Poor customer service at Potbelly

I don't know why, but lately I find myself lacking in patience and understanding.

Potbelly is a simple concept, based on tried and true assembly line principles. The person who takes your order assembles the ingredients of your sandwich and places them in the toaster. When the toasted sandwich emerges, a second employee dresses your sandwich with your selected toppings and wraps your sandwich. A cashier bags your order -sandwich, drink, etc. - and completes your financial transaction.

Simple, really.

Or perhaps not.

I walked into Potbelly, waited my turn on line, and placed an order for a meatball sandwich.

All of the customers ahead of me had received their sandwiches. The young lady behind the counter asked me "Which sandwich?"

I told her.

She looked in the toaster. No meatball sandwich. "It will just be a minute."

So she helped the next customer. And the next customer after that.

And then the young man behind the counter asked me "Which sandwich?"

"Meatball."

He looked at the toaster, then looked at me as if he wasn't sure he heard me correctly. The acoustics are horrible in that place.

So I raised my voice a bit and repeated "Meatball."

You would have thought I was speaking a foreign language.

So I said "Meatball. You know, the sandwich I ordered before all these other people came into the shop."

At that point he was looking at me as if I had two heads. And he hadn't said a word to me, nothing like "It looks like we had a problem with your sandwich," or "I'm sorry there was a delay." Not a single word.

I have no patience for this.

My lunch today came from Long Island Bagel Cafe.

• 

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad