Free Meals and Retirement "Seminars"

[rayvt]

Darn, why don't we get these Ruth's Chris seminar offers?

The best we get is a Western Sizzler buffet.

Worse yet, now we are getting invites to ones that don't even have a meal. Just coffee and (probably) cookies.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolRich59 Got home last night and went through the mail. Lo and behold, an invitation for a 'retirement planning' seminar at Ruth's Chris later this month.

You must live in a better neighborhood than me

[Spanky]

Ruth's Chris is way over priced. Last time we went, they charged $10 for mushed potato and over $50 for a steak.

We sometimes receive offers to attend retirement seminars at Wild Fire and have never attended any of them.

[CoolChange]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayvt Darn, why don't we get these Ruth's Chris seminar offers? The best we get is a Western Sizzler buffet. Worse yet, now we are getting invites to ones that don't even have a meal. Just coffee and (probably) cookies.

I went to one of Fidelity's retirement planning dinners a few years ago at a place I had been wanting to try anyway. Now, all I get are offers to join webinars, not even a Sizzler buffet!

[omni550]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolChange I went to one of Fidelity's retirement planning dinners a few years ago at a place I had been wanting to try anyway. Now, all I get are offers to join webinars, not even a Sizzler buffet!

You must be a bigger shooter than I.

I've never attended a Fidelity seminar, but sure get loads of emails about their webinars, which I've not 'attended' either.

omni

[Spanky]

Webinars from Fidelity or Vanguard seem to be fine.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Ruth's Chris is way over priced. Last time we went, they charged $10 for mushed potato and over $50 for a steak. We sometimes receive offers to attend retirement seminars at Wild Fire and have never attended any of them.

And at those prices you can eat several luxurious steak dinners at home. 1800 degree grill and 500 degree serving plates really aren't necessary.

[MichaelB]

When we want meat we eat at home. We usually go out when we want something different and not usually made at home. When they start to offer these annuity sales gatherings retirement seminars at Indian restaurants, I'll consider going.

Besides, Ruth Chris and Mortons have some seriously stuffy and stuck up staff, and that turns me off entirely.

[Scrapr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolRich59 Got home last night and went through the mail. Lo and behold, an invitation for a 'retirement planning' seminar at Ruth's Chris later this month.

Winner winner chicken STEAK dinner

Never been to Ruth Chris' I would go just to eat there

[CoolRich59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset You must live in a better neighborhood than me

It's certainly a nice area. While I consider our house modest (appx $375k), we have neighbors whose homes are easily $1M+.

Plus, we live about a mile from the Wynstone development, and a block from Biltmore Country Club.

I suspect the screening tools the seminar folks use aren't able to parse out the riff raff like us from the "frich" around here.

[6miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolRich59 Got home last night and went through the mail. Lo and behold, an invitation for a 'retirement planning' seminar at Ruth's Chris later this month.

I got an e-mail the other day for a seminar on 'Menopause: Myths, Realities and Practicalities' at guess where? We had a couple department meetings there but never been to a financial talk there.

[Amethyst]

I never realized menopause was a financial topic!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6miths I got an e-mail the other day for a seminar on 'Menopause: Myths, Realities and Practicalities' at guess where? We had a couple department meetings there but never been to a financial talk there.

[Amethyst]

That is so funny. I said almost the exact same thing, the last time we got one of those invitations.

anyway, does anybody get the really good steaks? The last couple of dinners we went to, it was the cheapest prix-fixe dinner at an expensive restaurant, and the steak was a regular strip steak. I'd rather buy 3 filets mignon for less than 30 bucks at BJs and cook 'em up at home. With an excellent $10 red that the restaurant would charge $45 for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB When we want meat we eat at home. We usually go out when we want something different and not usually made at home. When they start to offer these annuity sales gatherings retirement seminars at Indian restaurants, I'll consider going. Besides, Ruth Chris and Mortons have some seriously stuffy and stuck up staff, and that turns me off entirely.

[6miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst I never realized menopause was a financial topic!

It sure is for drug companies! And was just an interesting co-incidence and an indication that Ruth's Chris is a popular place for these things.

[omni550]

It sounds like Ruth's Chris is actively marketing for these types of financial pitch dinners on slower weeknights.

I'm just now recalling meeting some friends at a Fleming's Steakhouse for happy hour a year or so ago. There was a meeting being held in private dining room near the bar area. Being curious, I wondered what sort of meeting would be going on at that hour. I lingered nearby for a few seconds on my way to the restroom. Lo and behold...it was a financial pitch dinner.

I wonder if Fleming's might also be in on this as a means of bolstering their sales on slow weeknights?

omni

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 And at those prices you can eat several luxurious steak dinners at home. 1800 degree grill and 500 degree serving plates really aren't necessary.

That was my conclusion -- never never go to any expensive restaurant again unless someone else is paying for it or any gourmet food that you do not know how to prepare.

[Rustward]

There are several places around here that seem to be regulars for this. We see the financial offers, and usually some for radiant barrier, and windows and siding. There are probably others.

The restaurant gets to make a few dollars they otherwise wouldn't make, and the vendor gets a shot at acquiring new customer(s). The businesses that use these "seminars" are usually high cost and high profit.

Adding: I have never worked in the restaurant business but I imagine many restaurants have sales people whose job is to line up these events and catering as well. They probably have sales quotas. As individual consumers we usually do not see this sales force, but I am sure they are there.

One week we received two of these financial seminar invitations for two different financial organizations at two different restaurants. Each had an 800 reservation phone number. The phone numbers on both were the same. So we can conclude that there is some back-office activity around this stuff. This back office may even work like a broker connecting the restaurants with organizations looking for a place to host their event while providing a mailing list of qualified prospects from one of the mailing list places. I suppose they could do the printing and mailing, also.

This is just business.

[W2R]

We never go to these seminars. They are expecting to make enough money from SOMEBODY to cover all the costs of those dinners, and I refuse to take the risk (however low) that it might end up being me.

To me, this type of offer is just spam. Like the rest of the spam in my mailbox, it goes directly into the trash. If I want to go to a restaurant, we go to that restaurant. We have a gift card to Ruth's Chris that a family member gave us at Christmas, 2015, and we never used it because we wouldn't feel comfortable there dressed in our comfy/sloppy retiree clothes.

[6miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R We have a gift card to Ruth's Chris that a family member gave us at Christmas, 2015, and we never used it because we wouldn't feel comfortable there dressed in our comfy/sloppy retiree clothes.

I'll be the first to offer up my address for you to send that card along. I have always felt very comfy anywhere in my retiree clothes as they are pretty much the same ones that I wore before retirement (often literally). I have some spa cards that I will swap if you want!

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R We have a gift card to Ruth's Chris that a family member gave us at Christmas, 2015, and we never used it because we wouldn't feel comfortable there dressed in our comfy/sloppy retiree clothes.

Don't worry about your attire. We went there with informal clothing. Most of their dishes are "a la carte" - sides are extra (e.g., mushed potatoes are $10).