But... I don't want pepperoncini's in my sub!

[upsidedown_orchid]

I had a free coupon for a Safeway deli sub, so on Saturday, I decided to pick one up before heading of to work.

I ordered a veggie sub on Harvest whole wheat bread. Now, everytime I have been in there, the deli personel have asked me what type for bread and what size I would like. Then, once I have given them that info, they will cut the bread and spread the ranch sauce on the bread, and proceed to walk me through putting toppings on the sub.

The sandwich maker, and older Eastern European lady furthermore known as 'SM' didn't ask me if I wanted the olive spread, as they usually do (since not everyone likes olives) but that was ok, since I, in fact, did want the olive spread.

I glanced away for a moment, and when I turned back, there were these green things that looked like banana peppers or jalapenos on my sub. I asked the SM what they were, and she looked at me like I was an idiot and said "pepperoncinis". I told her I would prefer the sandwich without, and she picked one off the sub and flicked it away with her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised.

A timer buzzed behind her, and she went off to get the panini sandwiches out of the press for the two cashiers on break that were ahead of me. Our eyes met after she flicked that pepperoncini and we all just smiled and shook our heads slightly.

SM took her time cutting and wrapping up their sandwiches, and then had trouble ringing them up. She got a hand from a pleasant lady working the non sandwich part of the deli. The other lady seemed to be used to walking SM through the till process.

After the girls paid and left, SM turned back to my sub, and slowly flicked away each pepperoncini, with her lip curling more and more with each finger flick. She asked me if I wanted pickles, and I replied "yes, please".
She then proceeded to put lettuce and harvarti on my sub, without asking if I wanted them. No problem. I could tell she was reading the ingrediants off of a chart in front of her as her lips were moving slightly. No problem, either she was relatively new or people don't order the garden sub very often.

Then SM reached towards the tomatos. Before her hand reached them I said "No tomatoes please, thank you". She looked at me in disbelief and said shaking her head "Well, what DO you want then?"

I asked for cucumbers, green peppers and guacamole. As she put the guac on the sub, she flung her knife to and fro, sending little spatters of green avocadoey goodness flying all over her work station.


Then, she quickly wrapped my sub in the paper without cutting it. I really wanted it cut in half so I could eat half for lunch and half later, but I was sacred to interupt. The scowl on her face made me just not want to ask her for anything.

As we walked over to the till, I handed over my free coupon, before she had even touched the computer, so she wouldn't ring it in without it and she grabbed it out of my hand and tried to scan it. It wasn't coming up for her, so she called over the lady from the other section to help her, all the while she was stabbing at the same till button over and over again.

The other lady showed her how to clear her screen and punch in my coupon and handed me my sub. The smile on her face was one of apology and pity. I smiled back, comiserating, and thanking the lord I could leave now.

I should have gone to customer service to complain, but I was running out of time, and I would just call later. I know if I were that persons's supervisor, I would want to know how uncomfortable she makes customers.

Unfortunately, I put the incident out of my mind until today, and I've misplaced the reciept, and forgotten her name, so I can't really call in.



On the plus side, the sub was good, even if I wound up eating all 8 inches in one sitting since it wasn't cut in half.

[Boozy]

You have just described the lady who works at my local grocer's deli counter. She scares the crap out of me. No one is ever brave enough to ask for anything special. If you don't like the way she made your sandwich, pizza, whatever, you just pick off the toppings you don't want. Your smile is always met with a scowl, and if you ask her how her day's going, she ignores you. She will literally YELL at you if you do something she doesn't like. I think everyone's too afraid of her to complain.

My friend works at that grocery store and he says that everyone in the deli hates their job because its the worst in the whole store, so they're all cranky. But I don't think that's an excuse to be miserable all the time and be mean to customers.

[blas]

Last time I checked, the whole point of Subway was kind of the "burger king" of sub sandwiches. You get to watch it get made (unless you're in drive thru) and whatever you want goes on it. You don't have to worry about what you don't want.

I don't see how you were unreasonable.....it's Subway. If she wants to make subs a certain way, she can get a job somewhere else.

The only Subway customers that irritate me are the elderly who treat ordering food at Subway like it's rocket science, and the soccer moms who use cutsie poo words when describing how much mayo or how much ranch sauce.

[Reyneth]

Last time I checked, the whole point of Subway was kind of the "burger king" of sub sandwiches.

The OP went to Safeway - which I believe is a gas station where some have convenience stores and food?

