Panera Bread – Use Your Head

Posted on | May 19, 2009 | 2 Comments

Yes that is stale bread. My last visit to Panera Bread on Ridge Pike in Plymouth Meeting, outside of Philadelphia, prompts this post. I spend quite a bit of time having meetings at coffee shops. While I only have one cup a day I do like the atmosphere of having folks around me and I do travel a bit so they are convenient.

This particular Panera Bread I have been to many times and on occasion I have experienced the WiFi not working but usually it is not an issue. This day I could have used the availability (yes I know there are alternatives to using the coffee shop WiFi) and inquired at the register about their WiFi. This is where things got good.

I was told by the person acting as the manager that day that the Internet was working for the office but they had received information from a few folks that it was down. I asked if they knew when it would be back up – the answer is what startled me – “we don’t provide the Internet service for the patrons here, if you would like I will show the box where it comes in and there is a phone number on it you could call”.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  So it was okay since the Internet for the office was working but the hell with the people who are patrons there and wanted to use the advertised free WiFi and he could not be bothered to make the call for the folks wanting it?

Customer service is important at all times and I know this location to be busy – especially around lunch time. I still think that this answer was totally unacceptable and it will not be any time soon that I find my way back to this Panera Bread. To be fair – I have been to other locations without any issue but I have not had any problems with their Internet either – I would like to think that it would be handled differently at other locations.

Thank you for indulging me this rant. Do they not understand that in the day of instant information that something like this will go unnoticed? Well I spoke up for those who were sitting there without connection.

Have you seen or heard of instances where those in authority just don’t seem to get it? Tell me your story.

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