1/29/2009

Boycott Donato's

I ordered a pizza last week from Donato's online. I ordered one of their online specials and entered the code.

When the pizza arrived, we paid and the driver left. But then he came back.

"I need the coupon," he said.

"It was an online special. There is no coupon," I said.

"If you don't have the coupon, you have to pay the full price," he said.

That wasn't going to happen and I told him so. He called his manager and she said that I needed to pay the difference or give the driver the coupon. I told him I'd need to talk to the manager myself.

I called Sarah and we discussed the matter. She told me that Donato's is cracking down on coupons and that, if they don't turn in the paper coupons, then corporate won't honor the discount and someone has to pay for it.

I explained that I had used online coupons before without incident and that it didn't make sense that I would be responsible to validate an online special from their own website. She told me that's just how it is.

She asked me to print the coupon. I refused. I didn't have any ink, but I told her there was no way I'd print it under any circumstances.

Sarah told me she'd let it side this time, but next time...

I told her not to worry about the next time; there wouldn't be one.

Here's why:

When the customer fails to turn in a coupon, Donato's corporate won't honor the coupon. They take the money from the DRIVER.

The driver. Of all the links in the chain the driver is the one who pays the price.

Not to put it lightly, but I don't like that policy. I don't want to do business with a company like that. There are too many other (better) pizza companies that don't screw their drivers.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seriously?!

Tammy said...

You need to write a letter to Donato's corporate office to:
1. complain
2. make certain it IS corporate policy!!

Anonymous said...

its a legit corpaorate policy however whether it is enforced in that great a detail is up to the manager and the district super. personally the manager would get into more shit were you to call in the complaint than whether she collected the coupon she was an idiot. speaking from experience file a complaint with corporate.

Anonymous said...

I am a driver and this policy does suck!
Donatos is the worst place to work for, the manager hired all his friends and plays favorites... and i hear its like that at most of them. I am the second best driver and just because i wouldnt say who was talking about him behind his back, he took me off the schedule! IM GOING TO PIZZA HUT TO WORK NOW!

Anonymous said...

Try working at a Donatos Pizza. I've been working there for about six months now and i've never had a worse job. All the people are high all the time, smokers are the only people who get a break, and they dont even want to give the people who actually do work any kind of raise. Its a horrible place to work and a horrible place to eat.

T.Tommy said...

I used to work there, and that was policy. As a manager I never honored it. I do find it funny that my co manager's name was Sarah and she used to do that to customers. No wonder they closed down six of our stores and I was laid off without so much as a thank you...