Panera Bread — Restaurant in Needham

I am generally a Panera fan and understand busy times and how things can get backed up. There is also a broad difference by location and because most are uniformly good in cleanliness, service, friendliness and promptness, this is directed at the Panera at 120 Highland Ave in Needham, MA.

Yesterday's experience was the worst, even allowing for a burst of traffic. My order was simple enough, Pick-2 soup and half sandwich and a ceramic mug for coffee.

I gave my name, spelled it out (four letters, B-r-a-d). Paid with a $20 for an order of $11-something. Easy.

The cashier seemed befuddled and rang up that I tendered $10, ok, happens. It took a supervisor away from another register to move that one along. The line behind grew. Finally all set, I am waiting for my coffee mug. I asked again for a mug. I know, first world problems, but still, this is not a difficult thing. I get handed a paper cup.

I move aside to make room for other patrons. I ask another supervisor for a mug and she sends another person to find one. Finally a mug is held up with a quizzical look... (Yes, that is a mug, may I have it please?)

Over to the coffee urns. The person bringing out the coffee urns is clearly in the weeds. Puts the coffee urns in place but does not change the "time brewed" signs. So all of the coffee appears to be two hours (c)old. Some actually were.

Sandwich came up. Grilled cheese, the tiniest half sandwich, half of which was welded to the cardboard and appeared to have been heated before. The cheese at the cardboard was not even warm, the top was hot. This was a reheat job. A quarter of the sandwich remained on the cardboard. I did not want to make a scene of me gnawing on it. Sad, really.

The check with my name on it though, was spelled, "Bread". OK, close enough.

One of the managers came by to clear tables; I asked if he was "The" manager, he replied with a smile, "one of them!" and before I could speak further, he was gone. Busy, I get that.

OK, every place has bad days and it is hard to find qualified help. I get that. But this crew was really, no pun intended, out to lunch. If there was training, it did not show. Not just cashiering (takes some training), but moving coffee out, noting which is fresh, keeping the dairy stocked, getting mugs, spelling a customer's name correctly. Not butchering a simple GC sandwich. I should have gone home for lunch.

So, managers of 120 Highland Ave Panera- please train your staff, even going back to the basics. Jobs depend on it....

I came around 6pm and ate dinner, played a game, and stepped out for a walk. I came back 9 min before 8pm, when my Too Good To Go order was scheduled for pick up. It wasn’t ready yet, and I get that, I was early, so I stood to the side, listened to music in my earbuds, and looked out the window.

Someone, who I assume was the manager, came over and handed bags of tiny orange scones to the woman who was packaging the treats. I took my earplugs out and said “can I make a request? Can I have some of the orange scones?” The manager snapped “no requests! It’s a surprise box! You don’t get to pick!”

WOW. Aside from the fact that I’ve been using Too Good to Go for maybe a year, and I also managed a cafe of my own, and if I have ever said “just so you know, I really like x treat,” the response has ALWAYS been “ooh me too! I’ll make sure you get one.” I mean, it’s there. It’s getting given away anyway. Why be rude and say “you don’t get to make requests!” That’s just poor customer service.

That $3 interaction could build you rapport, and that customer will come back. OR, you can do what this guy did, and argue about a $3 scone you’re about to throw out anyway, and leave the customer with a bad experience, unlikely to come back.

The places I frequent, I often tell them “just so you know, I really like x,” and they absolutely give it to me if it’s there. And guess what: I make a point to give those places MORE business, because I start to build relationships.

I also worked for Panera back in the day. I won employee of the month twice. How? I put the customer first. If the customer got excited about a blueberry bagel with maple walnut cream cheese, I did too. If I knew a customer enjoyed a specific treat, and I saw them coming, I would use that as a conversation piece and say: “Hey (insert name here)! I was thinking about you when I saw we had one brownie left! I’m so glad you made it in time!!!”

THAT is customer service. What I experienced today was a stupid power trip over a cheap scone.

Customer service is EVERYTHING.

Read your reviews. It looks like this is point of weakness. I hope my review inspires change. I do love Panera.

Read my other reviews. I review a lot, and rarely is it negative. This interaction stuck...

So, everyone I interacted with was very pleasant, and did their best to.fix the.mishap(s.) that happened. Just from being there before my order was ready I could tell from observance that the staff was in a good mood ( smiling, happy batter with each other (( without being distracted))

I work three jobs and in between shifts I have a limited amount time to get to point B from point A while trying to get food in my system. Therefore, Panera's Rapid Order program seemed awesome. It took longer than the timeframe given ( I accept this, I've been there. Busy happens) My food order was wrong when I received it ( I got a broth bowl combo ... and was.missing the broth bowl) They remade it, initially telling me it wouldn't have lentils... but oh wait, we do!! So they remake my food. I leave Panera and call my work to let them know i will be late . My order was placed at 3:10 and it is now 3:48( again, I've been there ) I get to my 2nd job,set up everything for open, and take a second to eat a few bites of this broth bowl... There is chicken. I'm a vegetarian. I've been a veg-head for 13 years so finding meat in my food at the least makes me nauseous but usually makes me puke. Guess what I did. No one was rude, but in the end run my order came out messed up twice and I was 30 minutes away and unable to call/...