gpilling - 11:56 pm on Dec 29, 2009 (gmt 0)

I've found that people who offer a sob story and get a huge discount often turn out to be the most demanding customers. They're often less polite, more impatient and far more trouble than the average customer. Many of them cost more than they're worth - the 20 % who take up 80% of your time.

That would be the "No good deed goes unpunished" menu item. I used to have homeless people walking in the backdoor of my warehouse begging for money (we were near a soup kitchen). When offered a broom and $20 to sweep the back lot, they declined every single time.