Bad customer service

[Kassia]

I must be spoiled by getting good customer service most of the time because something happened tonight that really surprised me.  

DH and I got pizza from a place we order from once in a while and it was really awful.  I called and asked for the manager but the woman answering the phone said she was the manager even though I don't think she was.  I told her about the bad pizza and asked if someone new was making it tonight because we've never had bad pizza from there before and if this had been our first time ordering we wouldn't go back.  I explained the issues we had with the pizza as well.

She said no one new was there and that was it.  She really couldn't care less that our pizza was awful and made no effort to resolve the issue.  I haven't been thrilled with the pizza at times in the past but have never complained before.  

Anyway, would you expect some kind of effort to make things right?  I didn't expect anything specific but I did think they would do more than, "that's too bad" and hang up.  I waited until later in the evening to call when it would be less busy, too.  

Edited January 26, 2022 by Kassia

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I must be spoiled by getting good customer service most of the time because something happened tonight that really surprised me.  

DH and I got pizza from a place we order from once in a while and it was really awful.  I called and asked for the manager but the woman answering the phone said she was the manager even though I don't think she was.  I told her about the bad pizza and asked if someone new was making it tonight because we've never had bad pizza from there before and if this had been our first time ordering we wouldn't go back.  

She said no one new was there and that was it.  She really couldn't care less that our pizza was awful and made no effort to resolve the issue.  I haven't been thrilled with the pizza at times in the past but have never complained before.  

Anyway, would you expect some kind of effort to make things right?  I didn't expect anything specific but I did think they would do more than, "that's too bad" and hang up.  I waited until later in the evening to call when it would be less busy, too.  

If it is a chain I would report it. But either way I wound just find a different pizza place. 

We have a competitor down the road. Weekly we get people coming in telling us how bad their customer service is.  It can make or break a business. 

[Tap]

I think people are getting so exhausted by trying to fulfill people's needs and wants, that they don't have much empathy left. Many workers are so overworked right now, that they just can't care anymore. They are just trying to get through the day. If a customer complains, even if the complaint is 100% legit, and threaten to take thier business elsewhere, the answer in the employee's head, is "yes, please! Please go somewhere else!!!". Not because they don't care, but that they are exhausted and tired to trying to appease everyone...even though it thier job to do so. Many, many workers....are just barely holding on. 

If they they only make pizza you like part of the time, I would suspect that different employees make it different. Maybe the bad pizza is the normal pizza and you happen to like the ancillary pizza cooks way of doing things? Many eatery have different cooks, who make the same dish in different ratios which completely change the results. 

It sucks when something that sounds soooo yummy is not. Especially when eating out is so expensive right now. 

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, Tap said:

I think people are getting so exhausted by trying to fulfill people's needs and wants, that they don't have much empathy left. Many workers are so overworked right now, that they just can't care anymore. They are just trying to get through the day. If a customer complains, even if the complaint is 100% legit, and threaten to take thier business elsewhere, the answer in the employee's head, is "yes, please! Please go somewhere else!!!". Not because they don't care, but that they are exhausted and tired to trying to appease everyone...even though it thier job to do so. Many, many workers....are just barely holding on. 

 

Good point about employees being overworked/understaffed and exhausted.  I wasn't rude and didn't threaten to take my business elsewhere but I forgot about how businesses are struggling so much right now.  Thanks for the reminder.  

 

8 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

We have a competitor down the road. Weekly we get people coming in telling us how bad their customer service is.  It can make or break a business. 

Exactly.  I can't spend money at a place I know has bad customer service and will pay extra at a place that I can expect good service.  DH pointed out that if they didn't care about my call, they probably don't care much about the food they are preparing either.  

[Catwoman]

23 minutes ago, Tap said:

I think people are getting so exhausted by trying to fulfill people's needs and wants, that they don't have much empathy left. Many workers are so overworked right now, that they just can't care anymore. They are just trying to get through the day. If a customer complains, even if the complaint is 100% legit, and threaten to take thier business elsewhere, the answer in the employee's head, is "yes, please! Please go somewhere else!!!". Not because they don't care, but that they are exhausted and tired to trying to appease everyone...even though it thier job to do so. Many, many workers....are just barely holding on. 

That may all be true, but there is still no excuse for poor customer service, and the end result is that this pizza place will probably lose Kassia's business as a result of the way she was treated.

The manager was already on the phone with Kassia, and it would have been just as easy to thank Kassia for calling the problem to her attention, apologize, and tell her the issue will be addressed with the cook, as it was to be dismissive of her concerns. Even if the manager hadn't offered Kassia another pizza, she could have probably kept her as a customer simply by showing some level of compassion and by acknowledging Kassia's experience.

I know this may not be the politically correct thing to say right now, but if your job involves customer service, you have to actually serve the customer and do it politely and properly. If I owned that pizza place, I would want to know how Kassia had been treated by that manager, because some re-training is obviously in order here.