But the lady serving upsidedown_orchid was unhelpful and nasty to her customer for no good reason, regardless of where she worked.

[blas]

Damn, can't you tell I dropped out of Derek Zoolander's school for kids who can't read good?

I went to a Safeway when I was visiting the fossils out in Seattle. That's the only Safeway I've ever been to...

Maybe I thought of Subway because the process in which she was making the sandwich sounded extremely similar to Subway?

[Andara Bledin]

Safeway is a grocery store chain. I suspect the sandwich shop was part of the deli inside the store.

I love me a Subway sub. I won't even try Quiznos (disgusting and insulting commercials) and I had Togo's once (free sub day) and didn't like it much.

The local Food 4 Less has packaged subs, and they're about what you'd expect from a daily pre-made sub.

^-.-^

[air914]

Well thank goodness you could watch her make it so you didn't have to worry if she spit in it or something!! Maybe that's what pissed her off so much - she couldn't do that....

[air914]

Damn, can't you tell I dropped out of Derek Zoolander's school for kids who can't read good?

I went to a Safeway when I was visiting the fossils out in Seattle. That's the only Safeway I've ever been to...

Maybe I thought of Subway because the process in which she was making the sandwich sounded extremely similar to Subway?

Oops I read Subway too!!!

And I used to like Subway but I don't anymore - they really do hardly put any meat on the sandwich at all - like 2 slices of meat on the one I order.... that's not even like a whole serving size! And if you ask for any extra - they charge you - even if it's just one more slice.....

[tollbaby]

I read Subway at first too, but then I thought to myself, "my subway doesn't have 8" bread.... they don't have olive paste.... they sure don't have Guacamole!!!!" so I re-read it and realized my mistake LOL I guess we see what we expect to see, eh?

[myswtghst]

And I used to like Subway but I don't anymore - they really do hardly put any meat on the sandwich at all - like 2 slices of meat on the one I order.... that's not even like a whole serving size! And if you ask for any extra - they charge you - even if it's just one more slice.....

I think it depends on the Subway. At school in MI, I always had to order and pay for double meat on my subs (other than Tuna) to get anywhere near enough meat on them. Now that I'm back in IL, the two near me both put on plenty of meat, but have a tendency to not listen when I order, and to just put whatever they feel like on them (I posted a thread about one incident a while back on here).

And I've had similar issues at White Hen--the ones around here do the same type of thing as Safeway, I think, with a deli counter where you can get sandwiches and stuff. Generally good, but once in a while, they'll be out of nearly everything and get all snotty with me.

[Andara Bledin]

I read Subway at first too, but then I thought to myself, "my subway doesn't have 8" bread.... they don't have olive paste.... they sure don't have Guacamole!!!!" so I re-read it and realized my mistake LOL I guess we see what we expect to see, eh?

All of the Subways I've been to have avacado, which I like better than guacamole. The local hole-in-the-wall burger joint that's run by Mexicans and also serves chicken teriyaki has avacado, too. Mmmm.... I always order it to eat on its own.

^-.-^

[mariamousie1]

I've had servers like that. They act like you're doing them a big inconvenience by asking them not to put lettuce on your sub. Then you're scared they might pull a soup nazi- NO SUB FOR YOU!

[Kiwi]

Try not getting any salad on your sub, im very fussy about my salads and dont eat iceberg lettuce (YUCK) people look at you as if your crazy! When I say just ham and cheese or chicken and cheese they are so used to people wanting salad they ask, then start asking about individual items....then check and double check.

I appreciate them being through but sheesh I dont want soggy or white bitter lettuce, I hate cold olives, onions. I dont eat peppers or pickles... I just dont like prepared salads! I have to watch the sub makers like a hawk and (politely) remind them no salad please, no salad please NO SALAD PLEASEEEEEEEE and even then they will start sometimes automatically.

I used to do that with payments, how would you like to pay... then have to ask again 10 seconds later because all of the answers blur!

[Sliceanddice]

THERE ARE SUBWAYS WITH DRIVE THRUS, AND WHO DONT AUTOMATICLY CUT YOU SANDWICHES IN HALF?????? WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN.

[upsidedown_orchid]

I wish Subway had the ingredients that the Safeway deli has. They're everywhere. I hate the vegetables Subway uses. Since I'm a vegetarian, that pretty much means I hate Subway subs.

If they had fresh lettuce, guac, olive paste, fresh avocado slices,etc- I would eat at Subway every day. Then I wouldn't have to brave the sub Nazi.