Panera Bread Customer Service Issues

I am disappointed that Panera removed the steak and arugula sandwich. I have been a loyal customer for four years, regularly ordering this sandwich multiple times a month. I would like to request the return of this item to the menu. Unfortunately, until this happens, I will not be returning to Panera.

I waited 30 minutes on the customer care line to voice a complaint about a substandard salad from Panera Bread, but ultimately got frustrated and hung up. It’s disheartening how little they seem to value their customers. During a recent visit to Conyers, GA, I ordered the Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken salad at a local Panera Bread and was impressed by the generous portion of fruits and chicken on a bed of lettuce, with chunky fruit pieces and plenty of walnuts. However, today in Brunswick, GA, I ordered the same salad around 3:45 pm and was deeply disappointed. The thinly sliced fruit was scant, bearing no resemblance to the advertised salad. Paying over $11, I expected better. Why is the same salad exquisite at one location and subpar at another? Where is the quality control and consistency? My experience was a letdown, aggravated by the struggle to contact customer service. I doubt I'll return.

To whom it may concern, On August 29, [redacted], at 5:30 PM, my family and I placed an order for pickup at your facility located at [redacted] Lincoln Hwy, Levittown PA [redacted]. Our order number was [redacted]23. One of the items we ordered was a 1/2 Smokehouse BBQ chicken sandwich. Unfortunately, upon arriving home (20 miles away), we discovered a bug in the sandwich. When we contacted your store to address this issue, the Manager on Duty, Brian, was unwilling to provide a refund for the sandwich. He even made unwelcoming remarks about pranks and the bug's survival in a [redacted]-degree oven. This incident has left me with a negative impression, as I had high expectations based on the positive reviews of Panera Bread. I also feel uncomfortable consuming the other items we ordered, such as the Strawberry Poppyseed chicken salad and soup, totaling $50.58. I have shared this experience on my social media. I can be contacted at the number enclosed if you wish to discuss this matter further. Thank you for your attention, Christine G.

Today's service was disappointing. I ordered two portions of mac and cheese for pickup, but had to wait an extra 20 minutes beyond the expected time. By the time I got home, a mere 4 minutes away, the food was already cold. It appears the mac and cheese wasn't cooked adequately. Sadly, delays seem to be a recurring issue at this location. When I inquired about my order after 15 minutes, it felt like they had forgotten to prepare it until I asked. It's frustrating to have to complain, but the service needs improvement to retain customers. I have encountered others experiencing similar delays. With Clifton Park being busy, perhaps hiring more staff could alleviate the problem. I hope this can be addressed before customers take their business elsewhere.

During my recent visit to Panera Bread to purchase my usual half dozen bagels and blueberry muffins, I encountered a young woman taking orders who appeared extremely impatient from the start. Despite placing my order, she seemed disinterested and ended up getting it completely wrong. When I returned home and unpacked my bag, I discovered there was only one bagel instead of the six I had requested. Although I should have noticed the discrepancy in the total amount charged, I did not, so I acknowledge my responsibility in that regard. While I was not overcharged, my packed schedule relies on getting bagels weekly from Panera, so I now have to find time to go back. This incident marks the first unpleasant experience I've had at Panera in Chagrin Falls. I wanted to express my frustration over the situation where the staff member was inattentive, curt, and made an error with my order.

In East Texas, many of us value freedom and choose not to wear masks. Recently, a woman left a store ahead of me after being asked to wear one to place her order. I have never faced refusal of service for not complying with such requests, which may lead to potential legal action against the store. My husband has strong thoughts on the matter, suggesting that the current situation might extend until [redacted] according to the World Bank. While the virus is real, the fatality rate is lower compared to the seasonal flu, with exceptions such as in New York. He views these measures as a form of control and questions the effectiveness of regular face coverings, advocating for N95 or N99 masks for proper protection. Drawing on his experience working in a hospital during the SARS outbreak, he expresses doubts about the origins of the current virus strain and criticizes the government and media for perpetuating misinformation. He urges individuals to think critically and warns about the potential consequences of blindly following authority. - Kathy S., Tyler, TX

Hello, I am Melissa, a recent graduate thrilled to be working as a professional. I went to the Kokomo location over on Reed Road in my city. Lately, I've had two unpleasant experiences where I reached out to the store but never received the promised call back from the manager. They did resolve one issue for me, but the way it was handled was not acceptable. Unfortunately, the second problem remains unresolved. The first issue involved receiving two incorrect soups, then a third one of the wrong size. I also added two large caramel frappuccino-like blended drinks to the same order. Unfortunately, when I tried them, they were mostly milk, lacked ice, and tasted unsweetened. The second incident was a large order for a business meeting with three combo meals and a dozen bagels. Upon inspection, the replacement wrap was cold and soggy, the bagels were cold and lacked spreads.