[footballmom]

This sounds like a situation where two things are true: you received a bad product / received bad customer service to go with it AND the person you spoke with may be having a bad day or are struggling in other ways and someone calling to share their disappointment / frustration they just didn’t handle best in class.

I would give them another chance later when the stakes are low (like you’re not hangry or feeding guests) and go from there whether you want to continue to order or be done.

[BusyMom5]

The owner needs to know the pizza was bad- and that she was a usual customer and the pizza was not to the usual standards.  If not, how can they correct it?  They will loose customers without knowing why!

My first thought,  though,  was supply chain.   They may be having to sub in different ingredients.  I know I make my own pizza and there are plenty of times since Covid that 'my' pizza sauce isnt available for weeks at a time.  Cheese has also been an issue.   Meat- we all know how that is right now! 

They may also be trying to cut costs by trying cheaper ingredients- and in that case they need to know its bad.  

[gardenmom5]

I would go in in person, especially if you think she lied to you about being the manager.  are there shift managers?  assistant managers?

If you still can't speak to the real manager - is this a chain?  a franchise?  is there an owner that can be tracked down?   You'd be doing them a favor letting them know.

I would expect an apology at *the very least*! 

I recall once years ago a (disorganized) blockbuster video manager claimed I hadn't returned my video - and charged me for it.  (not my fault he couldn't find it in his mess of a store when I put it in the return chute.) When I complained - similar "too bad, so sad, pay up" attitude.  I contacted their corporate offices.  They bent over backwards apologizing and offering rentals.  (I also got a call from the snotty manager screeching about "why did you contact corporate?"   guess he didn't like being called out on his attitude.)

[gardenmom5]

42 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

The owner needs to know the pizza was bad- and that she was a usual customer and the pizza was not to the usual standards.  If not, how can they correct it?  They will loose customers without knowing why!

My first thought,  though,  was supply chain.   They may be having to sub in different ingredients.  I know I make my own pizza and there are plenty of times since Covid that 'my' pizza sauce isnt available for weeks at a time.  Cheese has also been an issue.   Meat- we all know how that is right now! 

They may also be trying to cut costs by trying cheaper ingredients- and in that case they need to know its bad.  

That's no excuse for being rude.

[KungFuPanda]

We had the worst pizza the other day. We tried a new place that boldly called themselves NYC pizza and it was just bad. The order was wrong, the pizza was flavorless, and the crust texture was just OK.  Ordinarily we’d just eat it and move on with our lives, but I sent Dh to the good pizza place, had him order another pizza, and apologize for cheating on them. 
 

I didn’t call the first place. We may give them one more chance in the future once they’ve been open more than a week, but sticking with the good, local, not-a-chain place is probably the way we should always go. 

[Katy]

if you've been unhappy before and today was worse I'd just go somewhere else.

[1234]

I’m not doing any complaining to businesses right now, especially those in the food industry, because people have lost their minds during this pandemic. Today, dh and I were running errands and tried to hit a drive thru but they all had lines around the business. Not an exaggeration! We watched an almost fight happen between a jerk driver and an employee taking food outside to a car. I’ve heard people, mostly young people, talked to in ways I never would have imagined. Most are overworked, underpaid, and just done. I find myself giving big tips even for crappy food and service because I wouldn’t do their jobs for any amount of money right now. 

ETA: When we eat out, dh goes overboard. He keeps stickers in his wallet and puts one on the receipt along with a little encouraging note. He can’t stand how we’ve seen food service employees treated the past two years. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Joker2

[*****]

I had the worst customer service the other day.  At a hotel before bed, I checked the lock and latched the bar swing, and put my dog in his kennel. In the middle of the night, I hear the door unlock and if it weren’t for the bar swing (does it have an official name?), my door would have swung wide open. Dog was giving a very low growl, and I am fully awake listening. I hear laughter, quick apology and door closes, then women’s voices moving down the hall. I then opened the door, and they are on their way back my way. When I asked if they just opened my door, giggles, and an "Oh sorry, I had the wrong room." I asked if she worked there, she said yes, and told me her name.  She had no name tag. But I expected profuse apology and a promise that it would never happen again, you know, the kind of, ‘I really screwed up and I admit it, I am so, so, sorry.’  They proceeded down the hall talking as if they were walking in the mall-not quiet, middle of the night.

So of course, I could not sleep the rest of the night wondering what in the heck that was all about. The other woman had a towel around her like she just got out of the hot tub (was it even open?).  I did report it the next day, to which it was reported immediately to a higher up. This lady was apologetic and miffed at the perpetrator. I did get a discount, but not what I should have gotten.

 Customer service? I don’t think they teach that anymore. And ALWAYS DOUBLE LATCH THE DOOR IN A HOTEL, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

[marbel]

I also would probably just buy pizza elsewhere. If the place is bad, people will stop going and the manager will figure it out. It is true that there's no excuse for poor customer service, but there are times it is near impossible to feel any empathy toward an upset customer. I don't doubt that OP was polite! I can tell you that when I have had 3 mad customers in a row yelling at me, it is very hard for me to muster much enthusiasm for the next person. I manage, as far as I can tell (have never had any complaints and any bad scores on customer surveys are about the bank, not me) but I am sure there are times I sound like 'who cares?' I'm not proud of that; it is just a fact. 

