A good friend of yours, who studies at the same university, has been complaining for some time to you that he never has any money. He decides that he needs to go out and find a job, and after searching for a while is offered a job as a bartender in the student bar at your university. He gladly accepts and begins working three nights a week. You too are pleased, not only because it means that your friend will have more money, but also because the fact is that you often go to the student bar already and so will continue to see him quite frequently despite him having the new job.

The extra money is indeed much welcomed by your friend (especially as he has less time to spend it now too), and initially he seems to enjoy the work. You are also rather pleased with developments since you notice that whenever you go up to the bar, your friend always serves you first regardless of how many people are waiting. After a time though, it becomes apparent that your friend is enjoying the job rather less. Whenever you see him, he always seems to have a new story of mistreatment at the hands of the bar manager, such as getting the worst shifts, being repeatedly chosen to do the least popular jobs, and being reprimanded for minor blunders that go uncensored for the rest of the staff. This goes on for a short while and then one day, when you are in the bar having a drink with some of your other friends, your friend the bartender does something that you are not quite sure how to react to. When you go up to pay for a round of four beers for you and your other friends, he discretely only charges you for one. Whilst you are slightly uncomfortable with this, you certainly don’t want to get your friend into any kind of trouble by mentioning it. And when you tell your friends about it, they of course think it is very funny and congratulate you for the cheap round of drinks! In fact, when the next one of your friends goes up to pay for some drinks, he turns around and asks you to take his money, so that you can do the same trick for him. Although you tell him to get his own drinks, your friend the bartender continues to undercharge you whenever it is your turn to go to the bar. In fact this goes on for a number of visits, until you resolve to at least say something to him when no one else behind the bar is listening. However, when you do end up raising the subject he just laughs it off and says, ‘Yeah, it’s great isn’t it? They’ll never notice and you get a cheap night out. Besides, it’s only what this place deserves after the way I’ve been treated.’

Questions:

a. Who is wrong in this situation-your friend for undercharging you, you for accepting it, both of you, or neither of you?

b.  Confronted by this situation, how would you handle it? Do nothing or ask your friend to stop undercharging you? If you take the latter option, what would you do if he refused?

c.  To what extent do you think that being deliberately undercharged is different from other forms of preferential treatment, such as serving you in front of other waiting customers?

d. Does the fact that your friend feels aggrieved at the treatment he receives from his boss condone his behaviour at all? Does it help to explain either his or your actions?

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