Make note: Never laugh while ordering pizza again.

Frankly, I'd take the issue back to the corporate office again. I suspect that you'd get what you want (good treatment from a pizza place) as will other custoemrs when it is made clear to corporate that this Matt fella is not honoring corporate issued documents.

I'd suspect that if you follow up with corporate, Matt would find himself on the wrong end of an ass chewing ---delivered free, fast and hot by his district manager.

So, are you gonna tell us the joke?

So should we call that Pizza Hut at (909) 948-9000 and laugh? I guess it's a mean idea, that is, unless Matt answers.

I don't get it.

Its like he was TRYING to get fired.

Ah, scratch the prank idea, Pizza Hut corporate shows 2 stores in that town... I went by Google Local which pulled up just one.

Personally, I'd never eat at a Pizza Hut again (I don't do chain pizza actually), but if you're interested in the vengeance route...

Show up in person with a couple of friends, one manning a video camera, and one manning a video camera enabled cell phone. Confront Matt directly.

He will either honor your coupon, or he will insist you turn off the camcorder, then deny your request. If he does the latter, make sure the person with the cell phone inconspicuously begins recording, and get footage of him being an ass. After he refuses your request, leave quietly and quickly.

Go home, call him up, and play him the audio. Then inform him that you're going to send it to corporate. See what tune he plays now.

Of course, that's very tame revenge. If you want to go hardcore, I can give you some ideas that involve breaking into his house, putting Nair in his shampoo... Oops, I've said too much.

Oh, and how messed up is it that this manager sees nothing wrong with placing customers on hold for long periods of time, but he can't deal with a customer taking 5 seconds to begin ordering?

Sounds like he needs to be on the right end of the unemployment line.

Do what Smoking Pope said, but just send the video to corporate and tell them if they dont fire the guy you're going to have the video posted ALL over the internet and sent to local new outlets.

1. I don't know if videotaping is the right thing. Anyone who is being recorded via the phone can refuse to be recorded, and if the person doing the recording does not stop, they can be held liable. So if you're videotaping your visit, make way for a plan B just in case.

2. When you placed your order, did you pick it up or have it delivered? If you had it delivered, you're out of luck. MATT now knows where you live. If he gets fired, chances are he'll trace the report back to you guys. There's not many other places to go when you get fired from a fast food place, so between job hunting he might use that time to terrorize you. You can prepare for the worst by getting his address from corporate and claim that you might get your lawyers involved, so MATT's address will help and you might be able to get back if MATT resorts to getting back at you via your residence. It sounds unfair but retail workers tolerate a lot and having a customer's address is insurance for them.

I don't believe that what MATT did was right, but some business have a fast-paced environment. Would you feel better if he answered the phone and hung up after repeating, "hello?" and hearing nothing but laughter? Also, when you called, were you put on hold automatically, did someone talk to you and take your order before putting you on hold, or did the person at Pizza Hut say, "thank you for calling Pizza Hut, please hold."? This might make a small difference.

The coupon should still be good as well. Just have a friend or neighbor redeem it for you when you go to pick it up. Or if you have it delivered you should be able to give the coupon to the pizza driver (and tip him of course for his troubles, least having to work with MATT).

Is it necessary to use the apology coupon at the same Pizza Hut? When I got my apology gift certificate from KFC, I didn't go back to the same one to use it.

Up until a year or so ago, I lived In Rancho Chookamonga. I've ordered from this Pizza Hut. The employees at this location are, hands down, the dumbest I've ever dealt with at a fast food restaurant. Out of 3-4 orders, not a single one was correct...which is why it never got past 3-4 orders.

I say she should send the hubby and a couple of his friends over there to have a chat with Matty.

Besides, she should be ordering from Round Table anyway. They're a little pricier, but the service is good and the pizza is 1,000 times better.

If someone told me, "either stop laughing and order our pizza or call another restaurant," I think it would only make me laugh harder.

Sounds like Pizza Hut Corporate handled this one well and quickly. Under normal circumstances, that would be the end of it, unfortunately one bad egg can ruin the omelet. Hey Pizza Hut PR, you reading this? Tell your guys to fire Matt, and make an example of him, and make sure we know about it. Show us your not afraid to put a little bite into the way you handle situations like this. Oh, and the advice is free, but if you want to send a pan pepperoni and pineapple by, that's cool with me.

Um... can't you just use the coupon at a different Pizza Hut corporate location?

Seriously, who orders from Pizza Hut? There are probably more deserving small businesses in your area that make a much better pie.

This is pretty common among stores, many places won't honor the coupon because they have no idea what corporate-issued coupons look like. I've been to a few stores and the cashier will give my coupon/letter/card the hairy eyeball, but eventually put it through.

Sadly, where I live squidhat, the local pizza places suck worse than the chains. I can't believe it, but it's true.

I think ordering from a different Pizza Hut location is besides the point. Being a waitress for 10 years, and dealing with customers that really really suck, I understand the customer is usually always right.
And while I draw my own line in the sand as to how I will be treated by a customer, I do tolerate a lot considering the customers image of the company is based on my performance! I always give 100 % in customer satisfaction but dont always receive the same.

If there is one thing that will make me run away faster than hell from a restaurant is hostility from one of the minions.

You don't want to serve me? That's fine, I'll go somewhere else and won't come back.

Matt has PMS? too bad. I sure won't try to enforce the coupon. You can keep you crappy grease pizza and that will save me from the unsavory (and unspeakable) things you could do especially for me.

They can spit in your food and smile to you.

This was poorly handled by Matt, pure and simple. He seriously is asking for this to blow up right in his face.

I find the best way to get one over these people is to find out exactly which company handles their mystery shopping program, and make sure you get this store in your assignments every once in a while.

This has two advantages, firstly you know their own corporate customer service standards backwards. If one of their underlings steps out of line when you're just a regular Joe, you can easily remind them of their station and get them back on the straight and narrow (As long as you make sure they don't figure out you killed their managers bonus last month). Secondly, when you get this site on a scheduled shop and fine that they just aren't up to the expected standards - you can tell the company just that in your results.

The number of under performing stores I've had spanked back to the stone age for justifiably bad mystery shopping results is too numerous to count. There's a collective of three fast food stores of the same chain in my state capital who refer to me in-house as "The Terminator" - because each month I get scheduled to their stores is the exact month they can achieve a bigger bonus for top mystery shopping results. In 12 months, none of these stores have ever collected a bonus cheque yet.

I have a long standing tradition of never getting into a pissing match with the person between me and my food.

The best advice is to inform Pizza Hut that you won't be patronizing their establishments any longer and Matt is the reason. They may be able to win you back, someday.