I promise this review isn't to tell you the food is anything new or revolutionary. It's a Boston Pizza. The food is the same as it is at every other location, as is the decor, and everything else. Imagine that, in a chain restaurant. Shocker.
I've had mishaps as a customer at this location before (food poisoning, forgotten delivery orders, food mixups, the usual), and they've been satisfactory as far as clearing them up (or in the food poisoning case, were extremely responsive, let me know that they had disposed of the offending batch of the menu item and would be happy to comp my meal if I could ever fathom coming back). It's a chain restaurant, so I'm not sure what else anyone could expect.
This is a review to glow about one particular staff member.
Today is Valentine's Day, which I know to be one of the busiest days of the year for a BP, and in order to be sure I could have my heart-shaped pizza, I called ahead. I called around 5:30 to place a pick-up order, and the call went along these lines:
Me: "I'd like to place an order for pickup."
Her: "Uh, we can't take an order for any pickups to be ready between 6 and 8."
Me: "Oh. So I can't order anything tonight until after dinner time?"
Her: "I mean 7. Between 6 and 7."
Me: "That's okay, I'd like to place the order to pick up around 7:15 anyway."
Her: "We won't be able to get any food done for that time."
Me: "... so what are you telling me then?"
Her: "[Pause, and deep breath.] If you would like to pick up food for 7:15, you should get it from somewhere else."
Sorry, WHAT?!?! You're tell me that I should order from somewhere else?
So, you could imagine that I was extremely taken aback. I live in Fort Saskatchewan, and while we "gotta love it", there are few places that I actually WANT to eat at that aren't fast food. I moved here less than a year ago, and it is foreseeable that I will live here for at least the next 20 years. Yeah, sorry - I'm not restricting myself to only Original Joe's and Bear's Den. And no more bandera bread.
I waited 10 minutes, and called back to ask for a manager. I spoke with a woman named Theresa, who naturally (thankfully) was truly shocked about what had happened, and reassured me that I was not a lunatic for expecting to order heart-shaped pizzas on Valentine's Day. Rather than dwelling on it, or making excuses, or claiming that the girl I'd spoken to was an idiot (like you get a lot of managers doing when they work with some less-than-committed staff members), she apologized WITH SINCERITY and reassured me that the concern was legitimate and that she'd sort it out. She then quickly took my order, and promised it would be ready for 7:15 as I'd originally requested.
Now again, I come to BP a pretty decent amount, and have for quite a long time. I'm used to dealing with staff that can't wait for their shifts to be done, and could frankly give even less of a shit about whether or not I choked on my meal in the dining room. But having briefly worked in the service industry and hated those nights that were so busy that I couldn't keep my head on straight, I can wholly empathize and above that, it makes me appreciate FANTASTIC customer service on those nights where you don't even get to stop for a quick sip of water.
Theresa didn't offer to comp my meal or give me a discount, but now that I think of it, she didn't tell me what the price will be either (I guess I'll see when I get there). And honestly, I would still be willing to pay full price AND leave a generous tip on top of it for how painlessly and efficiently she dealt with the problem. This is the kind of thing that if dealt with badly, they would never be able to earn my business back, even if they offerred me free meals for a year. I was even so happy that I sent in a positive comment card on their website in the Contact section for their head office.
Rock on, Theresa. I hope they give you a raise. And that you privately smack that other girl up the backside of her head for ever turning away business. read more