Until recently I was very sympathetic to demands to cut VAT for restaurants. Even if it means that there’s nothing in it for consumers (“Deputies defend VAT cut for restaurants”, Cyprus Mail, April 14).
Until, that is, I tried to order delivery food from what used to be my favourite Indian restaurant. I love Indian food, I live by myself, I don’t really cook – in other words, I must have spent a few thousand euros in this particular establishment alone over the past four years. Many times I did this by credit card.
Why order delivery? If you don’t cook, and if you’re too lazy to step out and pick something up somewhere, it’s a great option. And then, since I don’t have an ATM in my apartment, every so often, I don’t have cash at home either. Luckily, this particular restaurant always happily accepted my credit card, so there was no problem. On the contrary, it made ordering from there even more appealing.
Until last week. All of a sudden they don’t do it anymore. Apparently they had too many problems in the past. Well, so be it. I’m sure that if their computer system allows them to match my address with my phone number, it also allow them a record of my orders.
Or should… Apparently it doesn’t. So they have no idea what they lose. The point is, if you have problems with credit card payments, you better figure out who you have the problems with – meaning: don’t reject those customers who’ve never caused any problems. But this is what they did.
So why should I feel sorry for restaurants? There’s no reason. They’re not harmed by anything. And if they do, they’re stupid and deserve to go out of business. Or has the three per cent cut in VAT made all worries go away?
In that case, I’m all for upping it again! I do feel sad to leave this particular Indian establishment, but luckily I have found another one right around the corner which I’m very happy with. Plus, friends keep telling me that the quality of food and service has drastically gone down in the other place, so there’s even less to bemoan.
Needless to say, the same kind of argument can be made for the dwindling tourism industry, but perhaps that’s just what’s needed. Only, when all customers and visitors are gone, it’s a little bit too late to be sorry.
Kleanthes Grohmann,
Nicosia