Like others here, I am cutting food service and retail workers a lot of slack right now. Customers are nuts (not you OP!) - so demanding and rude. People I know in retail and food service are struggling so bad now trying to maintain their composure with customers. My daughter told me that it's amazing that she has never had anything thrown at her, working in food service and retail in the past. She said every coworker she's ever had in those places reports having had something thrown at them - food, keys, coffee... 

Anyway, I am sorry about bad pizza, it's disappointing and I am not being snarky. On the rare occasion we spring for food out, we want it to be GOOD! I hope you find a much better place to get your next pie!

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by marbel

[Carrie12345]

I think it’s getting harder and harder to tolerate legitimate feedback due to how much insane “complaining” is out there. It all gets tuned out.
Almost (but not exactly) like, if one of my kids asks what’s for dinner, I’m going to happily tell them. When the second one asks, I’m going to make a face and tell them. When the third one asks, I’m gonna sigh and spit out the words. 4th one, I’m annoyed.  5th, I’m done.  How. Dare. They.  It’s the same perfectly innocent question, but I am over it.

I can hear it in their voices when I call my builder for house updates. I know they’re getting screamed at on the regular. I refuse to complain unless there’s a serious problem that *requires* intervention, and even then I try very hard to frame it, at least initially, as pleasantly as possible. I can’t afford to be tuned out like the 5th kid who hasn’t done anything wrong.

Chains are easier. I think it’s the added degrees of separation that come with submitting an online ‘ticket’. The people in that department didn’t screw up my order, and haven’t had people insulting them to their faces. It’s just a business issue.

None of that means it’s okay to get a crappy pizza.  But the pizzeria probably does get a lot of crappy customers. I wouldn’t be surprised if they figure it’s better to lose the ones who stress them out than to continually placate them. And then legitimate issues do fall through the cracks.

When I worked in food service decades ago, customers would go so far as to tell me to give them their pizza that I DROPPED.  2022, my dd hands a customer the two different drinks they ordered only to get screamed at that they only ordered one (hm, which one?) but they should get the second for free since it’ll only be thrown out.  

Jerks ruin everything.

[SKL]

I've noticed this a lot lately.  I too have assumed it's because help is hard to find these days.  I get a general screw you attitude.  Really doesn't inspire me to contribute more to the economy.

[Kassia]

8 hours ago, Catwoman said:

 the end result is that this pizza place will probably lose Kassia's business as a result of the way she was treated.

 

This is true.  DH and I agree we won't be going back due to the combination of inconsistent food quality and poor customer service.

 

 

7 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

 

 

They may also be trying to cut costs 

We were wondering about this.  The crust was SO thin and we didn't order thin crust (it's on the menu but we can't imagine a crust any thinner than this) with very little cheese.  And it tasted old and stale.  DH said the box was so light and that the crust was thinner than the cardboard on the box the pizza came in.

 

7 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

If you still can't speak to the real manager - is this a chain?  a franchise?  is there an owner that can be tracked down?   You'd be doing them a favor letting them know.

 

It's a locally owned business with three locations.  I suspect this isn't their main location and their owner is at a different one.  

 

6 hours ago, Katy said:

if you've been unhappy before and today was worse I'd just go somewhere else.

That's what we are going to do.  I was already hesitant to order from there today but DH wanted to and then he felt bad because the pizza was so awful.

 

6 hours ago, Joker2 said:

I’ve heard people, mostly young people, talked to in ways I never would have imagined. Most are overworked, underpaid, and just done. I find myself giving big tips even for crappy food and service because I wouldn’t do their jobs for any amount of money right now. 

 

I witnessed this the last time I did a Walmart grocery pick-up.  People (including me) were waiting hours for their groceries and were so angry and they were taking it out on this poor high school kid doing his best.  They were seriously understaffed and customers were SCREAMING at this poor kid as if it were his fault.  I felt so bad for him!  

 

[Scarlett]

10 hours ago, Tap said:

I think people are getting so exhausted by trying to fulfill people's needs and wants, that they don't have much empathy left. Many workers are so overworked right now, that they just can't care anymore. They are just trying to get through the day. If a customer complains, even if the complaint is 100% legit, and threaten to take thier business elsewhere, the answer in the employee's head, is "yes, please! Please go somewhere else!!!". Not because they don't care, but that they are exhausted and tired to trying to appease everyone...even though it thier job to do so. Many, many workers....are just barely holding on. 

There is a lot of truth in this. The workers in fast food who are left are exhausted and overwhelmed.  

[Scarlett]

I see this weird thing happening on FB right.  Which is a reflection of society at large I think. 
 

A customer comes on to complain about a locally owned business.  There is much discussion for and against customers complaint.  Owner comes on to defend themselves…..then it turns into a huge town squabble with for and against one or the other. 
 

And guess what?  It is so ugly that even when it is a business I have frequented I am turned off.  
 

