Panera Bread Customer Service Issues

On December 2, [redacted], I placed Order # [redacted]98 from your restaurant. Unfortunately, upon checking my order, I noticed that the chipotle chicken avocado melt was missing. While I was waiting at the restaurant, I observed that my bag of food sat on the line for an extended period, and even my name disappeared from the board indicating my order was ready. Despite ordering at 1:25pm with an estimated ready time of 1:35pm, I did not receive my food until 1:55pm. According to my receipt, my order was marked as completed and double-checked by 1:44pm. Although three different staff members confirmed my bag, no one appeared to address the missing item with the food preppers. I witnessed a line manager emptying my bag, marking the receipt, and returning it to the pick-up section without resolving the missing item issue.

I am a loyal Panera customer but was disappointed with my recent delivery experience. I ordered lunch for my daughter at school to reward her for her grades, as I couldn't leave for lunch at work. Despite placing the order at 11:50 a.m. with an estimated 12:25 p.m. delivery, the food arrived late at 12:52 p.m., missing her lunchtime. The caramel latte was melted, the bagels lacked plates, napkins, and a knife, and the website glitch prevented me from changing cream cheese flavors. I felt let down after spending $40 and would appreciate a complimentary retake or gift card for a better experience next time. Please contact me via email. Thank you for addressing this.

I made an online catering order on 3/14/[redacted] for a pickup between 8 am and 8:15 am. When I arrived at the location, they didn't have my order. After showing the staff my confirmation number, they eventually prepared my order, which I received at 8:39 am, causing me to miss a breakfast appointment with a client. This has happened before at another Panera location, creating issues for my business. I've spent a lot on Panera catering but will have to stop due to these repeated incidents at the Grand Rapids and Grandville locations in MI. Changes need to be made at these Panera sites.

I had a negative experience this afternoon. I work as a preschool teacher and came out of work in Newton Center, MA at 3:30 on 3-15-19. I placed an order for a mango, banana, and strawberry smoothie. When I went to pick up my order, I asked a young lady if it was mine, and she confirmed it was. I clarified that I only ordered one shake, but her response was abrupt. I was taken aback by her rudeness. She proceeded to speak to me disrespectfully and even made fun of me with her co-workers. I then spoke to the manager, but the situation was not handled well. I requested a refund for the extra smoothie, which was given to me without an apology. As I sat drinking my smoothie, I overheard workers discussing unhygienic practices in the kitchen, which was distressing to hear.

I had a terrible experience this afternoon. I am a preschool teacher who just finished work in Newton Centre, MA, at 3:30 on 3-15-19. I placed an order for a mango, banana, and strawberry smoothie. When I approached the pickup area, I asked a young lady if that was my order. She confirmed, but I emphasized that I ordered only one shake. Unpleasantly, she responded rudely. When I pointed out the mistake, her attitude escalated, and she even made derogatory remarks. I was shocked by her unprofessional behavior. The manager intervened but handled the situation poorly. I finally received a refund without an apology. As I sat to sip my smoothie, I overheard employees discussing unhygienic practices. They admitted to serving dropped food to customers during rush hours. This conversation was disturbing and unacceptable. This incident occurred at Panera Bread Cafe, located at [redacted] Newton, MA, [redacted]. Phone number: [redacted].

I had an unfortunate experience this afternoon. I am a preschool teacher who had just finished work in Newton Centre, MA at 3:30 p.m. on 3-15-19. I went in and ordered a Mango, banana, and strawberry smoothie. When I reached the pickup area, I asked a young lady if that was my order. She confirmed it was mine, but I insisted I had only ordered one shake. She responded rudely, and when I tried to clarify, she became confrontational. I was shocked by her behavior. Later, I overheard her mocking me to her coworkers, including calling me "stupid" in Haitian/French. I approached the manager to report the incident and the fact that I was charged twice for one smoothie. The manager provided a refund without an apology. While sitting to drink my smoothie, I overheard the staff discussing unhygienic practices during rush hours - like dropping and reusing food items. The whole experience was disappointing. Panera Bread Cafe [redacted], Newton, MA [redacted] Phone number: [redacted]

