‘That happened to me with Papa Johns’: Little Caesars customer says someone else took her online pick-up order. Viewers were shocked by how workers handled it
A Little Caesars employee's reaction to a customer complaint is ticking off a lot of people on the internet.
Clarissa Reece (@simplyclaire.xo) uploaded a TikTok that blew up on the popular social media application, accruing a whopping 2.8 million views and a slew of comments from folks who were miffed by what they saw.
In the video, Reece records herself arguing with a Little Caesars employee for giving away her pizza to another customer. Reece says that she placed a $20 order for pick-up at 5:30 pm at the location, but when she showed up to grab her food, it wasn't there.
The customer claims someone else claimed the food, a man, with whom the TikToker says she has no affiliation as she doesn't even know anyone in the area.
Commenters who saw the clip were shocked at the Little Caesars' employees "wave off" of Reece at the end of the clip and couldn't believe that the restaurant wouldn't just fire up a new order for the inconvenience.
Reece begins her video speaking with the Little Caesars employee. "So somebody came and picked up my pizza and used my name, and I can't get a refund?" she asks the worker behind the counter.
The Little Caesars employee says, "It says that it was picked up around 5:30."
"That's the order—no, I set the time for pick up at 5:30, that's the time that I scheduled it to pick up. Nobody has come in and picked it up. I confirmed my pick up online that I wanted to pick it up at 5:30," Reece explains.
The worker replied, "I'm telling you that someone came in with that exact same name and picked it up already."
"What did she look like?" the customer asked.
"It was a guy," the employee responds.
"It was a guy?"
"Yes."
"And they just used my name and came by and picked it up?" the customer asks again, attempting to get further clarification.
"I guess so."
"I don't even, I'm not even from here I don't even know anyone here. So what am I gonna do? Am I gonna get my $20 back?"
The employee offers, "I can go back here and talk to my higher-up..."
Reece then asks the employee to send out the manager, however, the worker says they aren't there, so she has to call them.
"Well please go call them," the TikToker asks the employee, who agrees to reach out to their manager regarding the matter.
"Cause that was $20 you know?" Reece adds, perturbed.
As the employee heads towards the back, she replies, "And I'm telling you that someone had came in..."
"Nobody came in and picked up my pizza I confirmed my pick up time for 5.30 on my phone..." Reece says.
As Reece continues to talk, the employee walks away from her and puts her hand up, her palm facing Reece as if to signify that she's done talking to her.
Reece further explained in a caption for the clip: "I paid online and scheduled my pickup time for 5:30pm. She said someone picked up my pizza using my name and there was nothing she could do no food no refund. Its not even $20 its the principal"
@simplyclaire.xo I paid online and scheduled my pickup time for 5:30pm. She said someone picked up my pizza using my name and there was nothing she could do no food no refund. Its not even $20 its the principal #shameonyou #littlecaesars #dobetter @Little Caesars ♬ original sound - Clarissa Reece
Commenters who saw the video seemed just as befuddled as the TikToker was with a litany of them calling out the Little Caesars employee for not simply re-doing her order.
"Just give her another pizza. It’s Little Caesars for gods sake!," one penned.
Another echoed, "Why is she being so complicated??? Refund her or remake her stuff."
One TikTok user simply quipped: "Ooo she was ruddeeee,. I would’ve been mad too."
Another viewer suggested that the Little Caesars employee may've been defensive and reluctant to refund Reece's order because the worker herself didn't follow proper pick-up protocol. "They let a random person pick up your order without confirming your confirmation number she’s not doing her job correctly," they wrote.
Mobile and to-go order theft in the food service industry is apparently a prevalent issue, depending on who you ask. One Redditor complained about the frequency with which their Chipotle mobile orders were being stolen when they tried to purchase food from the popular Mexican-style chain.
A commenter who replied to their post stated that while they had never had their mobile order stolen before, they couldn't see why more people would just grab unattended food that's sitting on a shelf: "It's never happened to me, and I just wonder "why not?" I mean, anyone could just go in, grab a couple things off the shelf and walk away, because I've never once had anything like someone try to verify I'm picking up something I actually ordered since they went to just putting everything on a pickup shelf."
In fact, a former Chipotle worker explained during a podcast clip that was posted to TikTok how easily food pilferers could get away with grabbing mobile orders that they didn't pay for.
Business Insider also published a piece on the epidemic of Panera mobile order thefts that became so widespread that employees were forced to keep pre-ordered food behind the counter in order to stymy thieves.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Little Caesars via email and Reece via TikTok comment for further information.
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