The old saying about the customer always being right comes down to this…..of COURSE the customer is not always right.  Many customers are big unreasonable jerks.   Yet you can’t get down to their level.  You have to maintain a level of service and dignity that I find lacking in many people who are suppose to be doing customer service these days.  
 

Yesterday a nice but kind of arrogant man came in to our shop.  He was patronizing to us……I saw in the managers face that he didn’t like it….but to his credit he kept quiet.  Then the customer proceeded to sit in our lobby the entire time he filed an insurance claim.  Probably a 20 min ordeal.  I wanted to scream at him, we are in the middle of a pandemic 😷 !! Go home to make that phone call. But I did not.  I tried to gently get him to call me with the info,later, but he did not take the hint…..so I just sucked it up and took it.  
 

There is a limit of course.  I will not take abusive treatment…and I am not expected to.  But usually a person with experience in CS can smooth things out and calm a customer down.  Even in cases where the problem can not actually be solved to customer’s satisfaction. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Scarlett

[skimomma]

In our area, take out food places are so overwhelmed and understaffed, they almost want to lose business.  We had a favorite locally owned pizza place that we patronized at least twice a month for over a decade.  A few months into the pandemic, they were so overwhelmed that they ceased delivery.  Then the wait time started creeping past one hour.  Then they started just taking their phone off the hook at some point during busy nights.  They ended up closing because they were TOO busy.  They could not find enough staff, there pizza ovens were full from open to close, they had supply chain issues,  and the whole situation was just too stressful for the owners.  That's right, they closed because they were too successful.  

We personally know the owner of another local take out place that has cut the hours way back and is now contemplating closing because they cannot get enough staff and every time they open, they are so overwhelmed that the stress scares off the few people they have successfully hired. He has tried everything.  Reducing hours and days.  Limiting the menu.  And yes, even taking the phone off the hook many nights.  I pity the person who tried to complain about anything.  This guy is on the edge.  And to him anyone who is not happy should just stop patronizing him.  He has hundreds of others trying to call the phone that is off the hook.

None of this is to say that the OP should accept crappy product or customer service.  I just suspect we are going to see much much worse before anything gets better.  In out case, we have utilized take out less and less due to access issues alone.  If the product quality was also declining, I am pretty sure we would cease attempting take out at all anymore.  In the OP's situation, I would just cross that place off their list and leave it to the people who are OK with crappy pizza.  And.  Keep a few frozen pizzas in the freezer for emergencies!

[Scarlett]

43 minutes ago, skimomma said:

In our area, take out food places are so overwhelmed and understaffed, they almost want to lose business.  We had a favorite locally owned pizza place that we patronized at least twice a month for over a decade.  A few months into the pandemic, they were so overwhelmed that they ceased delivery.  Then the wait time started creeping past one hour.  Then they started just taking their phone off the hook at some point during busy nights.  They ended up closing because they were TOO busy.  They could not find enough staff, there pizza ovens were full from open to close, they had supply chain issues,  and the whole situation was just too stressful for the owners.  That's right, they closed because they were too successful.  

We personally know the owner of another local take out place that has cut the hours way back and is now contemplating closing because they cannot get enough staff and every time they open, they are so overwhelmed that the stress scares off the few people they have successfully hired. He has tried everything.  Reducing hours and days.  Limiting the menu.  And yes, even taking the phone off the hook many nights.  I pity the person who tried to complain about anything.  This guy is on the edge.  And to him anyone who is not happy should just stop patronizing him.  He has hundreds of others trying to call the phone that is off the hook.

None of this is to say that the OP should accept crappy product or customer service.  I just suspect we are going to see much much worse before anything gets better.  In out case, we have utilized take out less and less due to access issues alone.  If the product quality was also declining, I am pretty sure we would cease attempting take out at all anymore.  In the OP's situation, I would just cross that place off their list and leave it to the people who are OK with crappy pizza.  And.  Keep a few frozen pizzas in the freezer for emergencies!

During the worst, a couple of our mexican restaurants took the phone off the hook. If you wanted to order you had to drive down there, order it and then wait.  I waited outside in the early days before we had the vaccine. They have absolutely been overwhelmed.  We only did take out once a week there for a while.  Things have improved but I am not sure it will ever go back to the way it was before.

[Kassia]

@skimommawe are seeing that situation here too.  Many local food places (even fast food) have had to shorten their hours due to lack of staff and are asking people to be patient with longer wait times.  Food prices are increasing and they have to pass that on to the customers as well.  And then there are issues with supply, too.  It's a tough time in the food industry.

A friend of mine from high school just had to shut down her own restaurant due to how hard it's been hit from the pandemic.  It was an Italian place loved by locals but she just couldn't keep it going even with community support.  I feel terrible for her - that restaurant was her passion that she gave up her career to start and it went so well until Covid hit.  