I wanted to share a compliment rather than a complaint! During my first visit to your Minot, ND location, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The establishment was charming, clean, and the servers were exceptionally kind and helpful. Although I can’t recall their names, they were wonderful. The food exceeded my expectations! I ordered a half and half combo with a Southwest Chile Lime Chicken salad, a bacon and tomato grilled cheese, an M&M cookie, and a Papaya Passion Green Tea – everything was fantastic! While my grilled cheese was missing a tomato, it didn’t bother me at all; the sandwich was superb and delicious. The cookie and green tea were fantastic, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the tea despite not being a fan of tea in general. The highlight was the Southwestern Chile Lime Chicken salad – truly outstanding! If I had the recipe or lived closer to a Panera bread, I’d eat it daily. Please keep it on the menu! Overall, my experience at your restaurant was perfect, and I look forward to returning soon! Thank you for providing such a fantastic dining experience!

I ordered an untested bagel and a cookie online, expecting a quick pick-up process. However, upon arriving at the store, my order was not ready and I had to wait past the pick-up time. After some delay, I inquired with the staff member, who handled the situation well but explained that they had run out of the bagel I requested. The lack of communication to inform me or offer alternatives left me feeling frustrated. It would be beneficial for the store to equip employees with the means to contact customers regarding order changes or product unavailability to improve the overall customer experience.

I regularly place multiple orders each year, and this time I had five. Raleigh, NC Panera catering makes it convenient by allowing me to call in all my orders at once. The staff is fantastic! Unfortunately, when I attempted to place an order in Chapel Hill, which was out of their delivery area, they provided me with the contact information. However, when I called, I was asked to input the order online rather than over the phone, which was inconvenient. Ultimately, I decided to order from a competitor who accepts phone orders. This experience resulted in the loss of my current and future orders. While I could have placed the order online, calling in is my preference. It's frustrating that after entering all my details and special instructions, I discovered the May date was unavailable, forcing me to cancel everything. This problem led my coworker to also choose another provider for our office's events. I wanted to share this feedback to highlight the missed business opportunities due to this issue.

I had a disappointing experience at the Woodbury Panera Bread in Irvine, CA on 3-22-19. I ordered a bacon, egg & cheese breakfast sandwich with tomato and spinach. When my name was called, I checked the receipt under the bag and saw my name, but the sandwich was missing bacon. I informed the cook, who said I had the wrong order, which I denied. I asked for the manager twice but got no response. When I got my sandwich back, it was missing tomato and spinach. There was no manager present, and the cook was unhelpful. I won't be returning to that location.

I recently completed a Tell Us What You Think customer survey regarding my visit to Panera Bread Cafe #[redacted] in Taylor, MI. Unfortunately, the survey only offered to contact me via cell phone, and my talk minutes are limited. I have photos of my unsatisfactory food and would like to submit them. How can I do that? I spent part of my North Carolina vacation addressing this issue, and now that I'm back home in Grand Rapids, MI, I'm still working on it. It's crucial to me that someone sees the food I received. Also, every time I use my MyPanera Card, the cashier tells me I have two accounts but can't merge them. Who can assist with this matter? Thank you. -B.N.

I have been a long-time customer of Panera with the same number for years. Unfortunately, I have experienced multiple occasions in the last 12 months where the system was offline upon ordering, with the promise of receiving credit once it was back online, which never materialized. Even when visiting in person on a recent Sunday, the system did not recognize my phone number that has been consistent. I was advised to go online and submit my receipt number for credit, despite being previously assured it would be done automatically. It is frustrating to encounter these issues, especially when I had a reward that I couldn't utilize. Given the number of visits that went unrecognized, I believe a gesture such as a gift card reward credit would be appropriate at this point.

I appreciate the variety your shops provide. Despite being a modest customer, I have frequented the Collegeville PA location seven times recently, only to find they are consistently out of tomato basil bread. I have attempted to visit at different times of the day to no avail. Staff members have indicated that the bread is sold out. While I can understand shortages later in the day, being out in the morning is surprising. What could be the reason behind this ongoing issue?

