Students no longer can use GWorld debit points at Mick’s restaurant and will face problems using the service at other local restaurants as well.
“Extensive errors on the GWorld card system” caused the service to be stopped, said Mick’s restaurant manager Shawn McKee.
McKee said he was called at his home Dec. 8 and told to remove GWorld equipment in the middle of the dinner shift.
Signs were posted in residence halls Dec. 9, and McKee said he posted signs in the restaurant for a week to prevent inconvenience to students.
McKee said having his restaurant removed from GW’s meal plan “left a bad taste in (his) mouth.” He also said, if invited back on the meal plan, he would not rejoin. “They were extremely unprofessional.”
Since the installation of the new cardreaders for the GWorld card during fall semester, GW officials “said they would assume responsibility for any invalid transaction . because the card reader was not working,” McKee said.
McKee said he called GWorld Manager Michele Neyers to make her aware of the mishaps with the equipment. McKee said GW officials told him to handwrite every transaction through the GWorld card.
“Documentation for each individual transaction is executionally impossible,” McKee said.
Neyers was unavailable for comment.
The coupon printed in The GW Hatchet’s basketball preview issue Nov. 15 will be honored at Mick’s until Feb. 1, he said. He also said he plans to make a special for Valentine’s Day.
Students said they are disappointed about Mick’s being removed from the meal plan.
“Too bad for the students,” Student Association President Kuyomars “Q” Golparvar said. “They definitely enjoyed having Mick’s on the meal plan. I guess Mick’s has not been properly administering the equipment. I wish Mick’s had worked on problems earlier instead of two months into the semester.”
Sophomore Darshana Lele said she was disappointed because she ate at Mick’s once a week using her debit card.
“(About four years ago) I know for a fact, we could eat at so many restaurants and Friday’s was one of them. It seems like they only want us to spend our money at J Street. And sometimes you need a change.
“I won’t go back to Mick’s because it is off the plan . so now I’ll try Hunan Peking,” Lele added.
Subway on 20th and K streets closed during the winter break, which leaves Hunan Peking and Delhi Deli as the only off-campus partners that accept GWorld debit points.
Hunan Peking’s manager Kevin O said he has had no problem with the card readers, but must write students’ names, addresses, ID numbers and phone numbers manually because the system is not connected to Dining Services in the Marvin Center.
Delhi Deli’s Susan Paul, the owner’s sister, said GW has not reactivated their card readers for the spring semester. “The cardreader is (here but) not connected. They did not give any reason. We’re waiting to hear from them.”
Paul, however, said “students are not going to stop eating here, they like the food.”
