I went to Doug's Hoagies a few times because they are fast with pick-up orders. Actually my girlfriend does because she likes their steak and cheese subs for some reason. I prefer Riverbend because they have actual steak pieces instead of dry shaved steak.
At 1:30pm on Wednesday 11/11/09, we placed her order for a small steak and cheese, with extra cheese and extra mayo. When we got home, her steak was extremely dry, although she ordered extra mayo. Even though she was still hungry, she couldn't finish her sub because it was dry and gross, like eating a sock.
When calling to report their error, the guy on the phone gave me an attitude, and said, ""What do you want me to do about it?"" My thoughts were, I am not running your business, you should decide what appropriate action you should take with a dissatisfied customer as a result of your error. Not wanting to eliminate my chances at a fair resolution, I simply said, ""That's why I am calling.""
He continued to be rude, like it was my fault that the sub wasn't up to standards. It was $7.25 for a lousy, small sub, and they didn't make it correctly. Extra mayo, means extra mayo. Which is because shaved steak is dry after it is cooked.
He defended their mistake because, he claimed, ""We don't put too much mayo on(even if it's requested), because it's easier to add more mayo, than take some off."" Yes if you are eating IN. Not taking out. Which basically means he was saying we can add our own mayo at home.
Hey, why don't we just buy the bread, cheese, steak, and mayo individually, and we'll make our sub at home? Oh wait, that's called a grocery store. He said, ""I could see if there was something wrong with the food, but I am not going to give you a free sub because there wasn't enough mayo."" If I ordered a sub with extra mayo, and there basically was none, there is something wrong with the food.
My solution? After thinking for a minute, what I would do if I was in his position. I would explain the situation in a friendly, sympathetic manner, I would suggest giving them a dollar off of the next order.
First off, it shows the customer that you care enough to do SOMETHING. It also gives the customer incentive to place another order. The customer doesn't come back? No loss to the business if they weren't going to come back anyway. They come back, they still make money and give that customer a sense of feeling that, even if it wouldn't make sense to give you a free sub for lack of an extra amount condiment, as requested, we'll at least offer you something because you didn't get exactly what you wanted.
These guys really suck, and I hope they see this. I hope the one I spoke on the phone to wasn't the owner, because if it was, he is really cheap. In the future I will make sure that myself, and everyone I know goes to Riverbend for good food, and friendly service.
Pros: Fast Pick Up Service
Cons: Everything else
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