To complain or not to complain? [Archive] - Two Plus Two Older Archives

chisness

08-23-2005, 05:21 AM

Last Wednesday, my family and I (we have relatives in from England) go to Panera to get sandwiches before we go to Ravinia (an outdoor concert where Aretha was performing).

We get there and realize one of the seven sandwiches is missing. A little annoying, we have to get a new meal from the food stands there.

On Sunday, I go in and tell the manager, the same guy that gave me our food, that he forgot a sandwich on Wednesday. He said since I didn't call in and didn't have a receipt there was nothing he could do.

As a side note, I know one of the kids that was working that day who said the manager realized and mentioned that sandwich was forgotten for one of the larger to-go orders.

It didn't seem necessary to call from an outdoor concert and I didn't even consider keeping the receipt. (Note that if I wanted to steal a sandwich, I could call after any take-out order and keep any receipt, claiming that something was missing).

I expected to get a replacement easily next time I went in. I now plan on writing them a letter online basically complaining and requesting a new one.

Am I going overboard for a sandwich or is this reasonable? (BTW, the sandwiches are usually about $6-$7).

RubberDucky

08-23-2005, 05:24 AM

that's a little overboard for a sandwich

chisness

08-23-2005, 05:26 AM

True, but the point is it SHOULDN'T HAVE TO be so extreme. If they would have simply given me a new one it would have been easy. I feel like on principle I NEED to get this sandwich so they don't get away with screwing me then calling me a liar.

Aytumious

08-23-2005, 05:30 AM

Seems simple. They owe you a sandwich and I'm sure if you take the time to write them about it you will get what is owed.

fimbulwinter

08-23-2005, 05:35 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Last Wednesday, my family and I (we have relatives in from England) go to Panera to get sandwiches before we go to Ravinia (an outdoor concert where Aretha was performing).

We get there and realize one of the seven sandwiches is missing. A little annoying, we have to get a new meal from the food stands there.

On Sunday, I go in and tell the manager, the same guy that gave me our food, that he forgot a sandwich on Wednesday. He said since I didn't call in and didn't have a receipt there was nothing he could do.

As a side note, I know one of the kids that was working that day who said the manager realized and mentioned that sandwich was forgotten for one of the larger to-go orders.

It didn't seem necessary to call from an outdoor concert and I didn't even consider keeping the receipt. (Note that if I wanted to steal a sandwich, I could call after any take-out order and keep any receipt, claiming that something was missing).

I expected to get a replacement easily next time I went in. I now plan on writing them a letter online basically complaining and requesting a new one.

Am I going overboard for a sandwich or is this reasonable? (BTW, the sandwiches are usually about $6-$7).

[/ QUOTE ]

uber-nitty. is your VP$IP under 20 too?

fim

SammyKid11

08-23-2005, 05:38 AM

COMPLAIN. Not only did they mess up your order, the manager who denied you compensation KNEW they messed up your order. You have every right to pursue it if you want to expend the effort.

yellowjack

08-23-2005, 05:43 AM

I can't believe this is close. The manager KNEW he botched the order, yet claimed no responsibility.

speirs

08-23-2005, 05:48 AM

Just bend over and take it up the... Next hand.

Dave G.

08-23-2005, 07:07 AM

Do you know what happens if they start giving out sandwhiches to everyone who claims not to have received one, presenting absolutely no proof whatsoever that they are in fact telling the truth, or that they are the ones who were affected, even if the manager is aware that one out of however many hundreds of orders got messed up?

Right. EVERYONE will start saying the same thing hoping to score free sandwhiches.

I'm sure it seems simple from your perspective for them to just dish out another sandwhich. From their perspective, I imagine it would be pretty simple for you to a) keep a receipt and b) make the complaint when it happens, not half a week later.

They're trying to run a business. They'd be happy to give you a replacement if you had proof, but you don't. Try seeing it from their point of view. I think you're being selfish, and absurd. If I were the manager I'd laugh at your letter and throw it in the bin where it belongs. It's a bloody sandwhich. Get over it, and be smarter about the situation yourself next time.

chisness

08-23-2005, 07:11 AM

No one EVER has proof. Explain how calling about it right away or bringing in an old receipt shows that something was missing. As I posted above, a phone call or receipt shows NOTHING.

As a courtesy to honest customers, they should spend the $1 it costs them for a new sandwich to make them happy. I think it's also very rare that someone would lie about this type of thing.

I bet if an adult went in and asked for a replacement he'd have had better results than I did (I'm 19).

KaneKungFu123

08-23-2005, 07:23 AM

im slowly learning that OOT is the place for a logical discussion.

whatever the majority of idiots on here tell you, do the opposite.

the kid said the boss KNEW he forgot to give you the sub. now he is denying it like a POS.

Get your sandwich back and never shop their again!

chisness

08-23-2005, 07:28 AM

to clarify, he knew that ONE was forgotten on that day

he probably didn't know that it was mine, but he should have remembered that one was missing within the past week, and i expect that i was probably the only one to claim one since then

08-23-2005, 07:38 AM

I had a similar problem at McD's which turned into a big thread similar to this one. I reacted the same way you did. ONly I didn't even leave McD's. I was still in the parking lot when I realized that they gave me a quarter pounder instead of a double quarter. I don't go to that McD's anymore and I suggest you boycott that shop. Tell him you are not eating at his restaurant anymore and not only that tell him you are going to suggest that your friends not eat there , either. That will piss him off more than anything. He will realize that he will eventually go out of business by screwing up all the time. Burger King went out of business right down the road from me. I go out to eat all the time. You have to check what you have right there or you will get screwed day in and day out. At least 3 times a week, someone screws up my order.

