Catering order - HORRIBLE SERVICE
I order a lot of catering for our office, but this has been my worst ever experience!!!
Delivery was meant to happen at 11:15am.
At 11:25am I called the store to find out when to expect the delivery. I was told that they are very busy and that my delivery will be there "soon". They said that they tried calling all their customers with deliveries going out today, but couldn't call all of them (including myself).
At 11:45am I called again to find out a little more detail so I could tell the 24 hungry souls where their food was. What I experienced next was utterly the worst!
I spoke with the same member of staff again and upon asking what "soon" meant, she simply passed the phone onto another person. That person was incredibly abrupt, almost made me feel like a criminal for trying to find out when my order would arrive (bearing in mind it was already 30 minutes late). She kept telling me that they are very busy and that they tried to call me. She also decided that the best way to find out what my query was, was to interrupt me 24/7. Every time I started talking she'd talk louder and basically wouldn't let me get a word in edge-ways. After I let her finish her rant about how busy they are, I informed her that I did not get a phone call (my office phone shows missed calls), and that I did not appreciate being lied to and interrupted 24/7. She then, in the most patronizing way, told me to have a good afternoon and a good day and hung up!
Perplexed and literally shaking because I couldn't believe what just happened, I called back. I asked her to please not hang up on me again and that I really did not appreciate what just happened. What she said next was the most ridiculous thing I had ever been accused of. She said that they have a "no-harassment" policy and that when telephone customers started harassing a member of staff, they have to hang up. Completely perplexed, I asked how I harassed her, and she said by raising my voice. I asked her if she confused raising my voice with talking at the same time as she was because she kept interrupting me. She then told me to have a nice afternoon and hung up (AGAIN!).
This is not the end yet....
The order finally arrived 45 minutes late, at 11:57am. Very polite and helpful delivery driver. She could see I was exhausted, and asked me if everything was ok. I told her about my situation and she apologized profusely for all the trouble.
She dropped off the bags and exited the building. I started setting up the catering, emptied the last bag and noticed that none of the condiments or napkins were included.
I called Potbelly in Redmond again. Same lady answered. Same patronizing tone. So I told her that the order was incomplete and that she was not allowed to hang up on me now until it was fixed. She yet again said that the store was busy and that it would be a while until we would receive the rest of our order.
I summarized "the order was 45 minutes late, when trying to find out where the order was you hung up on me twice, now I see the order is incomplete and you're telling me that it will be a while because you are busy." She just answered with "yes" and finally.....finally....finally (!!) the first apology! She actually said "sorry". Sorry for the hassle, and sorry for the incomplete order. I asked if she was also sorry for hanging up on me twice and for saying that I "harassed" her, and thus making the hassle I had today three times as bad? She said "no" and that she had a good reason because I actually was harassing her and reminded me of their harassment policy again (smh). She said she'd refund my order, but that is yet to be seen because I have not received any type of notification. I was also told that the manager (John?) would call me, again, I am not holding my breath.
To be told that I am harassing someone is incredibly offensive. I am not the type of person at all to harass anybody. Potbelly need to explain what harassment is to their employees, before telling them to use it as ammunition against a customer who had a point about being lied to and simply tried to finish one sentence while having the Potbelly rep screech down the phone at them. Whoever this person was, needs to find a new job. She just cost Potbelly in Redmond a very large customer (1,200 ppl onsite). I made sure to send an email to the remainder of executive assistants at our company to ensure no other orders would be placed using this location.
I have also decided to take this incident to corporate, seeing as how upset I still am about being told that I harassed someone.
Sorry Potbelly. If you can't train your staff to be polite and courteous, especially when they messed up the order, then there is no point of you catering for a highly professional company. read more