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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pizza on the floor - AIBU?

76 replies

waterfall7890 · 04/09/2017 08:57

Yesterday me and DP popped into Greggs while we were out. I love the pizza slices from there, DP has never had one but decided to try one so we ordered 2.

I did notice that the lady serving us was pretty rude, only said "£3.50" no 'yes that's fine' 'anything else with that?' or '3.50 please' etc. But I thought whatever that's fine as I try to be lenient and relaxed about grumpy/rude strangers as I think they could be having a terrible day or time that we don't know about etc.

Anyway, DP paid, I lifted our shopping bags and DP took the pizza slices from the lady. He hasn't even managed to turn around properly or take a step away from the till/counter and he dropped one of the pizza slices onto the floor - it fell out of the paper bag (there's a split in the side of the pizza paper bags - that's just how they're designed).

The lady watched this happen, ignored it and carried on doing what she was doing. DP picked the pizza slice up from the floor and we both stood for quite a while looking at the lady, waiting for her to respond... but nothing.

We walked outside and DP checked the bottom of the pizza just to see if it may be ok to eat, but there were hairs etc on it. I couldn't spot any bins close by (saw one across the road and further down but the traffic was busy) so I went back in and asked the lady if she could put it in the bin for me (I guess I sort of wanted to make a point as well!) She said "Theres bins outside, nothing I can do about it" and refused to take it. So I put it in the tiny bin for napkins, coffee stirrers etc.

I do appreciate that it is our fault for dropping it, I'm not trying to pass blame onto anybody else. But AIBU to think this is terrible customer service and they should have offered to replace the pizza? Sure, if we'd stepped outside and dropped it on the street I would not expect a new one - that would be completely our responsibility. But for her to hand the pizza over, watch the customer immediately drop it onto the dirty floor and not say or do anything?

While I took the pizza back inside, another customer came out and started talking to DP, basically said he saw what happened and thought they should have replaced it. Said if you knocked a drink or whatever over in McDonald's they'd get you a fresh one straight away. Which I completely agree with.

OP posts:
AlternativeTentacle · 04/09/2017 08:59

goodness me. perhaps you should look at suing them for your distress?

you dropped a pizza slice. get over it.

5rivers7hills · 04/09/2017 09:01

Why should they give you another one? You dropped it!

Afreshstartplease · 04/09/2017 09:01

Had similar happen in pizza express with then 3 year old dd who picked up and dropped her brownie as soon as it arrived at the table (waitress still at table)

Afreshstartplease · 04/09/2017 09:02

Best bit was being charged extra £2 for TINY brownie

TheNaze73 · 04/09/2017 09:02

Maybe write to your MP about this & have a week off of work to recover from the shock

JennyOnAPlate · 04/09/2017 09:03

She should have put it in the bin for you,but she didn't owe you another slice of pizza.

KittysMyName · 04/09/2017 09:08

Why should she give you free pizza because you dropped it? If she dropped it, then fair enough, yes she should have replaced it.

MaidOfStars · 04/09/2017 09:09

I with you OP. Not that the shop is under obligation to do so but she may not have handed it to you 'correctly' and this was the outcome.

I once got a new coop of ice cream after the server didn't squash it in well enough and I was so greedy I tried to eat it in the shop; my tongue is strong

Idontevencareanymore · 04/09/2017 09:13

Poor customer service indeed.

Not much you can do now, other than write/email head office to make them aware although I'm not sure how that would help either.

I'd just write it off as a bad experience and avoid the place when she's working.

Shoxfordian · 04/09/2017 09:16

Yeah it would have been nice for them to offer you a new one but no obligation for them to do so

user1490607838 · 04/09/2017 09:17

I have dropped stuff before, like in maccies, and knocked a coffee over in Starbucks, and they have replaced it AND come and cleaned it up. They usually will, but they don't have to.

I am not surprised the staff in Greggs didn't do it though.

TheKidsAreTakingMySanity · 04/09/2017 09:19

Whilst she was under no obligation to give you a replacement slice, very few shops would refuse to, if anything, just to keep their customers happy. Personally I really dislike being served by curt, rude staff and if you feel she was, then by all means send a quick email head office and let them know. She is representing their company after all.