I wanted to share my recent experience at my local Panera. Today, I was quite dissatisfied with my meal. I often find that the drive-thru orders at this Panera take 20 minutes, which is longer than expected. Some of my friends who have worked at this Panera have described it as chaotic. Today, I ordered the new broccoli cheddar mac and cheese but was disappointed to receive what seemed like a small portion of the dish. It looked like only one scoop was served, and I believe it could have been filled up more generously since it is pre-portioned. Paying $15 for half a sandwich and a small serving of mac and cheese felt unreasonable to me. I even took pictures of my meal when I first received it. Please reach out via email if you would like to see the photos.

I recently went to Panera Bread and was disappointed to find out that they had run out of all their sides. Instead of offering an alternative to make up for the missing items, the staff member gave me two small apples. Unfortunately, these were not suitable for my children as one is too young to eat them whole, and the other has braces. Additionally, this was not what we had originally chosen. When I declined getting cookies as a substitute, I ended up purchasing them because there were no other options beside the mac and cheese and sandwich. It is common practice for restaurants to try and accommodate customers when part of their order is unavailable. In this case, the staff member was unhelpful and only gave me the option of apples or nothing. I would appreciate a credit for the missing sides since I was still charged as if it were a complete meal.

I am experiencing ongoing issues at the Burlington NC store involving Assistant Manager Kaitlyn Clark and an employee named Alyson. Despite contacting your office about Alyson two weeks ago, the problem persists when these two individuals are on duty. They refuse to serve me decaffeinated coffee in my iced coffee cup, even when I add my own half-and-half. They insist I use a hot coffee cup as it supposedly contains less coffee. Given my coffee subscription, does the amount of coffee I use really matter? I was promised a call from corporate, which never materialized. Recently, I witnessed another customer wait an excessive 4 hours for a hot coffee order. This behavior is unacceptable as they should prioritize customer service over unnecessary delays. Something needs to be done to address this ongoing issue. Thank you, Kathleen.

I wanted to share my fantastic experience at your Mission Valley location in San Diego, California yesterday. Aunesty (sounds like Honesty) provided exceptional service - attentive, pleasant, and professional. She truly went above and beyond to assist us. Aunesty was helpful and friendly while taking our order, ensuring it was correct. Even more impressively, she was observant enough to notice me struggling to carry trays with one arm in a sling and rushed to help, preventing any potential safety issues. Aunesty's actions truly showcase her outstanding character and dedication to customer service. I hope she receives the recognition she deserves for her exemplary performance. Warm regards, Natalie H.

During my recent visit to the cafe on November 3rd around 1pm in Des Peres, MO, I encountered rude behavior from the order taker when I mentioned the price difference in coffee. Despite the manager intervening and processing my order, I left after waiting at the window for an extended period. Subsequently, I went to another location, Panera, and faced challenges with a new cashier while purchasing 3 bowls of soup. Overall, the experience was marred by the initial encounter, and I found McDonald's coffee to be preferable. - Fred

I recently ordered a Thai salad To Go from the Panera Bread store in Gilroy, CA. I have enjoyed this salad at another location before, and was really excited to have it again. However, the salad I received was very disappointing. It only had lettuce, mostly the hard, non-edible parts, no edamame, no red bell peppers, and no carrots - just lettuce, wontons, and chicken. The staff at the Gilroy store didn't seem to care at all about making it right. I hope this feedback helps improve the quality of the salads at that location. It's not the experience I expected from Panera, and it makes me hesitant to visit again in the future. Thank you for listening to my concerns. - Francine M.

