r/Panera

22 yrs, from 16 yr old associate to shift, AM, GM, pro team, Training GM and a step down to AGM. I helped open and train multiple cafes, blah blah blah. Get Out. This is for everyone, but extra loud for all of the managers sticking around to keep everything together. I know it's difficult to job hunt when you're already exhausted, but consider it an investment in yourself. THEY don't care about you, and when you're ground to dust from overwork, they'll step over your body and call you weak. Goodbye, sinking ship.

Why has Panera not gotten the message that their new version of the shortbread cookie is disgusting? It’s bad enough they are frozen first but then because they are frozen, the already disgusting new icing becomes runny and completely unappetizing. The shortbread cookie was the one allergen friendly cookie they had. Now I don’t even have that. 😩

Did I mention the icing is literally the most awful thing Panera has ever created? Because it is.

was closing yesterday, everything was going fine. got my break and all was good, til i noticed my coworkers gathering by the ladies room. went over there. turns out, some old lady shit herself and the floor! was fuckin everywhere!!!!! this is apparently the THIRD time its happened this month. last time she shoved a dirty adult diaper into the little trashcan within a stall and a manager had to fish it out

thankfully it was not me who had to clean it, i would have walked out if they even TRIED to make me clean that. that is quite literally above my paygrade, i am paid to ring orders, not clean human biohazard!!!

we still havent caught whos doing it btw. its just gonna keep happening forever...... Honestly idk why she hasnt gotten the idea that maybe she should STAY HOME. she isnt even TELLING anyone the bathroom has been turned into a biohazard, shes shitting the floor, tracking it into the hallway, and then dipping.

i dont think im ever gonna use the work bathroom ever again. or a public bathroom in general. fucking ew.

please free me from this hell that is working with the public i dont wanna do this anymoreeeee

The sip club members who are most impacted by the change are not the people that hang out all day. It’s those of us who drive by and grab a coffee or drink on the way to work. On the way home, we stop back in for what is basically a refill . Absolutely no refills in between. I literally see the same people hanging in at 7 am and they are still in there at 4 or 5 pm. Yesterday the same thing happened. Going to this extreme, really impacted my two coffees a day.

Awful experience at Panera today- my order was missing items+ the food was completely ruined and I was given NO order cancellation or refund. I spent 7 hours calling the cafe hourly and kept getting told I would be refunded but it would be done when they called me back in the next hour... until they just stopped answering the phone. I will NEVER use Panera again.

Have you guys gotten cancels/refunds on orders?? If so, how??

My experience:
Ordered a BIG order panera that was my favourite during COVID. Picked it up- bag was sealed so I just trusted my order. Walked 1 block out and the bottom of the bag completely gave out. Turns out the soup inside wasn't capped and covered all the rest of the food and soaked through the bag. It was only when all the food was out on the street I realized part of my order wasn't even there! Also, wow, the sandwiches are WAY smaller.

I had to run back to work so could not go back to the cafe. Spent the next 6 hours calling the cafe hourly explaining what had happened, offering to provide photos, requesting a refund. Every single time I was told repeatedly I would get a call back within the hour. Most times I was told within 5-10 minutes. I provided my full name, number, and order details each time. I never got any calls back.

Several times I spoke to the same associate, who provided gems such as:

"You need to speak to [X] manager, they were here two hours earlier, you had to call earlier. The current manager said they can't refund it." (this was on hour 6 of calling)

"If I'd spoken to you earlier I would have told you that" (we did speak earlier)

"If you'd asked for a call back I would have called you earlier" (I did, and he didn't)

"Well come in now with the receipt and we'll refund it" (it's 30 min away and he just said the manager said they can't refund it)

Customer service line said Panera can only cancel orders the day they were made. I called back AGAIN and this time insisted I speak to the manager directly.

The manager seemed to have never heard of my situation at all, despite associates telling me multiple times they'd spoken with the manager. They confirmed they had my order receipt. Then the manager said they "don't have refund or cancelling credentials" so they'd call the other manager who was there earlier in the day and then call me back in 10 minutes. Obviously, I never got a call back. This was hour 7 of calling. Panera was closing in an hour. I called 4x more and no one picked up all- wondering if they started screening my calls, since the last time they picked up the associate said my name when he picked and said he knew it was me from my name on the caller ID.

I guess Panera is the best way to lose both time AND money and a good chunk of sanity these days. I will be warning everyone away from now on.

UPDATE:

Customer service was lovely and agreed to help me out - they told me to expect a refund in 30 days.... I hope it works!!

(Btw, for admin:

While writing this a pop-up kept saying "If this is a complaint post, please use the megathread instead of making a new topic. We will remove posts that do not observe this rule." But when I searched for the megathread, it was locked and a new admin post 8mo ago said there is no more megathread and complaint posts should be posted separately...another post 2mo ago asked about this with no answer. Clarity would be helpful tysm!)

Is Panera going to provide any sort of count or tracking for the newly-restricted number of drinks? I’m on the annual plan so it’s even harder with the rolling 30-day limitation. I averaged just about 1 drink a day last year but that includes a lot of 2-a-day and several spans where I was gone and didn’t get any. At least if they give a way to see where you’re at in your count you can know when you’re close or can stop and grab an extra drink.
(I tried to search but couldn’t find this answer)

So you have to spend $200 to get a free bowl of soup?

Does anyone know if buying gift cards counts towards reward points?

Today was my last day at the cafe in Soulard. They said it was going to close a few years back, kept us but they are closing this year. I feel blind sided. Manager said they didn’t need me anymore and we close at 2 now