No More Cici's Pizza for us...
Written on October 18, 2007 by Kevin.
It was about a month ago that I first wrote a review on Cici's Pizza. We were anxious for Cici's to have a location near us and were really pleased with everything when we had our first visit. It was affordable food for the family with a nice variety of pizzas. Their cinnamon dessert was amazing.
We made a trip up there at the end of September to meet up with some of the grandparents, which turned out to be our last visit. I am standing in the buffet line waiting for a pizza to arrive that I request and that's when it happened. The teenage employee that takes the pizza out of the oven brushed his nose and then dug into it. I was amazed that he was doing this but in open view of everyone was just shocking. Did he wash his hands afterwards? No. I went back to my table in silence.
After a short bit, I headed up to talk to a manager about the situation. The conversation went a bit like this.
Me: Do all of your employees have a food handlers card?
Manager: They should all.
Me: Can you tell me why the guy that takes the pizza from the oven was just digging in his nose?
Manager: Wow! I'll ask him.
Manager: Yes he has his food handlers card. Thanks for letting us know.
OK, great way to take care of the situation. I could not see the guy at this point but I didn't even see him leave to wash his hands afterwards. Amazing.
Here is where the fun started. I called up the Cici's corporate number and let them know of the situation. I received a call from the district manager who wanted to know a bit further about the issue. I was told that the issue had been given to the franchise owner and that I would be contacted by him as well. This never happened. I called the corporate a few days later to complain that I had not received a call, they assured me a callback that day. It never happened.
I figured at this point that the franchise owner does not care about his customers at all if he cannot take the 3 minutes out of his day to call me. Clearly this guy doesn't want me as a customer any longer. I called them one last time to let them know that I had no longer wanted a callback as I had already reported them to the Environmental Services here in Arizona. The restaurant had only been opened since Labor Day and I happened to be the first complaint against them. We'll let them handle it from here. *Update: The services employee went to the location and did not view any nose picking but did tell them about the report and went over how to wash your hands. It's sad that we have to teach people this.*
Everyone hears the horror stories and I understand that stuff happens to peoples food all of the time. The part that really urks me is that that guy saw me looking at him while he did it and he did nothing to hide it or attempt to clean his hands. Unfortunately the manager and owners were no better at taking care of the issue. Per the actions of the owner, my family will not be returning back to this Cici's. Thanks alot for ruining something good.
Cici's Pizza #612
7608 W. Cactus Rd. Ste A
Peoria, AZ 85381
623-334-2424
you are an idoit
Written by kevin on Dec 2, 2007
What a valid comment. Thanks for your time.
Written by Kevin on Dec 2, 2007
Hmm, if Cici's would have the offer of raises and other incentives, we employees would be more conscientious. I'm expected to bust my ass everyday I work and for what, minimum wage with no chance of raises or opportunities to advance within the company. While I agree that that kid should have washed his hands, he probably feels the way I do. Your cheap ass and others who eat there never consider the fact that we are killing ourselves working there. I am often the only cook on a shift, and I am expected to make pizzas for the buffet. I am also expected to keep up with the buffet while making to go pizzas and your requests . So, as the minimum wage earner working as slave labor in Cici's I tend to not care whether you enjoy your meal or not, matter of fact, I'm liable to wish you choke yourself on your request which just threw my whole time frame out whack in getting out of that place on time at the end of shift. People like you make me SICK!!!!!!
Written by Acidsikeo on Dec 13, 2007
Acidsikeo,
Thanks for your thorough comment. I understand the situations that you face as a minimum wage worker working in a likely hot kitchen. I simpathize for anyone in your situation and my post here is not an attack on you employees directly. My concerns are with that one employee that I personally saw digging in his nose and the lack of care that the company itself took to remedy the issue. I fully understand that employees are human beings and need to take care of an itch in their nose or whatever but a simply cleaning of the hands is not too much to ask. This employees job was to take the pizzas from the oven and cut them. I saw how fast the pizzas were coming out and it was certainly not fast enough where he couldn't do a simple wash.
I applaud you for staying at a job that you seem to hate. I understand how jobs can be thankless so I will take this time to thank you and all other pizza makers in the world.
Written by Kevin on Dec 13, 2007
That's Terrible! I am really sorry that happened to you. I have worked for CiCi's for 7 years now, and even have my own franchise store, NOT in Arizona. I have half a mind to call this guy up in Arizona because I would never have let you walk out of my store with such a bad experince. This franchise owner certainly doesn't care about his buisness, or his fellow cici's franchise owners for that matter. I am very sorry that was your experince, and shame on the establishment in Arizona for not sharing our standards.
Acidsikeo,
I'm sorry for your discontent at such a hard job, I don't see why they would pay you minimum wage to cook. My cook makes twice the amount of what minimum wage is here in georgia because of the level of difficulty that job is. Like I said, as a manager and an owner I try to give all my employees a sense of belonging, and compensatory pay for their work. Most of my employees care very much about our guests because I care about my employees. This certainly must not be the same standard everywhere, and I am sorry.
I wish I were in arizona so I could make up your bad experinces to you and your whole family Kevin. Rest assured that I will not let anyone in Georgia have the same experince.
Written by Mike on Jan 10, 2008
the cicis that i went to in rowlett texas was verry clean every table was clean i had no problems and every time thay did something thay washed thire hands ive never ben to a more clean place
and i was amazed with the service
cici's was top quality
Written by none on Jan 23, 2008
Dear Acidsikeo,
everyone seems overly concerned with your discontent at having to work at a job you obviously hate. Sorry, no sympathy here. does someone hold a loaded gun to your head every day to make you report to that same old job? here's a suggestion: if you are unhappy with the job you have, then try to find another one. who knows? you might get lucky enough to find another employer who is willing to pay you more for your bad attitude towards the people whose patronage help provide the funds to pay your minimum wage salary! regardless of how much a person pays for a service, the fact is that person has paid what was requeste of him or her. whether or not you choose to stay and provide that service is your own independent decision. you obviously are quite young and inexperienced in affairs of LIFE! you'll grow up one day and perhaps you will be that "cheap ass" who expects to get what you pay for and you will be fortunate enough to meet another turd just like yourself! At least I certainly hope so!
Written by on Mar 14, 2008
Wow, I can't believe that you have wasted so much time and energy on this. OK, the nose picker was a bit gross. I'm guessing that this was an isolated incident. I doubt that Cici's advocates nose picking in it's workers. The way you make it sound you'd think that nose picking was a requirement for employment. Your contact should have stopped at the store manager level. Taking it to corporate was a bit over the top. What did you really expect them to do? Perhaps water boarding the guilty employee, the store manager and the franchise owner would make you happy. Lighten up and get a life.
Written by MNLawrence on Apr 4, 2008
I just quit working for cic's in wichita,i only worked their for 2 months and it was the worst job i ever had i would not wish it on my worst enemy,i was the cutter,the stocker,the strecher,and the buser all at the same time cuz the resturant cant keep employees and then when it was pay check time i was so happ i got there early to pick up mine onley for the manager to tell methat they dont have it and they dont know why it did not come infact my name was not even on the roster.....wow great way to treat your employees i use to be the manager of a resturant and i always believed that "if your employees are happy your customers will be to" but i guess i just have a weird outlook on life,but anyway thanks for giving me one of my worst life ewxperiences ever cici's
Written by chris on May 20, 2008