quite the same...

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Outback Steakhouse

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine