Jersey Mike's has a sandwich for everybody, but if you really want "a sub above," you're going to have to order it right... and whatever you do, don't call the bread a "roll."
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00:00Jersey Mike's has a sandwich for everybody. But if you really want a sub above, you're
00:05going to have to order it right. And whatever you do, don't call the bread a roll.
00:10Mmm, good idea.
00:11Most of us wouldn't want folks we don't know showing us how to do our own jobs. So when
00:16it comes to ordering sandwiches, there's a big difference between pointing out ingredients
00:20and actually invading an employee's workspace by reaching over the glass.
00:24One, personal space. Two, personal space. Three, stay out of my personal space."
00:31Numerous Jersey Mike's employees have pointed out how annoying it is when customers do exactly
00:36that. Some people might think it's helpful to reach over and point to the food they want,
00:40but most of the time the servers know exactly what they're referring to anyway.
00:44Reaching over the glass can also be surprisingly risky. There are a lot of items and machines,
00:49like the meat slicer, that Jersey Mike's employees are trained to operate. Customers don't go
00:54through the same safety procedures with these things, and it's all too easy for them to
00:58get injured. Aside from all that, it's just unsanitary to be pawing at all the food on
01:03the other side of the glass. After all, there's a reason Jersey Mike's employees wear gloves.
01:08Here's the thing, folks. You might not be 100 percent happy with every sandwich that
01:12you get from Jersey Mike's. But one thing that riles employees up like nothing else
01:17is complaining to the wrong person.
01:19As one employee wrote on Reddit,
01:21"...hundreds of customers hit Jersey Mike's every day."
01:23So expecting employees to deal with your specific complaint and make everything better isn't
01:28realistic.
01:29Well, I wish that I could do something, but it's kind of policy, you know, above my pay
01:35grade.
01:36That's not to say you shouldn't flag any concerns or qualms you have about your sandwich to
01:39an employee. Just be aware that the person you're speaking to may not be able to fix
01:44the problem. For quality-related issues, it's best to speak to the manager of the specific
01:48store you're in. Better yet, take it up with the head office.
01:52If you're a big fan of a meaty sub, Jersey Mike's has options that can appease the appetite
01:57of even the biggest carnivores. One thing that will annoy Jersey Mike's employees to
02:02no end, though, is assuming that the meaty sub you just ordered isn't meaty enough.
02:07Internet forums are littered with servers stating how irritating it is when customers
02:11ask for subs like the original Italian or certain cheesesteak varieties with additional
02:16Because the sandwiches have more than enough meat as it is. It's useful to remember that
02:20ordering extra meat unbalances your sandwich. You are well within your rights to ask for
02:24some more ham or turkey, but doing so will just make the sandwich harder to close and
02:29to eat. Plus, extra meat can also make your sandwich more mealy and dry. You might have
02:34to ask for extra oil or vinegar, which can then make the sub too wet. It's a slippery
02:39slope, so we recommend you just trust that the order will be meaty enough.
02:43Imagine it's the height of the lunch rush, and there's a line at the door. Everyone waiting
02:48for their sandwich just wants to grab something to eat before they have to get back to work.
02:52Meanwhile, the employee making the sandwiches just wants to make sure that each customer
02:57served in a timely manner so that everyone remains happy. How could you ruin this situation?
03:02By ordering a load of extras during a busy period.
03:05In response to a photo one employee posted to Reddit of a heavily modified order, another
03:10employee wrote,
03:11Sometimes I wonder if people think, what can I do to ruin the grill master's day? It's
03:15even more annoying when you ask for a load of extras and then request your sub Mike's
03:20way. This will add an additional number of salad toppings, red wine vinegar, and a spice
03:24blend onto your sandwich, and surely add additional time for your sandwich maker, which will keep
03:29everyone else waiting.
03:31If you're one of those people who really wants to get into it about the distinction between
03:35a sub and a role, you might have a hard time at Jersey Mike's. The employees who work there
03:40are tired of being corrected when they ask if customers want their sandwich on white
03:44bread and getting the response that it's actually a role. For the record, Jersey Mike's employees
03:48know that they're roles. They just have better things to do than get into it with you.
03:53One employee on Reddit detailed exactly how rude some customers can be on this front.
03:58They wrote,
03:59One time I got cussed out by a customer because he asked me if we have roles and, not knowing
04:03whether he meant the sub role or some kind of bakery role slash other bread option, I
04:08just picked up a loaf and replied,
04:09This is the only type of bread we carry.
04:11The customer then promptly exploded in anger, shouting at the staff about how he doesn't
04:16want to eat there anymore. We've gotta ask, was all of that really worth it?
04:21It's always nice to spark a bit of conversation with the person serving your food, and kindness
04:25or a joke or two can go a long way. Unless it's one specific joke. When a Jersey Mike's
04:30employee asks you if you want your sub Mike's way, don't respond with your own name instead.
04:36Asking for a sub made Rick's way or Eleanor's way isn't likely to make you friends.
04:40That's so funny, last time I heard that I laughed so hard I fell off my dinosaur.
04:45Employees have heard it a million times before, and it wasn't funny the first time. Plus,
04:49you're just making their job more difficult to do. If you respond with your name instead
04:53of just saying yes or no, they have no idea what you actually want on your sub.
