What is it with so-called "customer service" these days?

[ABNAK]

So I call to order a pizza for tonight. Call one large chain and get some chick with a foreign accent (like she ain't from these here parts if you know what I mean). I was going to order online but wanted to know how long carry-out orders were taking as this is one of the largest pizza-buying nights of the year. Hearing the accent and knowing from past experience that they use order "call centers" I asked if she was at the actual store in question. Of course she wasn't, and therefore any information she could possibly offer (other than what she's reading off a screen) would be doubtful for real-time local relevance. I just hung up.

I have encountered this before with other name brand pizza joints, not just the one I called tonight. It got me to wondering what the hell has happened to real-time, on-site customer service? Not just for pizzas mind you, but in general. They are willing to pay some foreign clueless fvck just so the locals don't have to bothered by answering a phone.

Anyone else notice a marked decline in what used to be called "customer service" back in the day? It was starting to get shitty beforehand but the COVID excuses have made it even worse.

Whatever entity it is does their best to farm you out to either robotic "self help" lines or foreign call centers.

"In a few words, please tell us what you're trying to find out?" Ever hear that recording? No matter what number you press they have an "automated" non-answer for you. Keep repeating "I want to speak with customer service" gets you re-routed and on hold forever.

This pathetic business model goes hand-in-hand with a $15/hr "living wage". Those POS don't deserve $7 an hour!!!

[Inkslinger]

While not really a comment on customer service in the context of your post, but one time we ordered a pizza from pizza hut, got home, opened the box, and there was a slice missing! But to your point, most CS is almost laughable now a days.

[SteyrAUG]

It's across the board. It's everything.

If the option exists, give your biz to a mom and pop pizzeria. Their stuff is usually better anyway.

[pag23]

Everything seems to be crappy...I am to the point where I expect it and if a cashier or call center person is really trying their best, I make it a point to thank them and tell them I appreciate it.

Everybody is snarky right now and that in turn makes customer service personnel even worse....

[Inkslinger]

It's across the board. It's everything.

If the option exists, give your biz to a mom and pop pizzeria. Their stuff is usually better anyway.

Usually. We’ve got a couple local pizza shops close, but mediocre. If we really get a hankering for good pizza, we drive to a place about 45 minutes away. It’s great! Like south Philly or Brooklyn level. We actually bought one of those insulated pizza delivery bags to go get it. Damn, now I want a slice.

[ABNAK]

It's across the board. It's everything.

If the option exists, give your biz to a mom and pop pizzeria. Their stuff is usually better anyway.

Yeah that's the problem where I live. TN isn't exactly known for good pizza, but yes there are mom-and-pop places here that are damned good. I live out in the sticks so any choices within reasonable driving distances are the big-name ones. If we still lived where we're originally from in Ohio I wouldn't touch a big-name chain with a 10-foot pole! There were a number of mom-and-pop places and we NEVER ordered from Pizza Hut or similar.

[ABNAK]

Everything seems to be crappy...I am to the point where I expect it and if a cashier or call center person is really trying their best, I make it a point to thank them and tell them I appreciate it.

Everybody is snarky right now and that in turn makes customer service personnel even worse....

Absolutely. Please and thank you don't cost a thing and are becoming lost words in our society.

[Allen]

I have encountered this before with other name brand pizza joints, not just the one I called tonight. It got me to wondering what the hell has happened to real-time, on-site customer service? Not just for pizzas mind you, but in general. They are willing to pay some foreign clueless fvck just so the locals don't have to bothered by answering a phone.

Economics bro. If I have to pay someone $15 an hour to just crank out pizzas & $3/hr + $1/hr for VoIP to the Philippines there's an incentive at Papa Johns scale thats probably ~7 figures a year. The majority will never notice because they're using their favorite app to order online anyway. You see the same thing at the costco food court - everything's self serve or they have the casheers who're already checking you out ask so they don't have to staff an extra person.

If the option exists, give your biz to a mom and pop pizzeria. Their stuff is usually better anyway.

110%. Quit buying shit pizza because there running a special.

[ABNAK]

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110%. Quit buying shit pizza because there running a special.

I ended up ordering from Jet's. Decent pizza but expensive as hell.......but then again what isn't these days!

See my above post. I know what good pizza is but where I live it's damn near an hour round-trip for "good" pizza. 45-50 minutes to the closest one. However, I can step outside my door and shoot if I so desire, so there's that! Trade-offs I guess.

[SteyrAUG]

I ended up ordering from Jet's. Decent pizza but expensive as hell.......but then again what isn't these days!

See my above post. I know what good pizza is but where I live it's damn near an hour round-trip for "good" pizza. 45-50 minutes to the closest one. However, I can step outside my door and shoot if I so desire, so there's that! Trade-offs I guess.

Ok, I'm gonna improve the life of everyone in this thread.

Go to the grocery store and buy frozen bread dough. Usually comes in the 3 pack.

Get a large cookie sheet, can't be flat, and pour a pool of olive oil about the size of the frozen bread dough on the cookie sheet and set the FROZEN bread dough on that.

Put it in the oven but DO NOT turn the oven on. In about 3 hours it will start to rise. Spread the dough out evenly on the cookie sheet. At first it will only cover the center, it may need another hour to rise enough to cover the entire cookie sheet.

Once that is done cook just the flat bread dough until it is lightly gold on the edges. Don't use temps higher than 325 to 350, you don't have a pizza oven. Then pull it out of the oven. This is the key step because you have partially cooked the crust before putting on the toppings, if you do it any other way you will have a doughy, crappy crust.

Now put on your toppings. If you have a favorite pizza sauce use that, I personally use Newmans's Own marinara. Then top with cheese, deli pepperoni, bacon and whatever else you want on there. If you want to shred fresh basil leaves it gives it a nice flavor. Deli meats are superior to packaged Hormel stuff obviously.

Then put the entire thing back in the oven and when the cheese is melted the crust will be a crispy, wonderful golden brown and it will be the best homemade pizza most of you have ever made.

Most people screw up homemade pizza by trying to replicate the conditions in a pizzeria oven at home in their conventional oven. It can't be done and no pizza stone gimmicks or other crap is gonna do it. It simply is a case of cook the crust half way at normal temps of 325-350 and THEN add your other toppings.

If you can lay your hands on fresh mozzarella, the kind that isn't in a bag marked Kraft, you can make a really nice pizza by using thin tomato slices instead of sauce and putting down fresh mozzarella with fresh basil leaves. But toppings are pretty individual, once you've mastered home kitchen pizza crust, your options are way open.

You'll never suffer that Boboli pizza crust crap ever again, and it's actually cheaper.