Panera Bread

A friend and I had finished our lunch. We were still talking when a young worker came up to us and asked if we were finished. We said yes. I asked for a box for my leftover sandwich. The manager came over, dropped a box on the table and walked away.

If he explained that the table was needed, we would have gladly complied. This happened at Panera in Millbury, MA.

To the poster with the original complaint: If you have consistent problems with this manager, you should contact the corporate office. The contact information should be located on your receipt. From my experience, corporate does investigate and follow through on customer complaints- whether the complaint is for a manager or store associate. If the problem persists, you should continue to send complaints. Good luck!

As to 'piffedoff': Your cashier should have read your order back to you to be sure what you wanted. Many times, customers say, "I'd like an Asaigo Bagel" when they actually want the breakfast sandwich. The customer isn't being clear, but the cashier can easily ask if you want the breakfast sandwhich or just the bagel and there wouldn't be an issue. However, you sound like you were pretty rude yourself when dealing with the manager. Sorry to disappoint you, but corporate isn't going to fire all of the employees just because of your complaint- you'll probably get a voucher for your next order. If the employees already had a number of bad reviews from customers then maybe your bitter tatics would prevail.

I worked at Panera Bread located in Canada for 3 to 4 months before I quit.
I was so excited when I got the job! I looked up everything in advance, and knew all their products and everything.
I applied for full-time hours. I listed my availability as daytime, weekdays 6am-5pm.
At first, they gave me a few shifts a week inside of my availability. I don't understand why I was given hours outside of my availability in the first place.
Then things went HORRIBLY wrong.
ALL hours given to me were OUTSIDE of my availability. Not one shift was within that time frame.
Tips are NOT ALLOWED! SEVERAL customers complained to me that they could not tip me. It was awful.
I would be scheduled to close from 5 to 10 at night. I would be kept there past 10 if a manager was not happy with my "closing" which included EVERYTHING from cleaning washrooms, to sweeping and mopping floors. To packaging things. It's funny, because I was hired for CASH. CASH! I was kept there on average at least a half hour PAST when I was scheduled to get off.
It took over my life. I could never see my friends, and never plan either as the hours were INSANE. I would be scheduled for a closing shift on a Friday night (outside of my availability might I add) until 11:30 at night (supposed to be 11) and then would be expected to be at work the next morning for 6am (4:30 awakening). I would sleep for a total of maybe 3 hours. Isn't this illegal? And why hasn't anyone stepped in to prevent this from going on within CANADA. This is nuts! One of the appointed managers came over from a different country, and did not speak English well AT ALL. I am born in Canada, and it KILLED me to work under someone like that, who came here to MY COUNTRY and then has the nerve to tell me rudely that I should "SLAVE MORE!" and "CLEAN MORE!" and "WORK HARDER!" and "WORK FASTER!" for $10.25 an hour (minimum wage). (Might I add if you are under 18, you get paid around $9. RIDICULOUS!) I don't care where he comes from, this is not that place. Someone like him should NOT be in charge of ANYTHING.
If you were scheduled for 10 hours on a single day, you would have to clock in and out (this is their way of avoiding paying you overtime). No overtime pay.
No scheduled breaks. No set schedule. I would find out my schedule the DAY BEFORE I was supposed to work. I would break WHENEVER MY MANAGER wanted me to. An hour in to my shift? You've got to be kidding me! Clearly, I, your EMPLOYEE, am not NEARLY at the top of ANY list of PRIORITIES.
My managers had NO sympathy, and would not care if I would miss my bus. Which was the last bus, by the way.
I felt nauseous at work the day before I quit, and the General Manager would not let me go home. That was the last straw. (For the record, it was not busy. That should not even play a factor, we are talking about human rights. Dignity. I felt like I was worthless.) Everytime I scheduled a day off work for other priorities, I would feel this massive guilt. I was a good employee. I always did everything I was asked. Picked toothpicks from dirty plates, swept carpet flooring. Carried heavy coffee cartons (WITH a bad back already, might I add). I scheduled a day off in advance, and they put me on the schedule the day before to work the next day, which was the day I took off. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! I was speaking for weeks of how important that day was for me. I was playing a benefit show with my band for Sick Kids hospital. Anyways, after a hard time with an appointed shift manager, I asked for a list of numbers for fellow employees that could cover for me. She gave me one number. They were shortly staffed at the time (as about 6 people quit in 2 days) but that is NOT my fault. She then proceeded in telling me when I called back after being let down by that employee, that I would get a write up if I chose not to show up at work. I could not believe what I was hearing.
I had the decency to show up the next day after I gave my notice, and they still kept me over the time period I was supposed to work. Not to mention it was Canada Day. I wasn't asked if I wanted to work Canada Day, by the way. It was just ASSUMED that I would. Dear Panera, you can not EXPECT that from your employees when you MAKE THEM PAY for FOOD when you make them SLAVE for little to no money WHATSOEVER. 50% off doesn't mean ANYTHING when you cannot order a small salad. Just "regular size". All your food is overpriced, by the way. Basically, our discount is what regular price is everywhere else.
Get this, in total, for around 3 months full time (random hours including Mon 5-10pm, Tues 11-4pm, Sat + Sun 6am for example. I worked 6 days a week. At one point I worked 9 days in a row. How is that possible?), I got a total pay cheque of less than $3 000. Poverty line?
As well, there is black mould along the roof in the women's staff bathroom. It is despicable that we are expected to use that. AND clean it! Especially when we're a Cash person. Thank you!
HORRIBLE experience. NEVER work at Panera! Ever!
The food may be decent, but it's like ordering food from a sweatshop. Don't do it.
I have never felt so worthless in my life. The general manager would walk right by me, and say goodbye to the other manager she hired. Newsflash, she hired me too. And that is no way to treat me.
That job made me so unhappy. I would be gaining weight as I would have no time to exercise. I would come home at 2:30pm when I got off from those horrible 6am Saturday and Sunday shifts and just sleep. Wake up at another random time the next day, and do it all again. Talk about making me want to commit suicide.
The manager from a different country would watch over us, and tell us what to do. Just stand there. Watching us.
Employee's would be doing inventory for the managers. That's THEIR job. Yes, I understand that if a manager asks you to do something, you don't really have a choice or you'll be fired (and told you're fired for a totally irrelevant reason- that's how they avoid stuff), but how can a manager expect their employees to do so much for them, when they keep their employees past when they want to work, give them hours that are out of when they were willing to work, etc.
If Panera treated their employees like human beings, the whole company would run smoother. Employees would not be quitting as frequently, and there would not be as much stress on everyone working within that environment.
1) There should be regular hours. Not weekly schedules. "Rando" weekly scheduled. Not "day before" scheduling.
2) Employees should be entitled to free meals as they work. This would avoid employees being unhappy, and feeling extreme guilt (which you should care about!) when buying a meal for $5, when it takes them just over a half hour to make that much money.
3) Just because labour laws say you can pay your employees $10.25 (on the condition that they're 18) doesn't mean you should. That job should be AT LEAST $14 an hour. Think about the reputation you are getting, and think of how you're putting ALL your employees under countless amounts of stress. Sorry, but $3 000 in 3 months- you would not be happy with that salary as well. Especially when you're fighting tooth and nail with yourself when your job gives you ZERO dignity. You are everyone's ###! To put it lightly.
4) If a customer wants to tip, LET THEM TIP! It's not hurting you. By allowing no tips, you are FRUSTRATING your employees who work for you for little-to-no money. I understand, you want money to go towards charity, but your dear employees need some support as well. Otherwise, they would not be working for you, my dear. Your reputation is going down the drain due to your own doings, this picking and choosing thing is ###.
Thanks, take care

