Pizza Hut — Restaurant in Colchester

I'm sorry I have to write this review as I'm not that kind of guy. However after giving. Chloe H, Anne C and Senga W the change to resolve my complaint at Pizza Hut customer "service" and them falling sort of resolving that matter. I now wish to share me complaint publicly. I visit with my wife the Colchester pizza hut for the buffet lunch. We arrived and quickly seated, handed a menu and asked if we knew how to order via the app. Nothing else was said and the staff member walked away. We ordered x2 bottomless drinks x2 lunch buffet meal. A staff member brought over the glasses for our drinks. I got up and went to get a drink only to find 50% of the drinks on the drinks machine were sold out. Including the drinks me and my partner wanted. Not wanting to cause a fuss I settled for an alternative drink. The I went to the buffet stand were there was one full sized cheese and tomato pizza and on individual (4 sliced) pizza, plus some garlic bread. I decided to again tolerate this as it was early in the buffet time. But this didn't change. Every visit to the pizza stand was the same. One full sized cheese and tomato, them one individual pizza this was supposed to feed at the time around 10 tables of customers. I question the cook and the response was "I can only bring out what's cooked" needless to.say we left and won't return. I felt we should have been notified whilst being seated if there was availability issue. Before I was allowed to spend money on products advertised that weren't available. So having already paid I contacted customer service and explained all of this and kindly as for a refund. I keep getting a stand response of a £10 voucher offer. This is worthless to me as I won't be returning. And the reason for the full refund being denied is because I'm told there was "availability issues, not quality issues" So pizza hut are happy to sell you stuff that doesn't exist and refuse a refund (fraud basically) but if you pizza is cold you can have your money back. Don't visit the chain, let alone this...

This Pizza Hut branch now insists you have to use the app to order. I was quite upset and confused why we couldn't just order with staff - apparently they are taking part in a national trial. The app isn't great, and I had issues with it taking ages to place an order. It's not really a restaurant anymore yet still cost £55 for two pizzas and two unlimited drinks! It's also odd the app asks for a tip (why would you tip when you've not eaten or really spoken to anyone?) - so I'm sure that's impacted tips staff receive too.

Unfortunately because of this, the whole service and experience has gone downhill - once food came over, no one asked if our food was OK and they took a while to clear my plate away (I guess they only know you've finished when you order a dessert on the app).

After clearing away my plate, the manager came to ask if we wanted any dessert. We ordered on the app straight after but the manager had decided to clean the ice cream machine in the couple of minutes between, so we couldn't have any! (it was 9.30, so still half an hour until close.) A bit odd really - why not warn us it would be off soon if that was the case? We were offered a bowl of scooped Ice cream but it's not really worth it for £5 each! Anyway, thanks to the app I now have to wait 24hrs+ for my refund, whereas if it had been a proper restaurant I wouldn't have been charged in the first place...

Pizza Hut used to be my favourite restaurant. But I was left feeling so let down after this visit. I really hope this trial isn't rolled out elsewhere. It makes for such a soulless and unwelcoming experience. This may be the last time I ever visit a...

It wasn't bad to be honest.

Edit:

They are open after the lockdown but to be honest don't bother going!

The way they have decided to interpret the rules are so detrimental to their business it makes the customer experience terrible.

We went in and had to download an app to order because explaining to the waiter would be too hard I guess? This brought about more problems such as things on the menu weren't on the app menu. Then once we spent more than necessary trying to order what we wanted and having to settle for what we could get instead. We wanted another round of drinks but the phone we'd registered on was running out of battery and there was no way I was going through all that again so we left. It was quicker and loads cheaper to walk to Asda and get a drink rather than mess about with that headache process again. To top it all off the single pizza for £10+ is just a small 8-9in which is so hugely over priced I was shocked.

Bottom line is they have made it too difficult to go out for a quick bite to eat and as a result are alienating their customers. Some people are technophobes and they won't like this 'new' experience, maybe older people too. Just let the waiters do what they normally do and sanitise the card machine before and after, it'd be quicker and easier for everybody. Also can't stand giving out all my personal data because I fancy a pizza now and again, it's becoming normal to tell you local restaurant, pub, DIY store my date of birth...