I'm frustrated, because I'd rather give my feedback to the owner, but there seems to be no way to communicate directly with them, so I'll post my experience here.
On 7/23 I pre-ordered for later pickup 4 large pizzas. The pick-up time was stated as 7:45pm. I arrived on time, and went to the door. I know that they've shortened their hours, but it wasn't closing time yet, yet it was dark inside, and appreared that way. I opened the door, and sure enough there were no customers, but several employees were present. If it had been a locker room, they'd have been too busy popping towels, to notice me. As it was, I was trying to get their attention, but they really either couldn't hear me or didn't care. I did not have a mask to go inside, so I continued to stand there at the entry waiting for someone to decide to look around or respond, but they were still too busy with their personal conversations, music, etc..., so after continuing to being ignored, I stepped inside. Mind you there were no customers there at all. ZERO.
I waited again for them to acknowledge me, but they didn't so I walked to the counter, and although now I know they were aware of my presence, they still ignored me. I ended up nearly walking all the way to the counter, before a young lady finally came around the corner and asked if she could help me. I said I was here to pick up 4 pizzas and gave my name. She pointed to the soda machine. I said, no, I don't need a drink. I'm just here to pick up a to go order. She had to ask my name, as she clearly didn't listen to anything I had just said. At this point, she disappeared, without a word. Out of respect for the mask request posted on the door, I went back to wait at the door assuming, she'd bring them to me. As I was standing there waiting, the two young men who were too busy to notice or help me earlier decided to stop whatever they were doing behind the conter and rapidly approached me and said 1) The dining room is closed. I said I'm not here to dine in, just picking up. Then he said 2) You need to get out of this building. I looked at him quizically and said what? he repreated the command, and said I was breaking the law not wearing a mask. I just responded that I'll leave as soon as you guys bring my pizzas to me. It went downhill from there.
I didn't want to be inside the restaurant to begin with, I was just there to pick up, and only went inside after they ignored me at the door and after making multiple attempts to get their attention verbally. I was left with no choice, but to go inside. Then, instead of simply saying something polite, such as Sir, would you mind waiting outside, we'll bring your pizzas to you, he decided to go all Paul Blart Mall Cop on me, and be a real bully about it.
IF you are going to have contactless pickup, your employees need to be prepared to do their job, and not make people come inside if they aren't wanting to or are not prepared to. I had been on a bike ride and had purchased the pizzas for a small group of people to eat outside next door at a picnic table.
This whole thing was a bad enough experience for me to simply mark them off my list. The entire staff was so personally distracted and disengaged to begin with it wouldn't have been an issue. It's no wonder that business seems to be suffering and hours are cut back. As I rethought the whole experience, it should have been as simple as them politely offering to bring my pizzas to me outside, as I expected, instead of disappearing without a word and not coming back, I wouldn't have even come inside or waited inside (albeit only one step inside the door) had they been paying attention or responded. But at the end of the day they have no process for how to pick up a pizza without coming in, apparently. Even places like Whataburger have figured out how to do that.
The pizzas elevate the experience to a 1 star, as they were their normal predictable selves, nothing great in any way, but nothing horribly bad, either. I feel bad for the owner, whoever that is.
I'll readily admit I did not present my normal friendly response to the whole thing, as it caught me so off guard with the menacing threats and complete lack of intent to provide legitimate service, that I stooped to their level and basically responded that you don't have to be a F'n d!*k. But, I'm pretty sure that was the conscious choice made by both employees, when coming at me while I waited at the door, from behind the counter 30 feet away. read more