Freebies

[arminius58]

These are completely unrelated annoyances, but the free pizza one happened the most recently.

This past week, I had a woman call up and ask for a special that doesn't start til next week. Yes it is a good special, its a large pizza with two toppings for 5.99, really good, but its only running for exactly one week; so we've had a few people already asking for it. I told her sorry it doesn't start til the next week. She then proceeded to complain that she was supposed to get free pizzas because of a mess up. This isn't entirely unheard of, if people don't want us to remake their pizzas that night we will write in their customer comments that they get exactly what they need remade. Otherwise, people tend to scam us out and try to get huge amount of toppings when we messed up on a single topping pizza.

I proceeded to look up her account, there was nothing, I asked her if that was the phone number she placed it under, she gave me about four different numbers total to look up. None of the numbers had anything about her getting free pizzas. So I said if you can remember who you talked to then I can ask them. This is kind of a litmus test for me, cause we are required to give our names and our manager is really picky about it. She says she can't remember the name, and says look up said name where I explain to her its all through phone numbers. She then says for me to give her names of people that work there, ok thats not happening in any life time. To say the least she didn't get any free food. But here was a bit of amusement in the middle of all the stupid, she informed me that she had been ordering pizza from there for ten years and that we had only messed up twice, and because I wouldn't give her free pizza she was never ordering from there again. Anyone who believes that raise their hands.


The second issue, recently a patch went through on our computer software that we use to take orders. It won't let any order that is placed over the phone to go through without an address, even if they are coming to pick up the order. Fine kinda annoying in the fact that it takes longer on the phone, but I am utterly astounded at the stupid of people. I usually get one of four responses:

1. They give the address no questions, good that means they want their food faster.

2. They ask questioningly why we need the address if they are coming to pick it up, I blame it on the mysterious "They" and they give it.

3. They bitch and moan that they shouldn't have to give their address, blah blah blah. Seriously I don't under stand it.

4. And yes this is my favorite one; I'm sorry I don't know my address. I kid you not, grown people who have lived in the same place, the best they can give for an address is a region that they live in.


Sorry this was so long, just to many stupid people.

[Jack]

Can you just make one up for the carryout customers?

[arminius58]

We can, and some co-workers have started to do this. But it comes into an issue if they want a delivery later and the person is to stupid or to lazy to confirm their address. So you end up with a driver looking for an address that doesn't exist.

[Racket_Man]

as for the scammer lady -- for far too long most of the major players in the national chain pizza industry just gave into the customer/scammer figuring it was cheaper than "bad press" or the childhood "telephone game" chain with SC's friends. (ya know one mistake and the whole town supposedly know about it and the story keeps getting stranger and stranger).

SC's figured out quickly they could keep getting free stuff over and over if they complained each and every time esp if the store did not keep accurate records (stores were discourgaged from doing so). so a culture (like most of the reatil world) was built up almost encourging SC and others to get as much free stuff as possible.

When bad times hit in the last 5 years, the companies were literally forced to look at their costs and how to trim them. this led to, among other things like charging for sides of Ranch, extra sause, butter sause,etc. it also led to them cutting down on the scamming (and boy have I seem some real good scams in my day) free stuff. now tight records are kept and people are banned from getting extra free stuff no matter HOW MUCH they complain. if they seem to be getting a lot of "bad or mistake" orders it IS investigated and customer will be banned from delivery.

4. And yes this is my favorite one; I'm sorry I don't know my address. I kid you not, grown people who have lived in the same place, the best they can give for an address is a region that they live in.


Sorry this was so long, just to many stupid people.

welcome to the wonderful world of phone-in food delivery. I swear people should get lost in a town they have lived in all of their lives. JUST look at a peice of mail, your lease, write it on your DAMN underwear for all I care (though some of the underwear today is soo skimpy these days there might not be enough room). and remember to indicate if it is north or south or east or west in the address. VERY IMPORTANT. I do not want to wake someone up at 1am trying to deliver to an address that is supposed to be NORTH XYZ street not SOUTH XYZ street. One wonders how you directed your friends (who I can hear yelling in the background over the loud thump-thump music) to get to your place of residence.

[arminius58]

Yeah I love the new system that the franchisee was forced to get about two years ago, it has cut down on a lot of scammers, because it keeps records of your order including prices etc, for up to 6 months back, or up to so many orders I think 100 or so. So, its easy just to hit a tab and see everything they've ordered.

And yeah I've worked at the pizza place for three years now, so I've seen some really interesting crap come through there in complaints and scams.

Yeah I'm also not the roll over and show my tummy to be ripped open type of person, so my manager really likes me on the phone, he knows I know how to spot the scammers and when we actually mess up on an order.

