To be enormously disappointed in Pizza Express?

[Fillybuster]

Please don't flame me...I'm still quite upset and trying to figure out whether I'm over-reacting!

I went to Pizza Express for a celebratory lunch with some work colleagues last Wednesday: they took me out and chose it because I'm vegetarian (for religious reasons).

In fact we all ordered vegetarian options (by chance) and I went for the new 'calzone verde'. I double checked (as I always do) that the waiter had written down the veggie option (they had).

Half way through my lunch, I realised that what I had thought was the base of the pizza (bear in mind it is folded over and full of gubbins, so hard to tell) was actually a bloody enormous slice of pig .

Opened up the remains to discover this wasn't an 'accidental' piece of meat, but was in fact a meat pizza...totally full of stuff that I would never ever ever eat :( :(

Spoke to the waiter (politely!), who called over the manager, who didn't say anything, just walked off with my plate. Left everyone else finishing their lunch, unsure of what was going to happen.

Eventually (about 10 mins later) he came back to the table to apologise, said he didn't know what had happened but wasn't the real manager so could only report to head office. He took my contact details and told us he wouldn't charge for lunch, then quickly cleared the table and said goodbye to us.

Didn't offer me a replacement meal, or a drink, or a dessert or anything, and pretty much hustled us out of the restaurant.

Bit weird? We thought so... We ended up going somewhere else for dessert, which felt very odd!

Pizza Express phoned me the next day. Apologised for the error (fair enough), said they were investigating process with the kitchen (fair enough) and offered me a single free pizza for my trouble. I thought that was a bit mean, but life is short, so I accepted (nicely!). The guy on the phone made a big fuss of how he wanted me to get in touch when I had been for my 'free' pizza to let him know how I found the service , and said he would email me a voucher immediately.

AIBU to be quite pissed off that a) a week later he hasn't emailed me any blinking voucher and b) that I was only offered a single pizza after a major kitchen cock-up?

I'm holding off on phoning them up to complain until I get sanity checked by the MN crew !

[Workberk]

Sorry but I think YAB a bit U.

They could have handled it better/quicker but so could you TBH.

I've been served meaty things by accident before and so have friends, we've either left without paying/got a refund or got a veggie replacement. I wouldn't expect anything else.

[ILoveAFullFridge]

The problem is not so much in the mistake as in the way the restaurant handled it. They made the customer feel uncomfortable, when what the customer is paying for is to feel comfortable.

[Pennyacrossthehall]

AngusAndElspethsThistleWhistle Penny, the mistake is absolutely not the same. Eating vegetables accidentally is not the same as eating meat accidentally, especially when its for religious reasons. I'm surprised you can't see that...

No, the mistake - which is preparing the wrong item and serving it (especially when it is impossible for the waitress to see what it is) - is exactly the same.

I accept that people feel strongly about eating meat, but that was not my point.

[Fillybuster]

Quick update: PE were alerted to this thread by MNHQ and got in touch via MN messaging to apologise for the cock up confusion and sort out the customer service issue.

They have generously offered to send me a voucher for a meal for 2 (for which many thanks) and, more importantly, have explained that they have reviewed the processes for order capture and management at that branch of PE - so hopefully it won't happen again.

This is all great because, as a life-long PE fan, I really didn't want to have to boycott their pizzas for the rest of my life for the next few weeks

[kerala]

I had worse with JAMIE OLIVER! I got dreadful food poisoning from mussels at his restaurant. Walked in the picture of health, ate the mussels, a few hours later was very very ill and stayed ill all weekend. They didnt want to know, wouldnt take calls, never apologised and were actually quite rude. Put me right off Jamie I used to be a fan not any more. Also a friend of a friend had had mussels at another one of his restaurants around the same time and also got very ill...

[bimbabirba]

PE were alerted to this thread by MNHQ
OP you're sounding pathetic now. Just let it go ffs!

[Shonajoy]

Phone them, this is totally unacceptable. My dd (19) has been vegetarian for nine years and would be utterly beside herself if this happened. This could also have been an allergy issue, or a religious issue and its completely unacceptable. Do not let it lie.

[MackerelOfFact]

I haven't read the entire thread so apologies if this has been said already, but due to the enclosed nature of calzone, it was probably just a case of the waiter picking up someone else's meat calzone instead of your veggie one and not realising the mistake.

Still not great, and you should still be entitled to your money back and any other recompense they promise you, but it's a pretty easy mistake and not the kind of conspiracy some are alluding to!

Regardless of people's view on vegetarianism, you should've received the pizza you ordered exactly as it was advertised.

[lastnightopenedmyeyes]

How awful it must have been for you OP. I'm glad they have sorted it out.

I'm vegetarian and a few weeks back in the Milton Keynes restaurant I found chunks of pizza scattered on my vegetarian pizza. It was clearly marked as vegetarian on the menu and I (obviously) did not request chicken to be added, and additional chicken was not an option.

Because I don't like to make a scene I just left the pizza and didn't say anything but I should have done really, for their sake if not mine.

Obviously your situation was very different as you were served a very meaty dish whereas mine was just a few chunks of chicken randomly thrown on the pizza. Not good though...

[MaidOfStars]

I'm a vegetarian who has accidentally been fed meat-containing dishes at restaurants. I expect my meal to be free, no quibbles. This should have been offered immediately, but in the absence of a proper manager, i can imagine that more junior staff need to check/double-check what's appropriate.

I do not expect the rest of my party to eat for free. I also wouldn't have hung around for coffee/dessert - why would I give them any more of my cash?

[ScrabbledEggs]

YABU to go to PE in the first place - overpriced, pretentious and food not that great IMO!

But YANBU in terms of your OP.

[mitchsta]

"I don't see why they should make any bigger fuss about it than they would for a non-veggie who just got the wrong pizza."

She is a vegetarian for religious reasons. And you can't see why bringing her a pizza containing meat is any worse than someone else getting the wrong dish? Of course it's worse! Just like giving peanuts to someone with a nut allergy is worse than giving peanuts to someone who dislikes nuts.

WilsonFrickett I love your example of good customer service. Definitely the best attitude in the long-run.

OP, I'm vegetarian too and I'd be mightily peeved if I were you. But forget about the voucher. Just don't go back.

[Pinupgirl]

Why were you at pizza express and drinking tap water? That is the bit of the story I find[confusing]

[CaptainTripps]

Pinup - have you seen the rip off prices of bottled water?

Tap water all the way baby!

[Mylovelyboy]

yabu. Sounds like they have tried to do what they thought was right. Ok not what you wanted. At the end of the day it was a mistake. No one was harmed. I went to a restaurant recently and ordered an apple pie for desert. I asked if there was saltanas in it and was told by waitress there was not. Upon taking a mouthful i was confronted with a load of saltanas which make me gag......I sent it back.........Job done. No harm done. I dont like the fact you left and had not eaten. Thats not right. Mistakes happen. I know you said you dont eat meat for certain reasons but it didnt hurt you. Dont worry about it. Just dont go there again. All the best.

[GatoradeMeBitch]

That's great OP! I'm glad they came through for you

[Lomaamina]

bimbabirba Your comment is uncalled for, if I may say.

OP: I'm delighted for you.