Panera bread is a great company, but this wasn't the best example. I called in an order (yes 2002 style called) because I was on the highway and didn't want to use the app. Took longer then I expected to pick up and when the lady did she sounded rush and put me on a hold. When she came back I placed my order and was told 5 minutes.
I'm thinking great and I was there in 6 minutes.
Saw a coffee cup and water cups just sitting on an outside table dirty, just the little things getting lost in the cracks. As you go in Panera if you have a pick-up you can usually just grab it from the box and go.
My order was not there.
So the food runner or table walk by girl was there an I asked if they had an order for me, she said hold on and asked the chefs. "Never got a ticket" was the response I overheard.
In NO WAY was the cook to blame for that statement, the company's policy is: no ticket, no taco.
Here's where the lady manager steps in and says yeah I'll be right with you. Takes her time to walk thru the back to make sure my order is started, then tell me it's a communication issue and sorry. Offers me my drinks and I tell her to just keep them with my food so I can step outside to smoke. Come back in and then got my order from one of the runner/table girls. Then as I get my drinks I watch the girls just stand there and talk while the drink station needed a clean and refill. As I walked out the door after about 8-12 minutes of my first encounter with this Panera location the coffee cup and water cups where still there.
Standards and organization have been lost here, specifically with job detailed schedule. Now I'm just a senior in college studying business but I know the importance of having side jobs for employees to complete when there is not an influx of customer service.
It's not that they were understaffed, just unmotivated employees. Which leaves the manager trying to pick up the pieces! No wonder she said a communication issue, duhh because your employees are running the circus!!!!!! In no way did I mean to make that sound rude. Just the actions that I saw in front of me today. Oh and the five to six bad reviews in the last 7 months.