Edited January 26, 2022 by Kassia

[MEmama]

I’m going over the top with empathy and extra tipping right now and I agree it’s not the time to be complaining BUT @Kassia was totally in the right to call and alert the pizza place that, as a loyal customer, she was disappointed. I have zero doubt she was very kind— she even asked if perhaps there was new staff. Overworked and “over it” employees do still have the obligation to right a wrong; in this case even a tired apology and coupon for a free pizza I’m sure would have been more than enough. 
 

Unless the problem was chronic I don’t think I would judge a restaurant or shop on their (lack of) customer service right now, or even a decline in quality—like someone mentioned, they might be using different ingredients (aren’t we all?), or their staff is crazy overworked and understaffed. But also as customers we are making a conscious effort to support local businesses—often at much higher prices than we are accustomed to—and if quality is severely lacking the business has a right to know.

[MEmama]

11 hours ago, ***** said:

I had the worst customer service the other day.  At a hotel before bed, I checked the lock and latched the bar swing, and put my dog in his kennel. In the middle of the night, I hear the door unlock and if it weren’t for the bar swing (does it have an official name?), my door would have swung wide open. Dog was giving a very low growl, and I am fully awake listening. I hear laughter, quick apology and door closes, then women’s voices moving down the hall. I then opened the door, and they are on their way back my way. When I asked if they just opened my door, giggles, and an "Oh sorry, I had the wrong room." I asked if she worked there, she said yes, and told me her name.  She had no name tag. But I expected profuse apology and a promise that it would never happen again, you know, the kind of, ‘I really screwed up and I admit it, I am so, so, sorry.’  They proceeded down the hall talking as if they were walking in the mall-not quiet, middle of the night.

So of course, I could not sleep the rest of the night wondering what in the heck that was all about. The other woman had a towel around her like she just got out of the hot tub (was it even open?).  I did report it the next day, to which it was reported immediately to a higher up. This lady was apologetic and miffed at the perpetrator. I did get a discount, but not what I should have gotten.

 Customer service? I don’t think they teach that anymore. And ALWAYS DOUBLE LATCH THE DOOR IN A HOTEL, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

We once had a situation where our hotel somehow didn’t have a room for us, even though they had our reservation. We didn’t arrive until after midnight (long flight) and there was only one person on staff (terrible, dangerous policy IMO). Anyway, she was flummoxed but super helpful and finally secured us a room, except that when DH unlocked and opened the door there was someone snoring away in the bed! 😳 Poor DH felt so bad. Thankfully nothing *else* was going on, and the guy probably never knew, but we sure felt creepy! 
 

All that to say…yes! Always use the slider lock thingy!

(and yes, mysteriously the desk attendant found us another room, lol). 

[SKL]

9 minutes ago, MEmama said:

We once had a situation where our hotel somehow didn’t have a room for us, even though they had our reservation. We didn’t arrive until after midnight (long flight) and there was only one person on staff (terrible, dangerous policy IMO). Anyway, she was flummoxed but super helpful and finally secured us a room, except that when DH unlocked and opened the door there was someone snoring away in the bed! 😳 Poor DH felt so bad. Thankfully nothing *else* was going on, and the guy probably never knew, but we sure felt creepy! 
 

All that to say…yes! Always use the slider lock thingy!

(and yes, mysteriously the desk attendant found us another room, lol). 

That has happened to me, even though I called ahead and let them know I'd be late due to my flight.  They were like, no problem, you are guaranteed for late arrival no matter how late, thanks for letting us know.  Then I get there and they say no rooms.  It's 2am and I'm supposed to sleep in the streets of Miami?  I told them OK then I'm camping out in their lobby for the night.  Miraculously they found me a lovely suite for the 2 nights I was there.

[mellifera33]

My friend who runs a pizza place has been hit hard by supply chain issues. There have been times during the last two years that she has just had to shut down until she can source more mozzarella. Staffing issues are a whole other thing, and something that I don't think will immediately resolve post-covid. That issue has been simmering for years, and covid just brought it to a boil. 

[mellifera33]

11 hours ago, ***** said:

I had the worst customer service the other day.  At a hotel before bed, I checked the lock and latched the bar swing, and put my dog in his kennel. In the middle of the night, I hear the door unlock and if it weren’t for the bar swing (does it have an official name?), my door would have swung wide open. Dog was giving a very low growl, and I am fully awake listening. I hear laughter, quick apology and door closes, then women’s voices moving down the hall. I then opened the door, and they are on their way back my way. When I asked if they just opened my door, giggles, and an "Oh sorry, I had the wrong room." I asked if she worked there, she said yes, and told me her name.  She had no name tag. But I expected profuse apology and a promise that it would never happen again, you know, the kind of, ‘I really screwed up and I admit it, I am so, so, sorry.’  They proceeded down the hall talking as if they were walking in the mall-not quiet, middle of the night.

So of course, I could not sleep the rest of the night wondering what in the heck that was all about. The other woman had a towel around her like she just got out of the hot tub (was it even open?).  I did report it the next day, to which it was reported immediately to a higher up. This lady was apologetic and miffed at the perpetrator. I did get a discount, but not what I should have gotten.

