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Area Five Guys run by manager who can't countenance complaints
By adamg on Fri, 02/21/2014 - 2:45pm
Consumerist reports a Massachusetts Five Guys - exactly which one is not disclosed - has a manager, who, when confronted with a consumer complaint about an order goes by, gets really fried. And then sends a copy of his tirade to the person who filed the complaint.
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Oh god,
One of my employees at my old job once did this. Guy was being an asshat on the phone, went to hand it off to another employee, didn't realize the phone wan't on mute and heard the whole tirade.
The fact that it was the manager however, make it that much worse. Really a DM should know better
how embarrassing
how embarrassing
Guess its
four guys now.
Wow,
what a potty mouth and a "lady" no less :)
I always make it a personal
I always make it a personal policy to air these kinds of frustrations to coworkers/supervisors in person, in the privacy of an office or over the phone in my car. You never know when you are going to accidentally hit "Reply All". Of course there is the often overlooked risk: another coworker accidentally forwarding your tirade down the road as part of a related/unrelated communication. Believe me, there is nothing like scrolling through the history on an email to find someone launching into what they thought was a private screed against you.
Bottom line...never leave a trail!
OUCH!
Sounds like somebody needs a vacation. I didn't know fries were this stressful.
I agree with the manger
They give you a gift card over a minor screwup and you make that comment that it cant be used online? Really that is f-ed.
If this is the Summer Street one, I have had an order screwed up there before, they gave me the wrong burger and fries. I walked back, they re-did my order with an extra order of fries and gave me my money back so I have to say they are very accommodating and deserve more respect than what this douche is giving them.
F that guy
Every person in the US should have to work retail or food job...
I believe everyone in the country should have to work for at least one year in some service job so you can really understand what it's like. I worked in retail management for 25 years and got out 10 years ago. It was the happiest day of my life. What we don't see on the previous post is the original complaint. My guess is the guy was a douche. Sometimes mistakes are made and a gift card and a credit is a very nice gesture and I think appropriate. Granted the manager should have made sure where his response was going before he sent it but you know, when dealing with the "public" sometimes you just have to vent. I had employees that worked part time who were graduate students, artists, writers, intelligent people. When they were hired I made a point to tell them that a lot of customers would assume they are incompetent because they work in a store but not to take it personally. For a lot of people showing indignation toward a business is a belief in the idiotic idiom "the customer is always right." If somebody forgets their fries it's an affront to their dignity and they want compensation! How about calling the business, asking to speak to the manager and saying, "Hey we didn't get something we ordered, can I get a refund or how about the next time I come in we get an extra order?" Simple, polite and respectful.
Perhaps my past experience
Is why I side with the manager. Its disgusting how some people treat service employees.
Agree
His language was a bit inappropriate, but aside form the refund, the Manger was trying to be nice and throw in a free kicker, and the customer was complaining about the extra free stuff he got. Really? Like this customer will never ever ever physically go into a store and use the gift card? (although why gift cards can't be used on-line is a good question...
Maybe.....
I've placed web orders with 5 guys before (or my wife does). When I pick it up, it is already paid by a credit card. I might find it a little annoying if I was unable to place an order online because they wouldn't accept the gift card. The whole point of ordering online is so you don't have to wait in the store. And I love 5 guys, but they can take a while to prepare your food if you order in store.
ASS U Ming a lot aren't we
I can't find the complaint that "john" wrote anywhere. Why is everyone so sure it was rude? the consumerist describes it as polite. It can be annoying when you ask for a refund and get a credit instead. The only way you can use it is to return to the offending restaurant. For John to say I can't use this isn't much of an excuse to freak out.
It's A Reasonable Assumption
That website specializes in sensationalizing consumer complaints, so if the text that "John" wrote to the company was indeed respectful and polite, including it would enhance the story. However, since the website deliberately chose not to include it, it's a reasonable assumption that it would have justified the manager's strong reaction.
When only one side of a story is told, all anyone can do is make assumptions about the other.
its bizarre to me that this
its bizarre to me that this many people would pile on because it is reasonably possible that the customer was rude. how about some facts?
Just The Facts, Madam ...
Here are the facts:
Did I leave anything out?
The glaring omission of John's second complaint speaks for itself. First of all, after getting an apology, a refund, and a free gift card, what more could he want? Reading through the manager's poor choice of vocabulary lies the core sentiment of her response to whatever it was John wrote:
If this so-called "Consumerist" website had a shred of integrity, they would have included the whole email in context.
It's more than just a reasonable possibility that the customer was rude, given the facts we have. I think it's highly likely he was unpleasant and/or unreasonable, if not also threatening! If you are assuming John was pleasant and polite, then what are you imagining he wrote that would leave someone "speechless" over missing fries?
why are you so quick to pile on?
I'm not denying the possibility but there is no evidence of negative behavior on the part of "john". Is it actually that reasonable to assume that it takes very much to upset a fast food manager? Especially when said manager thinks that people complaining about an order is "a perfect example of why this world is fucked"
The only thing that has less integrity than leaving out parts of the story that don't agree with your agenda, is people that pile on without evidence.
There Is Very Strong Circumstantial Evidence
.
No evidence does not equal
No evidence does not equal circumstantial evidence. He said he couldn't use the refund to pay online. The manager seems very comfortable using foul language to attack customers along as it's not to anyone s face. That would be strong circumstantial evidence that the manager is a coward and a jerk.
I Beg Your Pardon, But You Missed A Crucial Detail In The Story
The refund was to be credited directly to the credit card he used for the initial purchase, so he got his money back. It was just the additional free gift card that couldn't be used online.
The fact that the manager exercised poor judgement does nothing to suggest that the customer's second complaint/demand was reasonable and pleasant.
How does that prove it was unreasonable?
I guess you don't need facts
It Clearly Proves That You Didn't Read The Story ...
... because you mistakenly thought that the refund couldn't be used online.
Do you dispute any of the ten facts I listed from the story, or are you simply dismissing them?
2.5 facts
the rest is conjecture. you don't know what facts are.
Facts Are Things That Are Indisputably The Case
I listed ten pieces of information that I gathered from reading all of the story. You haven't been able to tell me which, if any of those facts you dispute. Most illogical.
there is one redacted email
there is one redacted email in the original article. There is a description of the surrounding events as interpreted by the reported. your list is mostly what you presume are the "logical" motives of the customer and the author. you equate facts with information "deliberately" left out of the article. Assumptions are not facts or information. your interpretation seems like fantasy to me
Yours Smells Like A Cinnamon Flavored French Fry Fantasy To Me
.