Picky As Heck Or Fishing For Freebies?

I work as a manager at a pizza place in a rich college town. I have been there for ten years and I love my job. I handle most customer concerns because I’m very good in those situations. I keep my cool, and most of the time, I can correct any problem.

One of our regulars is a whole family that orders from three of our stores, so we all are familiar with them. The daughter (early college age) calls up and orders. When she shows up, she asks for two ranch cups, which we are supposed to charge for.

Me: “Okay, that will be an extra dollar.”

She flips on me.

Customer: “You normally just give it to me for free!”

Me: “I’m sorry for that, but we’re supposed to charge for it. Do you still want it?”

Customer: “No.”

And she leaves.

Two days later, she orders again and after she picks up her pizza, she calls back to complain.

Customer: “You put ham on my pizza, which is against my religion! Can I get another one sent out?”

We are VERY aware of their religion, and we respect it, so we always make sure to triple-check their pizzas before sending them out.

Me: “Absolutely, I’ll send out a new pizza. When it arrives, can you give the driver the messed up one, please?”

This is our protocol. She flips out on me.

Customer: “I shouldn’t have to return the pizza! You just need to send out a new one!”

Finally, two days after THAT, she calls for an order. I hear the driver repeat her order back to her and end the call. She calls back after receiving her order and talks to the driver who took her order.

Customer: “I’m missing a whole pizza. I ordered a specialty pizza and it’s not here. Can you send it out, please?”

The driver flips out.

Driver: “I repeated your order back to you and you said it was correct!”

I have him tell her that if she wants to order another pizza, we will waive the delivery fee. They go back and forth literally arguing about the order. I let it go on because I am fed up. Once the conversation switches to personal insults, I take the phone.

Customer: “Do you know who we are? My dad owns ten [Sandwich Shop Chain]s. We could buy your pizza place from you! I’m not trying to get free food.”

Then, she has her dad call us.

Dad: “What’s the driver’s name? I will make it my life’s mission to have him fired and ruin his life.”

Me: “Now that you are threatening us, you can have my name, and I’m ending this conversation.”

He literally called the store EVERY two minutes for an hour. We weren’t answering. I didn’t lose my cool, but this guy was relentless! They reported me to corporate but they sided with me.

We wanted to ban them from our location (and the other two in our area) and we couldn’t. However, we did implement a system where we would repeat their orders to them slowly and clearly, ask if they wanted to add ranch making sure to say it was fifty cents each, and show them their orders before they left with them and have them confirm again that they were correct. They quit coming around on my shifts.