I recently spent half an hour on hold with your help desk only to give up without speaking to anyone. I wanted to share my disappointment regarding the Panera gift cards I received for my birthday last August. One was a physical card, while the other was an online purchase with a printed number that was inconvenient to use repeatedly. When I inquired at the East Greenwich RI store about transferring the printed gift card to a swipeable one, I was told it couldn't be done, which I find hard to believe in this digital age. This experience was frustrating, and it has left me hesitant to buy gift cards from Panera in the future. Kind regards, Peder J. 20 Arrow Lane North Kingstown RI [redacted]

Recently, I made a purchase at my local Panera in Citrus Heights. Unfortunately, my order was missing the four pieces of French baguette that were meant to come with my Group French onion soup and the potato chips that should have been with the sandwich. I had to go back twice to get the missing items, which was quite frustrating. This isn't the first time I've had issues with my orders from this location. I really enjoy Panera, but unless they improve their service, I may have to reconsider going there in the future. Thank you for your assistance in resolving this matter. Order #[redacted]34 - Dr. F.S., DAOM "If you can do anything, do a good deed!"

I have a few complaints to share: 1. I encountered issues setting up my account using my email and pin number. The app indicated my pin was incorrect, promising to send information for a new one, which I never received. 2. I contacted customer service but had a poor experience. I waited 19 minutes, gave my phone number, then faced a 7-minute period of silence before disconnecting. 3. Attempted to order as a guest, intending to use my $25 gift card. I initially added a tip, which conflicted with gift card usage. After removing the tip, I placed my order without the gift card being applied. If the food wasn't so good, I would likely never choose Panera again and share my negative experiences with friends.

At around 4:30 PM, I visited the store located at [redacted] Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway in Mesquite, TX [redacted]. Upon entering, I found the store to be empty with no one at the counter. After waiting for about a minute, I heard activity in the kitchen. I approached the window to inquire if the store was still open, and I was informed that it was. I mentioned my concern about the lack of staff at the front. A young man in his early 20s, Caucasian, with tall blonde hair tied in a ponytail or bun, then approached me saying, "I'm here, we need to use the bathroom too." I found his response inappropriate. A simple explanation like "I was in the bathroom" would have sufficed. After I placed my order, he seemed to realize my dissatisfaction and retreated to the back. I suggest training employees on better customer service etiquette and consider having a sign at the register for transparency when there's no staff present. It's disheartening to witness a lack of civility and manners in some young individuals.

I recently received a message instructing me to change my account password due to a security breach. Despite multiple attempts, I have not received the email to reset my password at "[redacted]" I have checked my spam folder and waited several days, but still no email. Today, I was unable to log into my Panera account and am eager to resolve this issue. I tried calling customer support twice, waiting over 30 minutes each time with no success. I would appreciate receiving the email to update my password, but it seems I am not receiving it. How should I proceed further?

I appreciate the effort to navigate through the challenges during the pandemic. I am a member of the Panera coffee program at the Miracle Lime Shopping Center in Monroeville, PA. Unfortunately, I have noticed a significant decline in service quality at this location recently. The maintenance of the coffee containers is poor, as I rarely get hot and fresh coffee when I visit. The refill process is slow, often resulting in lukewarm coffee in my cup. Additionally, there have been numerous errors at the cash registers, especially when ordering food along with my coffee. For instance, I received the wrong type of bagel and experienced discrepancies in pricing for my orders. It seems like there is a communication issue among the staff, leading to consistently incorrect orders. Even some managers have been involved in these mistakes. I have discussed this with other customers who have shared similar experiences ranging from acceptable to unacceptable. As a result, I am considering canceling my Panera Coffee Program membership and seeking my morning coffee elsewhere.

I placed an order online today, December 4th, [redacted], at the Carlisle Rd store in York, PA [redacted]. After paying with my card ending in #[redacted], I drove to the store but the app didn't work to notify them of my arrival. I called [redacted], selected option #3, and spoke with a lady who thought I was at the Queen St. store instead. After some confusion and waiting, I realized that calls were being forwarded incorrectly. I was informed that the Carlisle store closed due to Covid-19. To address this issue, I was advised to contact customer service at [redacted] but they were unreachable. I now request a reversal of the charge as I left empty-handed and frustrated by this experience. This mishap has left me disappointed, and I will think twice before returning to the store, and I plan to share my negative experience with others. Joyce M Bowers