[joe hx]

back when I worked at <old pizza place> (2000 - 2005) there were "customers" that never paid for their pizza. Each time they called and complained how nasty the pizza was, but for some reason just kept ordering and ordering. Unfortunately it was policy to give in.

It won't let any order that is placed over the phone to go through without an address, even if they are coming to pick up the order.

At <new pizza place> we put "1 Our Parking Lot" as the address for deliveries or carryouts. This lets us know it is a pick up, and also prevents it from accidentally getting delivered. Also it should be obvious that, if they want it delivered, we need the right address.

It is amazing how many people don't know their address. I've had some people have to go outside to look. Then, when I ask them if they're in an apartment or house, and they don't know...

[Jack]

To be fair, I live in a townhouse, one dwelling above, one below; and I'm not sure whether it's considered a house or apartment. I just say house because it's not an apt. block.

[infinitemonkies]

4. And yes this is my favorite one; I'm sorry I don't know my address. I kid you not, grown people who have lived in the same place, the best they can give for an address is a region that they live in.

I see this all the time at the hotel, and I've posted about it many times. I would bet that at least 30% of North Americans don't know what a postal code is, and most of those who do aren't aware there is a system to it.

I swear people should get lost in a town they have lived in all of their lives.

They do. A lot. I've got friends & coworkers who have lived in this city their whole lives and still haven't figured out that odd numbered address are on one side of the street, and even numbered addresses are on the other. Or that if you're looking for address 950 X st, it'll be after 910 X st, but before 980 x st.

I'm also quite positive that as GPS becomes more common and easily availble, people will become even less able to get anywhere without it. Last night I was trying to give directions to a guest at the hotel to get to a MacDonalds. Here's how complicated it was: See this street we're on right now? go in either direction for about 10 blocks. do not make any turns. that's it. Took him 10 minutes to get his route set in his gps.

[Itsjustpizza]

I feel for you OP. We have the system in place that allows us to see what people ordered and when.Tha pretty much stops most scammers when I can tell them ," No Ma'am, the last order we had from you was December 23,2008,you did not order a large with everything on it and only got cheese last night".
I have had people yell at me because they either dont know where they are(how the $%$$ do you not know where you are!)or dont see why we need an address to deliver a pizza.
I really wonder about the state of humanity when people dont know where they are!

[Aethian]

To be fair, I live in a townhouse, one dwelling above, one below; and I'm not sure whether it's considered a house or apartment. I just say house because it's not an apt. block.

Our systems around here (college town) are set up for...

House, Business, Apartment, Condo, Townhome, Mobile Home, Other

I have a feeling the other is used when it's a park party, which I have seen get delivered to.

[Indigo]

Sheesh. I used to have a hard time getting them to find my dorm room. One particular pizza place actually accepts our Uni's meal plan so they get tons of orders from here. They're not too bad at finding the dorm building and they just call you when they're close so you can meet them outside.

Personally, I love them keeping record of my orders. When I give my phone # for delivery, they tend to ask if I want my regular or would I like something different. I also get my pizza within a half hour instead of the 45 min it usually takes everyone else.

I've only gotten one free pizza from them - it was when they had first started taking our meal plan. Apparently they couldn't figure out how to get it to go through, so they brought me my pizza anyways and didn't charge me for it.

[BrenDAnn]

Ah, the fun of taking pizza orders. We still hand-write ours on order slips, but, we have to ask for name and telephone number. No addresses, as we don't do carry out. My manager has a policy in place now that if we see the same name & number complaining to try and get free pizzas a lot, she'll stop giving them freebies. People still try, though. People are fucking cheap! Total sidenote: I live in a house, and I can tell you my address. Too bad there aren't pizza places that will drive fifteen miles from the next town south to deliver to me!

[Pagan]

I really wonder about the state of humanity when people dont know where they are!

No matter where you go, there you are!

They do. A lot. I've got friends & coworkers who have lived in this city their whole lives and still haven't figured out that odd numbered address are on one side of the street, and even numbered addresses are on the other. Or that if you're looking for address 950 X st, it'll be after 910 X st, but before 980 x st.

Or the people that haven't figured out the number system at my apartment complex. The first 1 or 2 numbers is the building, the next number is floor, and the last is the which apartment it is.

Mine is 1118, Bldg. 11, first floor, apt #8. Simple, no?

And after this thread and the one about a lack of a sauce at Subway, I don't know what I want for dinner tomorrow night!

[Shalom]

I have a feeling the other is used when it's a park party, which I have seen get delivered to.

When the Catskill Water Tunnel was finally completed, they held a party in the tunnel. I can just see the guy taking the order. "OK, and you want this delivered where? To an open manhole on 110th Street and Sixth Avenue?? What are you, drunk?"