 Customer service? I don’t think they teach that anymore. And ALWAYS DOUBLE LATCH THE DOOR IN A HOTEL, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

I might have assumed they were professionals of another type...did your hotel offer hourly rates by any chance? 😄 

My parents accidentally booked kind of an iffy hotel once on a family vacation. They walked in and shook their heads, but they were so tired from driving 12 hours that they just went with it. My brother and I thought the vibrating bed was the coolest thing ever. 😄

[marbel]

1 hour ago, Kassia said:

Many local food places (even fast food) have had to shorten their hours due to lack of staff and are asking people to be patient with longer wait times.  Food prices are increasing and they have to pass that on to the customers as well.  And then there are issues with supply, too.  It's a tough time in the food industry.

This, and they have to deal with ever-increasingly mad customers. (Not the OP!) I've been in places that have signs up asking for patience due to short staff, some menu item unavailability, etc., and there's always some customer loudly complaining that "nobody wants to work anymore!" and me thinking how badly I want to say "....because of customers like you, #(#@)$." 

I wonder if any sort of long-term change will come about in the food service industry because of all this. But the industry can't do anything about jerky customers (not the OP!). 

[Ditto]

15 hours ago, Tap said:

I think people are getting so exhausted by trying to fulfill people's needs and wants, that they don't have much empathy left. Many workers are so overworked right now, that they just can't care anymore. They are just trying to get through the day. If a customer complains, even if the complaint is 100% legit, and threaten to take thier business elsewhere, the answer in the employee's head, is "yes, please! Please go somewhere else!!!". Not because they don't care, but that they are exhausted and tired to trying to appease everyone...even though it thier job to do so. Many, many workers....are just barely holding on. 

I

I agree with you.  There is no way I would complain about customer service right now.  I feel just awful for the employees.  I would just quietly take my business elsewhere.  

[Ditto]

50 minutes ago, mellifera33 said:

My friend who runs a pizza place has been hit hard by supply chain issues. There have been times during the last two years that she has just had to shut down until she can source more mozzarella. Staffing issues are a whole other thing, and something that I don't think will immediately resolve post-covid. That issue has been simmering for years, and covid just brought it to a boil. 

I hope she is able to keep her business afloat.  It makes me sick to see how many restaurants have gone out of business since the pandemic started.

[Ditto]

13 hours ago, Joker2 said:

I’m not doing any complaining to businesses right now, especially those in the food industry, because people have lost their minds during this pandemic. Today, dh and I were running errands and tried to hit a drive thru but they all had lines around the business. Not an exaggeration! We watched an almost fight happen between a jerk driver and an employee taking food outside to a car. I’ve heard people, mostly young people, talked to in ways I never would have imagined. Most are overworked, underpaid, and just done. I find myself giving big tips even for crappy food and service because I wouldn’t do their jobs for any amount of money right now. 

ETA: When we eat out, dh goes overboard. He keeps stickers in his wallet and puts one on the receipt along with a little encouraging note. He can’t stand how we’ve seen food service employees treated the past two years. 

To the bolded:  I just posted (before I saw your post) that I am not complaining now either.   To me, it just feels like a pile on to people that are already getting beaten down in every way now.   Your example just further proves my point.

While I am always nice, I have tried hard to make sure I am nicer than usual and have something nice to say to the employee helping me/waiting on me.   This does sometimes mean that I am nice despite the employee not being very nice (happened at the dermatology office last week as I was checking out).   As to my second bolded,  your husband is awesome!  I love this idea!    I really appreciate how he truly goes over and beyond to show his appreciation, especially in a way that the person can look back on it later as a reminder that there are good people out there.

[gardenmom5]

Speaking of Pizza . . 

We do Pizza on tuesdays.  I ordered from the wrong place so when I arrived to pick it up - the manager (he knows me - that's how often I'm there.) was like, we don't have an order for you.    (mixing it up with a different one on what is basically the same street. (the name changes).  It is such a common issue, they each have which grocery store they are next too listed with their phone numbers.  The manager assured me that even with that - the mix-up happens a minimum of once a week.),

Fortunately - they weren't that busy and were able to very quickly put it together.  (he assured me they'd call the other place so they could release "my pizza" to someone else. - it was just a big pepperoni, so it would sell.)

[Tree Frog]

3 hours ago, mellifera33 said:

My parents accidentally booked kind of an iffy hotel once on a family vacation. They walked in and shook their heads, but they were so tired from driving 12 hours that they just went with it. My brother and I thought the vibrating bed was the coolest thing ever. 😄

You mean not all motels had those back in the day? 😂 Every time we traveled, our rooms had the special beds, but unfortunately we didn't have quarters. I think my parents gave us a quarter one to try it out one time. I remember the fun we had with it, but it didn't last long. 😂

[athena1277]

There was a big discussion about pizza places on Nextdoor around here recently.  The person who initiated the discussion never received their pizza delivery and when they called 2 hours after ordering, we’re surprised they didn’t get a new order sent out or offer for a free pizza or some attempt to make it right.  Several people said that there’s people who are calling to complain about bad pizza/missing pizza/etc, when there really wasn’t a problem, they just want free pizza.  Some pizza places are losing money so they don’t take you seriously if you don’t call right away.  While it’s definitely wrong to try to scam a business, it doesn’t excuse rude behavior.