04:58Here's something that you might think is helping your server out but is actually making their
05:02life way harder. Ordering multiple subs, one at a time. Having to deal with this is
05:06one of the things that Jersey Mike's employees like the least about their job. As one employee
05:11wrote on Reddit,
05:12"...the worst one is ordering one sub, and me asking any more, and then ordering the
05:16same sub after I'm done slicing."
05:18Although it's particularly irritating to do this with the same sub over and over again,
05:23it's also pretty annoying when you're ordering different subs. The reason? Jersey Mike's
05:27employees are multitasking masters. If you're ordering several different subs, they can
05:32quickly calculate which toppings they'll need to grab and which bread they can pre-slice
05:36to save time. Then, they can batch up their jobs to save even more time. This, in turn,
05:41means that you get your sandwich way more quickly, and the people behind you don't have
05:45to wait forever before they can eat.
05:47Do people think that Jersey Mike's employees are psychic? Judging by some customers' behavior,
05:53A bizarre number of Jersey Mike's patrons picking up online orders will do so without
05:58mentioning their name to the employee. Instead, the customer will just assume that the server
06:02they're speaking to will know the order they're there for on instinct. One employee detailed
06:07the process on Reddit. In a series of events that sounds totally infuriating, they recounted,
06:12"...I'm here to pick up my order. Expectant look. I've started mentally counting to 10,
06:16smiling at them, before asking for a name. I get to 10 about 50% of the time. Yeah, you're
06:22the only person we're serving today."
06:24Your local Jersey Mike's might be dealing with dozens of online orders at one time,
06:28particularly during busy lunch or dinner services. Make things easier for yourself and everyone
06:32else, and just tell them your name right away when you're picking up your food. If you don't,
06:37you may end up going home with the wrong sub in your hands.
06:40Ordering food at any fast-casual joint is simple. You ask for what you want, wait, pay,
06:45and then walk out with your food. It's only after you pay that you should really start
06:49eating.
06:50Customers who begin to munch on their food before even handing over any cash are a real
06:54source of frustration for Jersey Mike's employees. One server on Reddit named,
06:58"...the guy that always opens a bag of chips and eats them while ordering."
07:02as one of the most annoying customers to deal with in their store. Even worse, some of these
07:06customers then proceed to tap or reach over the glass with hands covered in chip grease,
07:11crumbs, and salt.
07:12It doesn't take a genius to figure out why employees don't like people doing this. For
07:16one thing, it's just rude. The people working there shouldn't have to put up with customers
07:21chewing their food in front of them while they make an order, especially if the customer
07:25hasn't paid. It's also pretty unhygienic, and leaves employees more of a mess to clean
07:30after you leave.
07:31Is there something broken at your Jersey Mike's? You have every right to be disappointed. Just
07:36don't take it out on the staff. If the grill, drink machine, bathroom, or anything else
07:41in the store you're in is out of order, it's okay to report it to the people working there.
07:45Just know, in all likelihood, they're just as annoyed as you are.
07:49As one employee vented on Reddit,
07:50"...our grill has been broken for a few weeks. Despite this being displayed on the door,
07:55we still get people coming in and getting upset. I've only witnessed one actual fit,
08:00when a middle-aged woman stomped her feet like a child and threw her chips down before
08:04running out. She told us we ruined her day."
08:06Don't be like that customer. It's highly likely that the person you're complaining to doesn't
08:11have the power or technical know-how to fix these complicated machines anyway. Instead
08:15of having a tantrum, just go to a different store.
08:18Jersey Mike's employees will always put on gloves before they make your sandwich. So,
08:23if you ask them to change their gloves, you're just wasting everybody's time. Just because
08:28you didn't see them do it doesn't mean they didn't. Washing hands and putting on gloves
08:32falls in line with basic hygiene measures, which is one of the cornerstones of their
08:36job. In other words, just trust them.
08:38I hope you'll trust us for it."
08:40That being said, it's also good to listen to your instinct. If the store you're in looks
08:45noticeably dirty or unhygienic, or you definitely saw someone reuse gloves or put them on without
08:51washing their hands, don't be afraid to speak up. But if you're just doing it to throw your
08:55weight around, don't expect the employees to be particularly happy with you.
08:59Next time you're ordering your Jersey Mike's sub, make sure to tune in to what your server
09:03is actually saying, like when they ask if you want it Mike's way. People say no to this
09:08question all too often, but not because they don't want the extra toppings. According to
09:12Jersey Mike's employees, the amount of people who think that they're being asked if they
09:16want their sub microwaved rather than Mike's way is surprisingly large.
09:21Not only does that annoy the person making your sub, but it's also just kind of insulting.
09:26As one employee for The Chain wrote on Reddit,
09:28"'Yes, it very much makes me cringe when customers think I say microwaved. I don't think I've
09:33ever microwaved a deli meat sandwich.'"
09:36"'If we're at Jersey Mike's, of course we're gonna ask if you want it Mike's way.'"
09:39While some places like Subway might toast your sandwich, microwaving it is a completely
09:44different proposition, and is likely to result in a soggy, tasteless sub.