My brother said to just ask for the manager when my order was wrong

I got a pizza last week that was missing half the toppings. My brother told me to call back and ask for the manager right away, said it always works. I did it, and the guy on the phone just sounded tired and told me to check my receipt next time. Felt like a real jerk. So I tried again the next day, but this time I just explained the problem normally to the first person who answered. They apologized and sent a new pizza out for free in 30 minutes. The advice was wrong. Being pushy just made things worse. Has anyone else had bad advice about how to handle a messed up order?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer_fisher2mo ago

Wait, he told you to ask for the manager over half a pizza topping? That seems like such a huge overreaction. In my experience, starting off angry just puts everyone on the defensive right away. Most people working those jobs just want to fix a simple mistake, not get yelled at by a stranger. Your second call proved that being decent gets you way further.

lucasgarcia2mo ago

I read a study that said polite complaints get fixed 30% faster than angry ones.

ivancoleman12d ago

Yeah, that tracks. I've noticed the same thing in all sorts of situations, not just customer service. Like at the grocery store, if I'm polite about a mis-scanned item, the cashier will almost always fix it with a smile. But I've seen people go from zero to screaming over a coupon that expired yesterday, and they just get shut down and have to leave. It's the same with neighbors or even on the road - a simple wave and a calm word gets you way more cooperation than honking and yelling. Your mileage may vary depending on the day, but in my experience, being nice is just the smarter play most of the time.