Everyone is talking about the cost of the cup and water, but fail to mention the cost of not providing that product for free. If a consumer feels nickeled and dimed (whether it's right or wrong), they may begin to shop elsewhere. By not providing that free service, they may be actually costing themselves more.

I haven't been back to Chicken Express since they charged me for BBQ sauce for the first time in twenty visits. They lost all that potential revenue just because they wanted an extra twenty five or so cents immediately rather than hundreds of dollars in the future.

If you want more than 1 packet of sauce for a 6 piece order at Mcdonalds they charge you. If you want more than 2 for a 12 piece they charge you for the extra. They give you 4 for a 20 pack and charge if you want more than 4.

Pretty soon no one will have a place to buy and eat chicken because no one is going to go to these places.

Not defending either company, I'm just saying is all.

I guess the fact that Chicken Express always gives out one more tender than advertised doesn't forgive them for charging you once out of 20 visits.

Wow. There literally is no pleasing some people.

Restaurants have a right to charge for water, just as customers have a right to get angry about it and complain on message boards that they are never going back. The restaurant just has to determine whether it is worth the potential lost revenue to charge for water. Chicken Express obviously decided it was worth it (for now).

Also, $0.25 is nothing. We were in Salzburg, Austria last summer and ordered tap water at a restaurant without knowing that it cost 3 euros (over $4.00). Now that really pissed me off.

They charged me for a single packet, and I didn't order the strips. Anyways I have stopped going to Chicken Express and other fast food places more for saving money and eating healthier rather than the cost of BBQ sauce. 25c isn't a big deal. I just think it's dumb that many business owners don't realize charging things that are typically given away for free at other restaurants can hurt them in the long run by losing customers.

Just cup your hands next time.

I only have 2 complaints kind of related.

1. The price of a fountain drink of soda or a cup of tea is outrageous. Total ripoff even though I still buy them so I can drink something besides water. I bring my own cup into most convenience stores and for the soda and ice they charge me $1.35, yes it is a large cup but not that big.

2. Fast food drive throughs that pile the bag full of condiments that I didn't ask for and I just throw them in the trash. I order taco's at jack and the box without the sauce because I don't like their sauce and then I have 4-6 bags of the same sauce they put on the taco in my bag. They go straight to the trash. I order fries with pretty much every fast food meal and I don't like ketchup but they pile on the bags of ketchup just so I can throw them away. One of you restaurant owners tell me what a bag of ketchup costs. I wish they would just ask you at the window what you would like for condiments, it would save money. OK, I'm finished.

[This message has been edited by Koob (edited 4/14/2010 6:19p).]

From my experiences with Chicken Express, they only charge for water if you get a large. They will give you a small styrofome cup(same that the large sides come in) for free. The OP may have got the large and thus got charged.

Not to derail the thread, but what are you putting bbq sauce on at Chicken Express? it would never occur to me that they would even have bbq sauce.

Chicken, fries, what else would BBQ sauce go on?

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"Just cup your hands next time.
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"Alright, **** the cup....pour it in my hands for a dime!"

In case that flew over your heads, you've got to watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNQRqAoT-2c

how much for just one rib?

What if I bring in 6 of the extra Mcdonalds ketchup packets to Chicken E in exchange for a side of ranch.. could this work? I am totally trying to offset their costs.

What made me mad last time I order catfish at CE, I asked the lady for extra tarter sauce who promptly replied, "25 Cents!" I said no thank you only to go home and realize she never even included one in the box!

I don't understand threads like this???

Chicken Express is an awesome business that contributes to the local economy, charities and community. They have some of the best food in town and constantly one of the cleanest, friendliest places to eat.

If there is a need to charge for water, I am sure it is a sound business decision. If you do not agree with their business practices, drink some place else that is more in line with your standards and expectations.

Besides, when you go to a place that has the best ice tea in town and serves Dublin Dr. Pepper, why order water (unless of course you are on the same strict diet I am).

Nitro, I think they charge for sauce even if its your first.

I noticed not much complaining about the FREE tender you get with every 3 tender purchase....

How about a drop box outside the window that we can drop change into for the person who doesn't want to pay .25 for a cup of water?

Or, ask them to give you a water in exchange for the extra pieces of chicken they always put in the order.

Or, there is a car wash right by it, for .25 you can stick the nozzle in your mouth and get lots of water or just suck on the nozzle and get a good drink.

Or, you can appreciate what all CE does for the customer and pay .25 for the water since you are not purchasing a drink, which is where their money is made.

Or, you can get the chicken, go home, and get a glass of water,

Or, you can stop beeching about CE and find something else to beech about, like the lack of lettuce at SB.

Or, go to Home Depot and drink out of the fountain by the restrooms.

Or, you can pay the damn .25 and get a nice cup of ice cold water with your meal, with extra pieces of chicken, and shut the hell up.

Or, we could let this useless thread die like it should have the first day.

But, givemhell's post was really funny. Good lord that is a lot of money!

[This message has been edited by mymainname3 (edited 4/19/2010 12:57p).]

I don't order tenders, so I wouldn't know they gave you an extra.

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Look at it this way, the weight gain is FREE

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FIFY

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well just try getting a bottle of it for less than a $1

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Every week there are sales at Kroger, HEB, CVS, Target, and pretty much every other store with 24-packs of water on sale for $2.50-$3.50, usually about $2.99.

That averages about 12 cents each.

GiveEmHellBill

Love the username, by the way. I wonder how many times Bill Hickey heard that phrase?

Excellent "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka" reference!

Losing $.23, because Happyinbcs said he'd never eat at my restaurants..

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If you want more than 1 packet of sauce for a 6 piece order at Mcdonalds they charge you. If you want more than 2 for a 12 piece they charge you for the extra. They give you 4 for a 20 pack and charge if you want more than 4.

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haven't been charged for this in at least 8-9 months...when we go there (which isn't all that often), we end up getting whatever we want

That may be true, but they have signs stating how many to give at the drive in window and then charge extra. You can read it from the inside while ordering.

[This message has been edited by allenhondaCSTX (edited 4/19/2010 6:57p).]