OP, we get pizza almost weekly.  We have definitely noticed the quality go down.  One large chain I will not go back to.  The last time we got pizza from them, it was so soggy and gross, it was not edible.  I’m not very picky about pizza, so if I wouldn’t eat it, it was really bad.

[marbel]

1 hour ago, athena1277 said:

 Several people said that there’s people who are calling to complain about bad pizza/missing pizza/etc, when there really wasn’t a problem, they just want free pizza.  Some pizza places are losing money so they don’t take you seriously if you don’t call right away.

This makes no sense to me. I mean, your post does, but the idea of getting free pizza by pretending that pizza had been ordered but not delivered? Why would any business just automatically offer free food to someone who called to say their order didn't show up but lacked any proof that they paid?  Why must a business owner be polite to someone who is trying to scam them?  What am I missing here? 

But then again, people try to dispute debit card charges for food - takeout, delivery, eat in - that was not to their liking. We (the bank) have to tell them to take it up with the merchant, so then we get yelled at. More than once a customer has said that they got what they ordered and ate it, but they didn't like it and want their money back. (Since they authorized the transaction and got what they ordered, there is nothing to dispute.) 

[Tree Frog]

31 minutes ago, marbel said:

This makes no sense to me. I mean, your post does, but the idea of getting free pizza by pretending that pizza had been ordered but not delivered? Why would any business just automatically offer free food to someone who called to say their order didn't show up but lacked any proof that they paid?  Why must a business owner be polite to someone who is trying to scam them?  What am I missing here? 

But then again, people try to dispute debit card charges for food - takeout, delivery, eat in - that was not to their liking. We (the bank) have to tell them to take it up with the merchant, so then we get yelled at. More than once a customer has said that they got what they ordered and ate it, but they didn't like it and want their money back. (Since they authorized the transaction and got what they ordered, there is nothing to dispute.) 

I know I'm our area, contactless delivery is a thing. So if a meal delivery was left on your porch and you received notification it had been delivered, but it had been misdelivered, the driver would have delivered the item, but the person who ordered the food never received it.

We've seen several instances of neighbors posting on FB that they received a food delivery that they hadn't ordered. I could see mistakes being made that way. I could also see people trying to get something for free. Some things never change. 😕

[katilac]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:53 PM, Kassia said:

I called and asked for the manager but the woman answering the phone said she was the manager even though I don't think she was.   

I'm stuck on this: why would you think she wasn't the manager? 

[Kassia]

8 hours ago, katilac said:

I'm stuck on this: why would you think she wasn't the manager? 

That was just my impression - she sounded very young and unprofessional and not like the manager of a small local business.  I could be wrong.  

[annandatje]

I would cut the alleged manager some slack.  Many people are quickly depleting their compassion reserves during these crazy times.  Write off the pizza place and find a new one.  Maybe in six months or so, check it out again to see if quality back up to par. 

Personally I would not bother calling to report manager's behavior because I have never seen a sustained improvement after complaining to corporate or to local franchisee or owner. 

Many years ago, I wrote letter to Arby's to complain of outrageous neglectful behavior of their employees at 8:30 p.m. in a location that was open until 10:00 p.m.  The lights were on and door were unlocked.  The workers stood at counter chatting and never asked for our order.  Some of them ambled toward back of store.  When I asked to place order, the sole worker left at counter told me "we are going to close."  Got zero response.

[Forget-Me-Not]

40 minutes ago, annandatje said:

Many years ago, I wrote letter to Arby's to complain of outrageous neglectful behavior of their employees at 8:30 p.m. in a location that was open until 10:00 p.m.  The lights were on and door were unlocked.  The workers stood at counter chatting and never asked for our order.  Some of them ambled toward back of store.  When I asked to place order, the sole worker left at counter told me "we are going to close."  Got zero response.

I had a similar experience at a local frozen yogurt place. We walked in well before closing (as posted on the door) and the sole employee had already stacked the chairs and made it very clear we weren’t welcome. We went elsewhere and I complained but go no response. Surprise surprise they went out of business shortly after. 
 

On the flip side, I emailed about an experience at our local Texas Roadhouse; it was a terrible visit for many factors and then we were charged for something we didn’t get. They emailed back with a coupon for a free entree, which was more than I expected. I would have been happy with an apology and a refund of the very small overcharge (we just let it slide because the waiter was rushed off his feet). 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Forget-Me-Not

[Kassia]

48 minutes ago, annandatje said:

 

Personally I would not bother calling to report manager's behavior because I have never seen a sustained improvement after complaining to corporate or to local franchisee or owner. 

 

I wasn't planning on taking it any further.  I was sincerely curious if someone new was making the pizza because it was the worst pizza we've ever had from a pizza place before.  If the person I spoke with had been a little more interested I'd go back but we got stuck with $30 of lousy pizza and don't want to spend that much again at a place that doesn't care about our satisfaction or the food they serve.

