Jersey Mike's Subs — Restaurant in Sarasota

I had bought 3 gift cards online last Christmas (one $25 and two $5) and when I received the emails, I activated them with my son so I could print them out. I went with my wife to buy subs for our workplace at around 1PM and when I went to checkout, the employee said that one of $5 gift cards did not work and said that it was not activated. I told him that I had activated them and called my son to check the email to make sure, and my son confirmed. However, the employee said he can't do anything and refused to ask his coworkers for help, so I paid the remainder with my credit card. I had not even moved away when he immediately started ringing up the next customer, and before I even realized that he had mixed up the two 5 dollar gift cards when he gave them back to me, and when we asked him which one was used, he shrugged and said he did not know, and when we asked him if there is a receipt, so we can look for the information, he said that we should have asked him earlier for the receipt before he started ringing up our subs. I told the employee, "Why is the customer responsible for asking for receipt before the order, in any other Fast Food and Sub chain, they either automatically print the receipt or ask them, especially if something is going wrong with the order. I also need a receipt for my workplace records." Then I asked the employee how I was supposed to know which gift card was used since he mixed them up, and if he can check the balance on them, and how do I know if he charged us the right amount, and he shrugged and said, "It's not my problem, go check your credit card statement." I told him that the transaction takes time to show up on the credit card, and the Jersey Mike's website to check the gift card balance doesn't work, but the employee just shrugged again and said, "Not my problem." The customer he was ringing up looked shocked at his attitude, but the employee just ignored it and checked them out. I told him that I will report this to Jersey Mike's corporate, the employee laughed at me and said, “Go ahead, I don't care.” However, when I asked for his name, he said it very quickly, so I wasn't able to hear it clearly, but it was something like Kell. I asked him again, but he refused to say his name, so I said I will take a picture, and he laughed at me and even waved when I took a picture. As I was leaving, he was laughing at me still.

This is incredibly unprofessional and a horrible experience. A customer should not be harassed and mocked by an employee when the employee messed up...

I was really in the mood for a sandwich with red pepper relish, so I pulled into Jersey Mikes. I walk in behind a lady and her son, and see another customer waiting at the counter looking towards the back of the store as if she was waiting on someone to come out front. A few moments go by and she tell us (after another customer walks in) that she isn't sure where anybody is. She said that she had been waiting there for a little while to pick up het Online Order and had yet to see or hear anyone and wondered if the employees were out back taking a break.

The five of us kind of chuckled in disbelief and I decided to go around the side of the building to see if there was anyone back there. I found a female employee walking around speaking on her cell phone and smoking a cigarette. I asked her if she was the only one working. She said no and I told her that there was a few people inside waiting. She quickly got off her phone and said she would be right in.

I walked back in, she apologized profusely, exclaimed that there definitely should have been someone there and that she really couldn't afford to get in any trouble. She then helped the customer that was waiting on her Online Order and proceeded to assist the lady with her son.

When a group of more customer's began showing up, she called to the back for Austin to come help. Austin (who looked like he just woke up from a nap or hot-boxed the walk-in) came out asking what was going on and immediately noticed the store full of customers and got right to work assisting customers.

My thoughts are: Who ever owns/manages this store is very lucky that I really was in the mood for that Red Pepper Relish and Freshly sliced deli meat, because I still waited the half hour and spent the $17.91 (and apparently others have/will, too. Though, this is not the first uniquely poor experience that I've had at this specific Jersey Mikes and it probably will not continue to get away with these operational practices forever.

Also, the bread was very stale and their were gnats flying around all over the store (not too bad, just a few, I've seen worse).

Also, the server name on the receipt says "Matt". Not sure where he was either. It may help to check the security camera footage.

I will definitely remember thisexperience the next time I get that craving and just...

I visited this Jersey Mike’s on a Saturday afternoon with my wife and children, and unfortunately, it was one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had at this chain. We eat at Jersey Mike’s regularly and have always had positive experiences elsewhere, but this location was the complete opposite.

The issue began when my seven-year-old son politely tried to place his order. Instead of taking the order directly from him, the employee behind the counter (the woman pictured above) turned to me and, without looking at him, dismissively asked, “What’s he saying?” Her tone was demeaning and made my son feel ignored — as if he wasn’t even worth being acknowledged. I was stunned, and calmly clarified that he had ordered a kids’ turkey sub.

From there, things only got worse. While still cutting meat for the first sandwich, she demanded that I place my order, my wife’s order, and the rest of my children’s orders all at once — five sandwiches, each with modifications. I politely asked if she was sure she could keep them straight, and she curtly replied that she wouldn’t have asked if she couldn’t remember. Unsurprisingly, she struggled to keep track of everything, became visibly irritated, and spoke to us with open hostility.

When I mentioned again that I did not appreciate the way she had spoken to my son, she flat-out called me a liar. At that point, the interaction turned confrontational, and she told us, “Well, you can just leave if you don’t like it.” We did exactly that — walked out without our food, shaken by how needlessly rude and aggressive she had been.

It was clear this employee did not want to be there and resented the very customers she was supposed to serve. No one expects perfection, especially when short-staffed, but what is unacceptable is blatant disrespect — particularly toward a child — and escalating to calling a customer dishonest instead of resolving concerns professionally.

I strongly encourage management to review how this store is staffed and to address this employee’s conduct. A brand built on hospitality and friendliness cannot afford to have representatives who treat guests like an...