Pizza Name Calling

(A popular pizza chain is having a promotion where most of their pizzas are heavily discounted, but only with pickup rather than delivery. Anticipating that the store might be annoyingly crowded because of the sale, I place my order online, thinking it will be a quick in and out that way. I keep a close eye on their online tracker, and as soon as it indicates my pizza should be done, I head over to the store, which is just a one-minute walk down the block I live on. It’s a small location, and it is completely PACKED with probably close to fifty high-schoolers and college kids, all placing orders in-store and then waiting for them, from the looks of it. I awkwardly elbow my way through them towards the pickup counter.)

Me: “Hi. Here to pick up the [pizza] for [My Name]? According to your online tracker, it should be done.”

Worker #1: “No, doesn’t look like it is, sorry. The tracker isn’t accurate right now because of the rush.” *immediately starts to turn towards the next person*

Me: “Wait, sorry, but are you sure? It does also say, ‘Ready for pickup,’ for my order on your in-store screen, right here. Could you double-check, please? The order for [My Name]?”

Worker #1: *taps the computer screen* “Yeah, no, they’re only just starting to prepare that one, so it’ll be another ten- to fifteen-minute wait. It’s just really busy right now. Next, please?”

(I wait, standing right beside the pickup counter, since the crowd is very loud and I’m worried I might miss them calling out my name, otherwise. Ten minutes go by, then fifteen. Lots of names are being called out for pizzas that are done, eventually including people I saw come in and order in-store after I was already there. Every other minute or two, [Worker #2] will also repeat a list of orders that have been ready for a while but not picked up yet. It’s approaching the twenty-minute mark, and my name has not once been called yet, so I’m just about to go up again and investigate, when…)

Worker #2: *checks* “I also still have the order for [Other Girl that has been called at least six times now]? [Other Girl]?” *no response from the crowd; the worker sighs* “And then I also still have the pizza for [My Name]? [My Name], has she finally arrived yet?!”

Me: “What? I’ve been standing right here for the past twenty minutes, and this is the first time you’re announcing my order!”

Worker #2: *defensively* “Your name was called as soon as it was done.”

Me: “And I might not have been in yet at that exact time since I ordered online, but why didn’t you repeat it even once when you’ve been repeating all the others?”

Worker #2: *now outright annoyed* “Well, why did you just silently stand there, instead of coming to the counter yourself once you came in?!”

Me: “Because that’s exactly what I did, and she—“ *points to [Worker #1]* “–told me it would be another fifteen-minute wait!”

([Worker #1] and [Worker #2] turn to each other and share a brief “deer in headlights” look.)

Worker #2: *still grumpily* “Well, it’s hectic, okay? Look, you have your pizza now, so just go home and enjoy it.” *turns to the next person*

(Obviously, I was annoyed, both at the unnecessary wait and [Worker #2]’s complete lack of apology and attitude like I was just another typical NAR customer. However, it WAS pretty chaotic in the store, and both workers were probably between 15 and 18 years old, so I also felt bad for them and decided to let it slide. But then, I finally got home with my now-lukewarm pizza, opened the box, and found that it had onions on it, even though I specifically requested them off on the order form because I’m allergic. That pushed me over the edge, and I sent in a complaint to corporate after all. A few days later, I received an apology where they admitted some of their locations couldn’t properly keep up with the extra demand from the promotion, and they were sending me a coupon code for a free pizza so I could give them another try when they were less rushed, at their expense. Fair enough, so I decided to give them another chance a week later. I tried to place an online order… and discovered that the coupon actually worked as a BOGO deal, where I’d have to purchase at least one pizza myself to qualify for my complimentary pizza. This is where I just gave up and vowed to not buy from this pizza chain again.)