Hi, what are your specials?

[PizzaBoy]

Is there anything worse than hearing a customer ask this question? I swear, that is the most annoying thing a customer can do. Especially at Domino's Pizza, where we have about 25 possible specials that a customer might be interested in. In order to narrow it down, I ask questions like "What kind are you looking for?" While some people answer this question intelligently, most just say something stupid like "Depends on what you got!", "One with pizzas," or "Duh! What are your specials?"

Once I waste my time explaining each and every special, I usually have to repeat it because I "spoke too fast." This is usually followed by that person shouting the same specials back to their friends, asking me to hold, and then ordering after about 5 minutes have already passed and there is other work to be done and other customers are waiting in line to be helped.

This is usually the end, but it sometimes gets even worse. If I happen to forget a special that is advertised somewhere in the store, than some total b*tch or pr*ck looks at it, gets irritated, then asks why I did not offer that special. That is usually followed by the demand of more free food.

Anyway, my heart just sinks to the floor and I feel like I'm going to die every time I hear someone ask that question. Message to the customers: I know you don't know any better, but it is not that difficult to find out what our specials are. CSRs are very busy and don't have the time to explain them 30 different times while there are other people waiting in line. Lastly, have a general idea of what you want before you order, because I don't have the time or the patience to sit here and wait while you make up your mind.

Who else hates that question?

[the lawsmeister]

Pizzaboy, I know exactly how you feel.
at the shop we help out at we get that question even though there are only 3 specials and they really haven't changed for years. (buy$xx worth and get a free garlic bread, buy $XXX get a salad too etc)
Its just a little independant place that a friend of ours owns and people always try to get us to match the Pizza Hut or Dominos deals.

Even worse than the calls about deals are the ones who ask "what kind of pizza do you make?" or spend 5 minutes on hold and then start asking people in the background what they want. Honestly, put the time on hold to good use and find out what your friends want. Even better do it before you call.

[RentalRacer]

Yeah thats kind of like when I was bartending and someone would ask me what we had on tap, I would list all 18 beers, then they would order a Bud. Where I live, every bar has Bud on tap, even the places that brew their own beer.

[Sliceanddice]

we dont normally have many specials but our costumers cant forget any special we have ever had, or think we don't something anymore so i get
'Hey i want that -deal thats been over for monthes or is seasonal-'
or 'i want... no you dont ahve that anymore do you, um...' fpr a deal thats advertised a hundard timess a day and is a add three feet from their face, and is on the board aswell....

[Polenicus]

I fear I am guilty of this.

When I order from our local pizza place from the website, it's easy, all the specials are listed there, and when I select a pizza size it automatically narrows the selection down to the specials covering that. But now I live within walking distance and like to pick up the pizza to avoid delivery charges. And I've looked high and low, and there isn't a SINGLE sign or poster or ANYTHING covering current specials. Two different outlets of the same franchise, and NOTHING.

So, I must ask. And the clerks always look at me like I just announced I'm a space-alien from the planet Feebotron. *Sigh*

If I was smart I'd look it up on the website BEFORE coming in.

I apologize for sucking.

[Kara]

I have asked this question, but I have the decency to listen to the waiter/waitress. Our local places don't advertise their daily specials, so I find myself having no choice but to ask unless I want one of their advertised promotions. However, I do love the fact that when I call our Domino's, they have an automated line and it has a selection to hear the current specials.

[PizzaBoy]

I fear I am guilty of this.

When I order from our local pizza place from the website, it's easy, all the specials are listed there, and when I select a pizza size it automatically narrows the selection down to the specials covering that. But now I live within walking distance and like to pick up the pizza to avoid delivery charges. And I've looked high and low, and there isn't a SINGLE sign or poster or ANYTHING covering current specials. Two different outlets of the same franchise, and NOTHING.

So, I must ask. And the clerks always look at me like I just announced I'm a space-alien from the planet Feebotron. *Sigh*

If I was smart I'd look it up on the website BEFORE coming in.

I apologize for sucking.

It's not so much that kind of thing that pisses me off, it's mostly when we have a regular customer who has ordered from us many many times and still can not remember what our specials are, have no clue what they want to order, and waste five minutes discussing it with their friends while I just sit their like an idiot.

If you ask the specials and then take one and order quickly, then it's fine. Asking the specials and then calling back a few minutes later when you make your mind is fine as well, but I just hate when people have been ordering from here long enough that they should know them by now (the exception is if we started new deals) yet they continue to ask the same stupid question and waste my time.

[JustADude]

Heh! PJs, where I work, has that covered. We don't list coupon specials when they ask, just the 'house' deals, and we're supposed to ask how many people they're feeding, then give them the ones that fit for that number. Usually works out to half a pie per person.

[MystyGlyttyr]

Well, I'll occasionally call and ask about specials, but I call and ask "Do you guys have any new specials going on at the moment?" Because I know all the usual "specials" but sometimes there's something new that lasts for a couple weeks that isn't in the usual signage.

[InverseHellion]

My response to that question has always been to say something like 'Well sir/madam we have over 30 specials, what are your needs so I can narrow them down to something that'll get the job done?'
or at McDonald's over drive-thru (we didn't have a speaker but a face to face)
'Well sir/madam we have the (McDeal meal of the day) other than that any sandwich on our menu comes in a meal. What are you wanting to eat today?'

[Andara Bledin]

If I don't know the specials and I can't do the Internet thing, I'd at least have a basic idea of what I wanted before calling.

So it'd be a, "Hi, I want to get a couple of larges with at least 2 toppings each, what kind of specials will fit that?" sort of thing.

^-.-^

[Naaman]

We generally don't order pizza often enough to have a valid leaflet around the house

That said,
a) The local franchises never seem to have that many specials anyway
b) We're generally after medium size and try to tell them

[angelicafire]

Wait a second. Maybe it's a local thing, but when I call to order pizza from any chain, it either tells all of the specials when you call in and you have to press 0 to make your order, or there's a prompt that says "Press 1 to hear the specials." Why would you need to ask the person that picks up the phone? Oh wait, some people are doofuses and just bypass all of that, my bad.

[Mark Healey]

This is one thing I hate about pizzza places. They have insanely high menu prices so they can continually be advertising "specials". I consider it sleazy and deceptive. I want a place with resonable menu prices so I don't have to root around for coupons or calculate wich are "specials" are really special.

[MrSunshineState]

Wait a second. Maybe it's a local thing, but when I call to order pizza from any chain, it either tells all of the specials when you call in and you have to press 0 to make your order, or there's a prompt that says "Press 1 to hear the specials." Why would you need to ask the person that picks up the phone? Oh wait, some people are doofuses and just bypass all of that, my bad.

I was about to say the same thing.

Here we get a recording at most pizza places that say "Press 1 at any time to speak with a live person, or stay on the line to hear our specials and somebody will be with you shortly."