I'm been lucky and have almost always received excellent customer service in the past if there's been a problem but maybe that's because it has usually (always?) been bigger companies.  

When my kids were home for the holidays they went to Burger King at 9pm for milkshakes and were told they were closed even though closing time is 10pm.  They went through the drive-through and were able to see the employees cleaning up.  We just figured that there wasn't enough business and/or they were having staffing issues but my kids sure were disappointed! 

[Shoeless]

We've had all sorts of delayed delivery problems with our water company.  They usually send a message saying the delivery is rescheduled, which is frustrating but ok. Yesterday, they just didn't show. Cancelled the order without notice, apology, or explanation. I can't get a water delivery for another MONTH. 

I get that things are tough everywhere, but how hard would it have been to say "Sorry, we have to cancel"?  You have to communicate and let your customers know what's going on. 

DH wants me to call and kind of yell at them about it. I don't see a point in it. I just want to cancel the service and figure out some other solution. 

[ieta_cassiopeia]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:40 AM, ***** said:

Customer service? I don’t think they teach that anymore.

Can confirm that the majority of customer service roles I know about that have been recruiting over the last 12 months aren't training people in customer service, or even to do checklists of the steps they need to do to communicate something to someone (which would itself have prevented some of the fails in this thread). Many places had no particular training system even pre-COVID (and even those who did mostly no longer have time to walk people through the whole program beforehand due to staff - including trainer - shortages), relying on "experience elsewhere" and the ability (real or perceived) to figure stuff out on their own to cover this. Although plenty of customer service courses exist, a lot of them aren't considered much use at teaching actual customer service skills (as opposed to a set of loose principles that, it turns out, are difficult for large swathes of students to apply to specific workplace situations).

 

The main tool a lot of employers are using to prevent hopeless customer service at the moment seems to be relying on interviews... ...which often don't resemble actual work situations much (especially those where something goes wrong, which is when customer service skills are most important). Ad hoc messaging also gets used, but in a subject as complex as customer service, there are many different ways to get it wrong.

 

Customer service, like pretty much every other working/middle-class job, has got quite a bit harder in the pandemic. However, the customer service problem that has been slowly developing over many years is likely to come to a head sooner rather than later. People are just done.

Edited January 30, 2022 by ieta_cassiopeia

[catz]

If you wanted to follow up further, I would either e-mail or send a letter to the owner.  I wouldn't care nearly enough to show up in person, especially while covid numbers are still up there.  And up to corporate if it's a chain.  In an ideal world, yes, whoever answered the phone would immediately make it right.  But so many places are extremely short staffed, supply chains are messed up, it's hard to get appliances serviced, owners aren't taking care of staff, on and on.  And the low paid service workers that have hung in there getting covid exposed day in and day out are getting assaulted by angry people day in and out.  People are on edge and lashing out for valid and invalid reasons.

I had a HORRIBLE customer service experience at a chain a few months back.  I could write paragraphs.  I waited for 45 minutes for an online order that was supposed to be done in 10, I didn't get what I paid for (shorted items without being told), someone hung up on me on the phone, corporate never bothered to respond, etc etc etc.  That business closed within 2 months.  Some of these businesses are just going to suffer natural consequences and tank entirely.  But in the meantime I am trying to give the people still working these types of jobs some grace.  

This is off topic, but there was a video making the rounds this week about a dad who ordered a smoothie for his severely allergic son.  It is up for debate whether he adequately talked to him about the allergy.  The staff says no, he says yes.  But given that he doesn't even know who in the shop made his smoothie kind of indicates to me he wasn't as engaged as the typical allergy parent I know.  Most allergy parents I know would not even be ordering a peanut butter smoothie without peanut butter from a shop that has nuts in a lot of it's stuff.  And if they did have to use a shop like this, it would be a drawn out conversation about cross contamination, cleaning, watching the process and asking, etc.  Anyway, his son ended up in an ambulance after a severe reaction and this guy came immediately into the shop I don't know ready to do what, it was scary to watch as a parent of teen the age of these girls.  He ended up being arrested and getting fired from his very high end finance cushy jobs.  And I honestly, I don't even know that I want to start in on that here because people are going to defend the dad when he was completely inappropriate.  The oldest person in that smoothie shop was 18.  Of course he was angry, but cross contamination and order mistakes happens so easily and he obviously wasn't engaged when it was made.  If I were a betting person, I would guess his wife blamed him so he wanted to lash out because all the allergy moms I know would have done that whole deal MUCH differently.  Who knows, maybe he is new to picking up stuff for his kid.  His kid is 17 so not a toddler or anything.

My more general point is, if you want any chance of your complaint being known and to possibly institute some thought or change, I would go high.  Our local food places are having weird hours, closing up early when short staffed or it's slow, doing online orders only some days, missing items off the menu, etc etc etc.  

I also think some people in the world need to work on anger management.  

[Melissa in Australia]

Zombie thread