Pizza Express Vouchers Discussion

gloucesteroldspot

I've been going to Pizza Express since they started. The first one was almost next to the old Flamingo club in Soho (showing my age here!) and it's always been a favourite.

Lately however, I've found you have to pick your branch quite carefully, as some can offer poor service, poorly prepared food and have a distinct lack of ambiance...not surprising really as people soon walk away from low quality and there are few things worse than an almost empty restaurant! Sadly my local in Bexleyheath isn't too great, but we are just off (clutching our voucher of course) to Sidcup which is always packed. Sadly we haven't got the Orange voucher as we don't do Orange ...but that's another story....

System

gloucesteroldspot wrote: »

I've been going to Pizza Express since they started. The first one was almost next to the old Flamingo club in Soho (showing my age here!) and it's always been a favourite.

Lately however, I've found you have to pick your branch quite carefully, as some can offer poor service, poorly prepared food and have a distinct lack of ambiance...not surprising really as people soon walk away from low quality and there are few things worse than an almost empty restaurant! Sadly my local in Bexleyheath isn't too great, but we are just off (clutching our voucher of course) to Sidcup which is always packed. Sadly we haven't got the Orange voucher as we don't do Orange ...but that's another story....

I totally agree with you gloucesteroldspot.. Used to be great, but if toy don't pick branch carefully they can be terrible!! We used to be members of the pizzaexpresssclub but it's not worth it now as much better places to and eat.

My friends recently went to one where they were left waiting in reception area for over 10 minutes, and told to "just wait, we are busy" whilst the staff apparently walked about slowly clearing tables and giving out bills etc.. Needless to say my friends left and went elsewhere for a lovely dinner!

JPR

I see that each table can use more than one voucher but can a 3 person table use 2 vouchers and either eat the 4th pizza or ask to take it home? Anyone done that?
Alternatively could a 4th person be "late" and then after the pizzas arrive at the table, "cancel"?

We were hoping that my student son could take it back to his flat to have later....

shallowpockets

Hi, we went as a group of 3 and used 2 vouchers, the waiter allowed us to get a main meal "salad" as our 4th dish.

ANonnyMouse_2

Oh I've done this a couple of times! Was planning to go for dinner with my boyfriend after seeing some friends and one decided to come with us - the waitress wasn't sure so she checked with the manager and he said that if we wanted, we could have two mains each, it didn't matter as long as we had the voucher! We got a "spare" pizza and shared it. Felt a bit cheeky but the staff seemed to just find it funny!

(this was the one near the Victoria Apollo - really nice staff and good atmosphere!)

And then went out as a big crowd for work lunch to a different branch and we got a spare salad. They didn't say anything about it at all.

jeffington81

It's great all these vouchers, but for us who work at pizza expresses, it's very stressful. We have packed restaruants from 5pm through to 11pm, not that i'm complaining, but dont expect perfect service. We dont get allowed a break for these six hours so we're knackered!

We try our best to give great service, that's why we do the job. And if you do get good service, why not leave a tip!!

drivebyargument

jeffington81 wrote: »

It's great all these vouchers, but for us who work at pizza expresses, it's very stressful. We have packed restaruants from 5pm through to 11pm, not that i'm complaining, but dont expect perfect service. We dont get allowed a break for these six hours so we're knackered!

We try our best to give great service, that's why we do the job. And if you do get good service, why not leave a tip!!

Well that's the great thing about vouchers. People like me come in, enjoy the good food and hopefully good service and will leave a tip for the waitress [particularly if she's hot] that we wouldn't have left had we eaten elsewhere.

If there were no customers you wouldn't have the hours, nevermind tips. Remember the people that want a flawless service and good meal have [usually] been working hard all day, while you lot play your Xbox and watch Countdown etc.

Current voucher expires tomorrow; are there any more?

jeffington81

drivebyargument wrote: »

hopefully good service and will leave a tip for the waitress [particularly if she's hot] that we wouldn't have left had we eaten elsewhere.

while you lot play your Xbox and watch Countdown etc.

Current voucher expires tomorrow; are there any more?

Firstly, driveby, most waiters that i work with, including myself, have 9-5 jobs, so work 15 hour days, so your argument falls flat on its face there. You should think so little about people, many have children and such and such.

Secondly, tip good service, not because theyre attractive, we're in 2009 now.

Thirdly, loads of vouchers out there, you'll find them out if you use your noggin.

drivebyargument

jeffington81 wrote: »

Firstly, driveby, most waiters that i work with, including myself, have 9-5 jobs, so work 15 hour days, so your argument falls flat on its face there. You should think so little about people, many have children and such and such.

Secondly, tip good service, not because theyre attractive, we're in 2009 now.

Thirdly, loads of vouchers out there, you'll find them out if you use your noggin.

Well perhaps that's the problem, if you're working 75-90 hours in any job(s), performance will suffer. This is fact. It is no wonder staff are rude to customers and make mistakes if they are deprived of sleep and rest. And let's not get into the effect that has on their children that you speak of...

As for your "Its 2009 man", before you judge me, look closer to home and ask yourself why your employer only seem to employ attractive people. In fact I don't think I have ever seen a "below average" waitress at PE. I wonder if your bosses have a scoring system?

kalaika

jeffington81 wrote: »

...We have packed restaruants from 5pm through to 11pm, not that i'm complaining, but dont expect perfect service. We dont get allowed a break for these six hours so we're knackered!...

OT: If I was always working six hour shifts without a break then I'd be complaining to the area manager or even head office about my restaurant's management.

Having worked in a pizza restaurant before, I know that you are entitled to a break at some point during a shift of that length. It's up to your managers to find a time that you can have it. i.e. obviously not at 7:30 when the restaurant's heaving, but by 9:00 it's probably quietening down enough to be able to let all the staff have a sit down (not all at once, of course...!)

If your managers can't do that (for whatever reason - because they haven't got enough cover on the rota, because they're incompentent or whatever) then it should be highlighted to the higher management.