This isn’t the first time we’ve had a complaint about the service at the Panera Bread by the Park Meadows Mall in Colorado, but this will likely be the last. A shame, because I really do like Panera’s sandwiches and coffee, but …
Here’s what I wrote on the survey form I filled out for them online (which is abridged because of the size of the input field):
We arrived to find a waiting area full of people. We went over to the registers at the sandwich area — where the “Place Order Here” sign was. And waited. And waited. And waited. Noticed, finally, that some people over at the bakery counter were being waited on. We moved over there. And waited. And waited. There was no perceptible line, no indication of where to / not to order from, no number to take, nothing like that. Finally, we asked one of the people
at the counter where we could order sandwiches, and were directed to the sandwich counter. We went and stood there a minute, and finally a sandwich person told us, no, we needed to go over to the bakery area. My wife, rather irked by now, went back over to the bakery counter and asked if she could order something. No apology or sense of welcome from the counter, just “Can I take your order?” We like Panera food, but we will *not* be returning to this particular Panera shop.
I’ll add the following:
- The gal at the register who finally took our order pretended she’d never seen Margie before, including a minute before when she told Margie she needed to order the food at the sandwich counter.
- The sandwiches come with side order. There is no list of side orders anywhere. Any. Where. The very helpful (in a way that’s not) rattled off the list at high speed. When I asked her to repeat it, she rattled it off at high speed again. I heard chips at the beginning, and apple somewhere in the middle, so I ordered an apple, which I didn’t want, but I didn’t want chips more. I wish I knew what the other options were, but I didn’t feel like asking her to re-peat-it-sloooow-ly.
We’ll see if we get any response from the Panera Powers That Be. And, to be sure, we will almost certainly go to Panera again — like the food, like the drink (including what we got today) — but not that one.
We often find ourselvses at Panera, even on trips, but we’re lucky in that the local shops have good service when ordering either bakery or sandwich items. Most of the local ones offer the side items, and they rattle them off, but also point or indicate a basket-tray by the register that contains your choices. Not quite point-and-grunt, but close enough.
Also, Panera does a lot of work with local charities, and once a group is registered with them, they can pick up end-of-day bread and rolls. I’ve been meaning to get our little food pantry signed up for church so that we can pick up bread products to hand out the night of our monthly food distribution.
It’s too bad about your local shop. Hope the feedback finds its way to the right person.
Me, too. I know Panera does a lot of local charity stuff, and I do enjoy the food.
It’s the same situation at the Panera on Iliff/Peoria in Aurora, CO…no lines, people ignoring you, etc. I quit going there. Maybe the two stores have the same district manager or owners or something. It’s a shame because I like their soup bowls, but not worth the hassle and frustration.
A reply from a “Customer Service Coordinator”:
I thanked the person graciously for the offer, and included my address, but noted that it was unlikely that I would be spending the gift card at that particular Panera.
Props to Panera (or “Breads of the World”) for the quick, positive, and encouraging response. I would feel better if I got a note back from that District Manager, or the shop manager. We’ll see.
Well, good customer service folks at least.
I have never eaten at one, so, what are they and what do the have? Is it a sandwich place like the Atlanta Bread Company?
I have heard the two grouped together before.
They have fresh baked goods (bread and nummies). They also do sandwiches and soup, along with coffees of various varieties (including a house spiced latte that is quite nice).
Okay, I will have to look around for one and check them out.
Thankfully I live far away from the one in Park Meadows. ;P
Well, got a nice gift card and a letter:
Signed by Jeff Rains, President.
Kudos on the nice message, and the gift card. Still not likely to visit that restaurant again, at least not soon, but I’ll definitely continue to give Panera my patronage elsewhere.