Panera - This just in!

I thought I'd closed the book on my issues with the coffee pots at Panera, but it seems as though there was one last thing to be said.'

While at Panera, doing my usual morning thing, having coffee, reading and engaging in conversations with my other Panera peeps, the manager wandered over to me. He inquired as to whether I'd seen any coffee pots put on the floor today. Up until that momemt, no one at Panera had said a word to me about my email to their customer service department about the coffee pots (see Customer Service) so I was taken aback. (The manager is a great guy. He always makes it a point to say hi and knows me by name.) Anyway I responded that I had actually not seen the coffee pots been put on the floor over the past few days. He said that my email had made an impact on the whole state of Indiana and 27 Panera stores now had a new procedure in place for replacing the empty coffee pots. I can't imagine what my face must have looked like. I was stunned to say the least.

I told him that I didn't mean to be a 'whiner' but it just wasn't right that something I or any other patron of that restaurant should have to witness, let alone pour a beverage from. He wasn't upset. He said it was a good thing and thanked me for it.

I didn't really think anything would ever become of my complaint based upon the original email response I'd received from Panera. Just goes to show that it does pay to voice your opinion and concerns.

Hmmmm...Bob the "activist", who'd a thunk!