19lottie82 · 04/09/2017 09:19

In a restaurant, yes.
In Greggs? no.
YABU.

PandorasXbox · 04/09/2017 09:19

Maybe their policy is not to offer a customer a new item of whatever was dropped or spilt?

LostSight · 04/09/2017 09:20

They aren't under any obligation... but for all it would cost them, it was very poor customer service.

FerretsAreFeminists · 04/09/2017 09:21

She should have given you a new one. When I worked in cafes we would always replace food and drink without fuss if a customer dropped them.

LolaTheDarkdestroyer · 04/09/2017 09:24

Mm if it was because of the bag then yes she should have offered another slice you should hzbr asked instead of staring at her gormless.

We went to an independent little cafe a few weeks back we sat outside and dd ended up dropping the last half of her slush everywhere and all down herself, we went in to get some paper towels and the bloke got her another and said don't worry you don't have to pay which was lovely of him.

Bananamama1213 · 04/09/2017 09:24

I worked at McDonald's for a while - if someone dropped a milkshake on the floor, we would replace it.

I also worked in a supermarket and if somebody dropped something on their way out and it broke then we would replace that.

I think if anything, I'd complain to the manager about how rude she was.

TooManyBigFatLies · 04/09/2017 09:25

Wow all the snidey posters are out. Hmm . I get that people won't all agree with the OP and it is AIBU but I'm not sure why posters have to be so sharp.

OP, I agree with you. I get it wasn't the shops fault but I think it's normal for shops to replace items in cases like this. You obviously can't expect them too but generally speaking it's nice if they do.
I've spilt coffees in coffee shops and had them replaced - I think that's common. I've also had things replaced in supermarkets when it's been my fault they were damaged.

RhubardGin · 04/09/2017 09:26

What a fuss about nothing. You and your DP sound a bit precious.

I don't understand why you think you should be given a free slice, your DP dropped it.

If it were me my reaction would have been "oh shit" and just bought another slice.

This has daily mail story written all over it 😂

Peachyking000 · 04/09/2017 09:27

I don't see why you are getting such sarky responses on here OP. Just because it's cheap shouldn't mean you have to accept poor customer service. Yes technically it was your fault that the pizza was dropped but I think they should have offered to replace it.

PollyFlint · 04/09/2017 09:33

If you drop it, it's your problem I'm afraid. It's nice if they'll offer to replace it, but there's certainly no obligation for them to do so.

I see a lot of people saying that cafes replace coffees/milkshakes etc. This is true, but just to point out, the odd free coffee here and there for a customer rarely actually shows up on stock-take/reporting figures, because coffees and milkshakes are generally mostly ice/water and the amount of product in them is very small, whereas actual items of food are supplied to chain cafes in specific numbers and those numbers have to match up with what's actually sold. If that branch of Greggs had already had its knuckles rapped by its head office for too much wastage/items unaccounted for, they might well not be in a position to offer customers freebies to replace stuff the customer dropped through their own fault. So it will vary, even from branch to branch of the same chain.

Serialweightwatcher · 04/09/2017 09:39

I think you wouldn't have minded her not offering to replace if she had been decent - to say "sorry that's happened but I'm not able to replace it - can I get you a new one and throw that for you?" - I think because she was a miserable sod and hardly acknowledged you that you're upset and I would be too. People who work in services that deal with the public should have good manners at least, bad day or not

ptumbi · 04/09/2017 09:40

shouldn't mean you have to accept poor customer service - I think in this case it's the 'poor customer' rather than the service at fault; as in, the customer was idiotic enough to drop it, and then presume that Greggs should replace it. Why the heck should they?

And as for demanding '£3.50' without a 'please' - horror.

Dont go to America. Or France. Or London.

SemiNormal · 04/09/2017 09:40

If the bag split then personally I think they should have replaced it.
I worked in a supermarket chain and we had one customer who claimed her shopping bag split on the way home causing her bottle of bleach to split open which splashed over her new trousers ... the store paid out for new trousers and replaced the shopping free of charge.