Dave G.

08-23-2005, 07:40 AM

Well, calling about it right away and having the receipt right there lends a lot more credibility to your story than trying 4 days later, especially if it's supported by one of his staff members. He would be compelled to give you your sandwhich.

But dude, the guy has other things about a billion times more important on his mind than your missing sandwhich. He's a, you know, real person. Not just a sandwhich dispensing machine for you to use as you please. Why should he remember it was your order 4 DAYS after the fact? Do you seriously think he's spent that entire time trying to solve the mystery of who owns the missing sandwhich? Most peoples lives have a lot more going on than that.

You're right that a receipt doesn't prove anything. That's why you get it corrected when it happens. I used to work in a fast food store many years ago and if some guy came in and said 'yo, 4 days ago you didn't give me that other burger I ordered, I want it now' I'd say, as politely as possible, no way in hell are you getting a burger.

08-23-2005, 07:45 AM

Fast Food restaurants suck. I had a McD's not give me an orange juice one day and I called them when I got home. The manager said that I just needed to mention her name and get my orange juice later this week. I walked in and told the manager about it and mentioned that manager's name and they made me buy one drink and then gave me my orange. Why the hell do I need 2 drinks ? I'm not that thirsty.

Dave G.

08-23-2005, 07:59 AM

Haha, that's pretty shitty.

I never worked in a restaurant like mcdonalds, it was a small business my step father owned. McD can afford to give out a few freebies here and there to keep people quiet, but the small business I worked in had to be run very tightly. We certainly couldn't give stuff out based on peoples word alone unless we could plainly see an error had been made. Certainly not 4 days after the fact.

Actually we got scammed once. I was just a kid (17) and this guy came back into the store after buying something, claiming he'd given us a 20 and I'd given him change for a 10. He was pretty agro and showed us the change I'd given him, including a 5 dollar note, and was demanding that we give him the extra.

Well, I was young, inexperienced and certainly incapable of handling a confrontation with this agro guy. I later became a maths major at college so I doubt very much that I gave the wrong change, but the whole thing surprised me and I honestly couldn't remember at the time, so we gave him an extra $10. We checked the cash register a few minutes later and sure enough he'd given us a $10. The bastard obviously planned his attack by approaching me, knowing I'd be unable to stand up to him.

So you can understand why a business can't just go around taking peoples word on things.

chisness

08-23-2005, 08:00 AM

I agree it would make the story more credible, but it's not necessary.

Unless lying about this type of thing turned into a massive problem, they should be very willing to believe customers.

I've been extremely honest with them. A lie about not getting a sandwich could VERY EASILY be made up via phone call 10 minutes after leaving and should, based on your comments, be given essentially 100% credibility.

chisness

08-23-2005, 08:04 AM

Something like change is not very believable because it should be noticed IMMEDIATELY. A carry out order is generally not opened until getting home/wherever.

Say for every two forgotten item claims, only one is true. If they believe every one, they lose ~$2 for each one. If they don't believe any, they may lose $0 for one and $500 (~$495 if you include the item they never gave) for the other one when frequent customer never returns.

-Skeme-

08-23-2005, 08:08 AM

[ QUOTE ]
that's a little overboard for a sandwich

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the principle. I voted for no, you're not going overboard. You paid for that sandwhich and you should've received it. I MIGHT side with them if you didn't hear about him acknowledging they screwed up your order.

TheTROLL

08-23-2005, 08:14 AM

You were Morpheus, right? I was wondering what happened to that guy.... just assumed the diet had finished him off.

ChipWrecked

08-23-2005, 08:29 AM

Write a letter on paper.

Makes you look like more of an important nit.

Check the bag before you leave next time.

Dave G.

08-23-2005, 08:31 AM

Well, the point of my little story is there are people who do actively try and scam businesses. With what frequency we can't say, but it's just not good business sense to not at least try and protect yourself.

It doesn't give you 100% credibility if you complain right away, but it gives you more credibility. In such a case, they would probably give you the sandwhich even if they were unsure, as we gave the bastard the $10 even though we were unsure, erring on the side of being a customer friendly business and not causing a scene.

But if he came in 4 days later and said the same thing, I'd have called the cops.

He likely deals with thousands and thousands of people. He can't keep track of everything, even if you do consider yourself to be a good customer.

People make mistakes, so you should always check your order. Always. Then get it fixed right away. Not checking your order and waiting 4 days was your mistake, that you should bear some responsiblity for. It would have taken you 10 seconds and all of this could have been avoided.

jakethebake

08-23-2005, 08:37 AM

I send e-mails to places over stuff like this all the time. It's easy and costs you nothing.

RunDownHouse

08-23-2005, 09:14 AM

When I was in high school I worked fast food, and people tried to scam us all the time. As in, constantly. We could present them with 100% proof that they were lying to our faces ("Who did you speak to sir?" "I don't remember his name, but he was the manager!" "We haven't had a male manager working here for 6 months, sir") and they would still insist on free food.

I'm completely baffled how this wasn't a big enough deal to make a phone call at the time of the incident, but its a big enough deal to go on a rampage about it a full week later.

Bluffoon

08-23-2005, 09:29 AM

I would just take my business elsewhere in the future. There are plenty of places that make good sandwiches and provide good cutomer service.

Drew16

08-23-2005, 11:33 AM

You waited several days to do anything about it so it obviously wasnt that big of a deal. And you're forgetting this is FASTFOOD! You shouldnt expect such high quality (food or service). These are people that don't make much money and get [censored] on all day. Start checking your bag before you leave.