I am disappointed with the Cinnamon Raisin Bread. I have loved it for a long time but recently noticed it has shrunk in size and contains many air holes. I don't mind paying $6.00 as long as I get a decent-sized slice. Several weeks ago, I ordered a loaf and an Extra Large Sourdough loaf for the morning but couldn't pick it up until the afternoon, and they had sold my reserved loaves. The representative assisting me was apologetic but didn't offer anything for the error. Recently, I went to the store, ordered bread for the next day, paid for it, and the rep said it was marked as paid. However, my order wasn't marked as paid, and this annoyed me. From now on, I'll make sure I get a receipt. I shop exclusively at the Torrance Store on PCH.

Tonight, I picked up two Pick Two meals from the store in Parma, Ohio. I ordered Fuji Apples, turkey chili, and broccoli cheddar soup but was informed that the turkey chili was discontinued after I paid. I had to choose a different soup and get a refund. When I got home, I noticed the salad containers were only half full, the tomatoes were soggy, and the greens were limp - also, there were no apples in my order. This location has given me trouble before; I once received turkey chili with only broth, and stale Pecan Twists. I have been a loyal Panera customer, but this location needs to improve their service or consider closing. Thank you. - K.G.

I visited your drive-thru at 46 4 Seasons Shopping Center in Chesterfield, MO, around 10:51 a.m. today. Initially, my order was incorrect, prompting me to return and wait in the drive-thru again for the right items. Subsequently, I discovered that the drive-thru attendant had kept my debit card, leaving me unable to pay at the grocery store. Upon contacting Panera and requesting to speak to a manager, the employee mentioned they were busy before acknowledging they had my card and apologizing. After my third trip to Panera, I retrieved my card from the counter, where a staff member handed it over without much acknowledgment or an apology. It seems that attention to detail and customer service may need improvement at this location.

Today, I visited Panera in Wilmington, MA. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad, cheddar and broccoli soup, and two servings of turkey chili. To my disappointment, upon reaching home, I found that both portions of turkey chili were overwhelmingly watery. They contained minimal turkey and veggie scraps, leading to a rather unsatisfactory meal experience. Despite the restaurant closing early, I don't plan on returning as I am too far away now. It's frustrating because I relied on these meals for my lunches for the next couple of days. I understand the early closure, but I received my order well before closing time, so the quality should have been better.

On April 4, two friends and I visited Cafe [redacted] in Glen Allen, VA for lunch. We used Panera gift cards to place our orders at separate registers. Despite my friend experiencing no issues, the cashier helping me encountered a computer glitch that delayed processing my $25 gift card. Eventually, after waiting for another computer, our orders were placed, and we sat down with one friend already at the table. Unfortunately, upon receiving my order, the incorrect salad was brought to the table, requiring two trips to the pickup area to rectify. This caused a delay in eating together, and one friend's soup arrived cold. There was a lack of apology or compensation for the errors experienced, leading to disappointment in the level of customer service. This is my second complaint at different stores, and the quality of service seems to be declining. The previous complaint had been handled satisfactorily, but today's experience was not pleasant, especially since I was treating a friend to lunch.

I am becoming increasingly frustrated with Panera's coffee drinks. I visited the Huber Heights Ohio location and ordered a cafe mocha but received a latte instead. This mix-up has occurred multiple times, prompting me to take a break from Panera, only to be disappointed again today at the Vandalia OH location with the same issue. Although it might seem like a minor mistake, it is disappointing to pay for a mocha and receive a latte, resulting in wasted money and an undrinkable beverage. I am unsure if this is a training problem or an issue with employee engagement, but I am considering switching back to Starbucks.

I visited the bakery at Clayton road and Big Bend in Richmond Heights last Saturday, April 6th. I placed my order through the kiosk, used my rewards, and waited for 15 minutes for my food. Despite my wait, my order never arrived. When I raised the issue with the manager, I was unpleasantly surprised to be charged for my soda. This experience displayed poor customer service. In such situations, a complimentary drink and a refund of my reward accompanied by an apology would have been appropriate. The manager's response was dismissive which further added to my disappointment. The management at that location needs restructuring as my encounter was unsatisfactory. I expect a refund of my rewards and would like to know how the establishment plans to regain my patronage. My loyalty as a frequent customer is evident if you review my profile under [redacted]. Depending on the resolution of this matter, my future visits to that location may be at risk. - JT