I just encountered what you just explained. In Hampton VA. Ordered a asiago breakfast sandwich with 6 everything bagels then was given 7 bagels not a breakfast sandwich. the girl at the cashier said that is what you ordered. NO! you had it rang up right the first time then she changed it because i said this is to go . spoke to a mgr and she was very short and almost rude with me. said we are making your sandwich now. I said not ... that is what i was told by the cook. She said I do apologize.. i said OH I AM SURE YOU DO ALOT OF THAT> then a employee named Cory said I head what you ordered ... really lady... seeing how you were at the other end of the place and it was pretty loud in there and then the cashier slammed my change into my hand and said OK fine... wow ...its a shame that these people even have jobs let alone in the hospitality industry... more people need to hold these shady employees to higher standards and get the service you pay for ... PANERA BREAD is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.. calling corporate office and getting them all fired ha now you have a good day cow

Ditto, NIKandBOYS I totally agree with you, thank you for sticking up for us. Sincerely, Lisa from West Springfield MA

I have been to several Panera Bread locations. I have never been treated badly or experienced any negativity. As far as I know, Panera would not stand for that. I have spoke to the managers of the store as well as some of the employees
(my Niece and her friends work at two of the locations) they have never complained. A great work environment and fun/outgoing staff. So if you have had a bad experience then you should contact the manager of the store or the corporate office and the district or regional managers will look into the complaints. I believe Panera is a great company, they help out the community and have grown to be an outstanding company.

better yet, get a life and stop caring about ### like this

go eat somewhere else and stop giving a ###

It's more helpful if you give examples.