AJ's Fine Foods Incompetent Deli worker and manager. Horrible service! Scottsdale Arizona
I am absolutely furious with this store. I have been a long time customer of AJ's and have purchased sandwiches from the Deli for many years. I have always gone to the location on Scottsdale Rd and Lone Mountain, and have always had excellent service and enjoyed the fantastic selection of quality food. Due to recently moving, this location of AJ's on north Pima Road is now closer to me. This evening I stopped in on my way from work to get two sandwiches. My order, which as usual is very simple, consisted of one club sandwich and one half Italian sandwich. The incompetent deli worker, (cashier number 0301) first told me that they do not provide half sandwiches.
I told him that AJ's does offer half sandwiches as they are on the menu, and I have ordered half sandwiches for many years. He then asked me how to cut the bread...I had to tell him how to cut the bread diagonally. He could not figure out how to put all of the condiments and ingredients onto a half piece of bread, so he layed it across both sliced pieces of bread and put the remaining tops on as he was unable to understand how to make a half sandwich. He decided to not cut the ingredients he put on the sandwich in half and quickly put both bread tops on and closed the box. Next he attempted to make the club sandwich.
He cut the sour dough bread and put lettuce on it and asked if this concluded the sandwich. I laughed, thinking he was joking...but sadly realized he wasn't. I told him I want the regular club sandwich, just the way it is described on the menu...(turkey, bacon, ham, lettuce, onion, mustard and mayo). After this lengthy process I was glad to be done and get out of there. He charged me for two full sandwiches, not a half and a full sandwich like I ordered and conversely he punched only one sandwich on my AJ's sandwich card because I ordered a half sandwich. This would have made sense, if I actually got what I ordered and didn't pay for 2 full sandwiches. Upon getting home, I opened what was supposed to be my half Italian sandwich, and could not believe that he never put any meat on the sandwich!
It was only bread, lettuce, and roasted peppers...no meat! This was pretty upsetting so I called the store to tell them what happened. I was very polite, and have never called a store or complained like this ever in my life. To my surprise, the manager I spoke with, Dave House, was denying AJ's did anything wrong. So much for the customer is always right...and all of the years I have been shopping at AJ's and this guy without knowing the situation accuses me of being wrong. He finally offered to put my name on some board and when I come in next time I can have a free sandwich, but I will not be going back. AJ's lost a customer for life and I cannot believe this experience I had with this location.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
Loyal Customer?
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, February 19, 2014
Wow, what loyalty..they make one mistake and you are ready to never step foot in their stores again.
.it's a result of the manager telling me I was wrong. His theory was to deny they did anything wrong.
- Oh is that the same manager who said that the next time you come in they will give you a free sandwich? I get it now..you didn't just want a free sandwich you wanted more and held out for not only a free sandwich(by way of the refund) but an additional gift card.
again, we are talking about two sandwiches, it's not the end of the world.
- Apparently it was for you.
As far as there being no meat in the sandwich, another deli worker cut the meat and gave it to the guy making the sandwich. He said to him, remember to put this in the sandwich, lol....I did not watch the entire process all the way through,
- So now all of the sudden we have another mystery employee who apparently cut the meat, but failed to make sure it was put in the sandwich. Oh and as for you saying you didn't watch the entire process...based on your extremly detailed naration in your original report that is not the impression you left.
I didn't want to extend this painfully slow trip to AJ's any longer so I paid the extra few dollars
- You paid the extra few dollars because you got a full sandwich.
The other odd thing is where did this mystery employee who cut the meat go? Did they just swoop in after you ordered your sandwich to slice the meat and vanish into thin air as soon as the meat was cut? Seems a bit odd how this mystery employee who you never even mentioned in your original report and according to you didn't even trust the employee would apparently not intervene at all.
Oh and no I am not an employee of this store or for that matter any store...in fact unless that sandwich was supposed to come with a ton of meat...$10 for a whole sandwich from a grocery store seems a bit overpriced.
Cosmod
Cave Creek,Arizona,
Loyal customer
#6Author of original report
Tue, February 18, 2014
Robert,
The reason why I would stop going there is not because of the one bad employee...it's a result of the manager telling me I was wrong. His theory was to deny they did anything wrong. I just wanted to let them know about the employee and inability of them to make a sandwich. It really didn't have to be a big deal, I would have expected the manager to be understanding...and I did not need anything for free. He offered that at the very end of the conversation just as a customary response to problems but continued to deny their fault or be sympathetic. This is not the way a manager should deal with a customer....again, we are talking about two sandwiches, it's not the end of the world.
As far as there being no meat in the sandwich, another deli worker cut the meat and gave it to the guy making the sandwich. He said to him, remember to put this in the sandwich, lol....I did not watch the entire process all the way through, I typically think a deli worker is competent enough to make a sandwich and remember the most important ingredient. Looking back on it, it makes me think his co worker didn't even have confidence in him to put the meat in the sandwich since he cut it for him and reminded him.
Aa far as being charged more, I did realize I was being charged more, 9.99 instead of 6, but he explained he did not know how to charge for a half sandwich. I didn't want to extend this painfully slow trip to AJ's any longer so I paid the extra few dollars. This is what makes the sandwich punch card so funny...he doesn't know how to ring up a half sandwich, so he charges me for a full sandwich, yet refuses to punch my sandwich card because I ordered a half sandwich which you don't get a punch mark on your card.
And your final point where you say it looks like a full sandwich, you are exactly proving my point. The deli worker was unable to comprehend how to construct a half sandwich! That is also the shocking part, which anyone over the age of 3, would understand what a half sandwich is and how to make it. The math you are talking about is the incompetence of the worker.
Your response also makes me wonder who you are. For this situation that I had to bother you so much, to the point of writing a rebuttal, it is truly amazing.
I did receive an email from corporate a short while ago with a polite response and they are offering a refund on the sandwiches and a gift card for my troubles. It was very polite and I am thankful for this. This is the way I would have expected the manager to act when I had called last night.
Cosmod
Cave Creek,Arizona,
Read it twice.
#6Author of original report
Tue, February 18, 2014
Lol, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Pied Piper
Scottsdale,Arizona,
Missing Meat Dilema
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, February 18, 2014
The Phoenix Better Business Bureau ...... probably would love to handle your missing meat.
I found your compaint so funny ...... I read it TWICE.
Robert
Irvine,California,
I guess you must be perfect.
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, February 18, 2014
So even though you are a loyal customer to this store for years, they supposedly have one "bad" employee and you are ready to stop going there forever. Even after you call up to complain and they say that the next time you come in they will get you a free sandwich.
It was only bread, lettuce, and roasted peppers...no meat! This was pretty upsetting
- I bet it was upsetting, of course one has to wonder who you are really upset at...you or the employee. Because according to this report you watched him the entire time and even had to tell him how to make one of the sandwiches. Yet even you somehow failed to notice he left off the meat.
You also failed to realize that when your sandwiches were rung up, even though it is apparently something you get often you didn't notice you were being charged more than normal.
Oh and as for your picture of the half sandwich he apparently made..with 4 diagnal pieces of bread it sure looks like a full sandwich, or do you use some special math where 2 halves don't equal a whole?