I am writing to report a disappointing customer service experience at the Jamba location in JFK International Airport, Terminal 5 (JetBlue terminal).
During my visit, I ordered two large açaí bowls with triple peanut butter, one for myself and one for my boyfriend. I often order extra peanut butter because the standard portion is very small, so I specifically paid for the triple peanut butter add-on.
The total for the order was close to $60, so this was certainly not a small order.
When the bowls came out, my boyfriend's bowl had the extra peanut butter as requested. However, my bowl only had the normal amount. I politely asked if a little more peanut butter could be added since I had paid for triple peanut butter.
At that point, a woman who appeared to be a supervisor or manager asked the employee who prepared my order, within earshot of me and several other customers, "Did he pay for that extra peanut butter?" This immediately felt like my honesty was being questioned in front of others.
I responded calmly that I had indeed paid for triple peanut butter. She then replied, "I didn't ask you, I'm asking my employee." I explained that it was my order and that I knew what I had requested and paid for. She responded again, "I'm not talking to you."
Rather than escalate the situation, I simply accepted the bowl once it was corrected, said thank you, and walked away. As I was leaving, the same employee loudly called out "You have a nice day now!" in a tone that felt clearly sarcastic and condescending.
What made the situation even more disappointing was that the other employees behind the counter were very polite and helpful, and the interaction had been pleasant up until this moment. Unfortunately, the conduct of this one employee, who appeared to be in a supervisory role, completely changed the experience. I'm not saying don't ever eat here because I love Jamba Juice, but maybe the employee should work on her customer service skills.
I have worked in customer service industries (I was a flight attendant for 10 years and retail before that for over 30 years) for most of my adult life before becoming a teacher, and I understand that mistakes happen. However, publicly questioning a customer's honesty and dismissing them in that manner is not what most people would consider professional customer service.
I wanted to bring this interaction to your attention because I believe it reflects poorly on the customer experience at this location. read more