Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › RANT: Local Papa John's spamming text to cell phones
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April 25, 2010 at 4:47 pm #594618
SeattleJayMemberI got a pizza here something like a month ago, called it in & gave’em my cell phone # when they asked for a #.
Then a 2-3 weeks ago they started sending me spam text messages about their “specials”.
Called’em up & asked them to stop, gave all my contact info — it’s just continued.
Called back this weekend & spoke to the manager at length, he said it was a “marketing ploy gone awry” & this time he’d try to get it stopped on Monday.
I don’t do texts, I get charged extra for them, and I never, ever, ever sign up to get text messages w/ anyone. They simply took the number I left w/ them (that they insisted on getting) and decided to SPAM their database.
Not sure if it’s national or just the W. Seattle Papa John’s, but they’re DOING it and they AREN’T STOPPING, as of yet.
April 25, 2010 at 4:54 pm #693253
austinMemberI sent them a nasty threat txt in return and they quit txting me. I don’t know if anyone receives those return txts but I’ve only gotten the one. I was a little surprised anyone ok’d an ad campaign that so directly costs the target audience money. I don’t even shop at papa johns, I got some nostalgia munchies one time and decided to relive some high school snackyness but it didn’t even taste the way I remembered. More like an even more watered down interpretation of the concept of pizza that Dominoes does.
If you don’t do txt messages at all there may be a way to stop incoming txts on your phone or with your wireless provider so as to prevent future charges from ads.
April 25, 2010 at 5:02 pm #693254
flowerpetalMemberWow SJ, that really is bad business. I’m glad you were persistent with your calls. I would suggest that you follow up here and let us know. There must be some Papa John customers here who would support you. Perhaps you could let the manager know that you have posted locally to this forum; it might influence the company’s marketing ploy.
April 25, 2010 at 6:36 pm #693255
mpentoParticipantJust a thought. I don’t know if it’s true but when getting marketing phone calls you had to ask to be put on a do not call list to stop the calls. Maybe it works for wireless too? There seemed to be some fuzzy loop hole about “no means no”
April 25, 2010 at 9:58 pm #693256
clark5080ParticipantI think you can also have your provider turn off the text feature so they can’t send them to you
April 25, 2010 at 10:35 pm #693257
WSBKeymasterApril 25, 2010 at 10:54 pm #693258
Garden_nymphMemberSo, if I read the law correctly, although my cell phone number has been listed on the DO NOT CALL list, Papa John’s can spam me because I bought a pizza from them (to support the Lakewood Police officers) ONCE?! That’s the LAST time I will do business with Papa Johns! I will also be spreading the word to all my friends NOT to buy pizza from them if they don’t want spam texts! I wonder if they know that a happy customer tends to only tell 3 friends while an UNHAPPY customer tends to tell 10? Now, with the POWER of the blog, this rant has the power of an “atomic bomb”. (No offense intended.)
April 25, 2010 at 11:49 pm #693259
MousePotatoMemberI also received these text messages from them and will no longer EVER do business with them. The text gives you the option of texting back to opt out or calling a number to leave a message. I did both. The phone number was very suspect. The first options are to leave a message for one of two people or if you wanted to opt out for a given business you had to list the business and your phone number. Clearly a 3rd party business that makes their living from hassling customers of THEIR customers.I have no idea what would make a company believe that this marketing method is a good idea but I hope that Pappa John’s gets the message.
I’m the angry smurf (my wife will attest to this) so I need to choose my words carefully when posting but I can tell you that I let myself go when calling in my response to these unwanted ads. I see it as a breach of the dam. Let one company get away with this and the floods will start….
You will NEVER see another penny from me PJ….
April 25, 2010 at 11:55 pm #693260
Garden_nymphMemberAs Barbra Streisand sang in Yentl, “Papa, can you hear me?”
April 26, 2010 at 12:03 am #693261
CarsonParticipantI would suggest you call them often and complain, but call during their busiest times (dinner time). Call early, call often, when customers can’t call and order pizza, they will get the hint, one way or another!
April 26, 2010 at 12:06 am #693262
Garden_nymphMemberOh Carson, you are wicked, and I LOVE it!
April 26, 2010 at 1:45 am #693263
AimParticipantI stopped using Papa John’s when one of their drivers took the last disabled spot at Rite Aid in order to deliver a lunchtime pizza, forcing me to park further away on a day when I was sick enough to have to use my cane. I confronted the driver, and he smart-mouthed back at me about parking “wherever the hell I want, since it’s only for a minute,” and that I could just wait for the space, or go somewhere else. Yes, I called the manager, who didn’t have a whole lot to say. No idea whether he took any action. It also took all my willpower not to smack that smartass kid with my cane. This is why I don’t have children :-)
April 26, 2010 at 2:54 am #693264
miwsParticipantI would caution people to think twice about “harrassing” any business at the store level.
Marketing decisions such as this, as far as I know, are often, if not usually, made at the corporate or regional office level. Perhaps it’s the store manager’s idea, I don’t know.
What happens, is not only is the customer (very understandibly) annoyed, but the store level, front line employees get much of the customers’ ire. I would bet most of those employees are pretty much as opposed to these marketing tactics, as the customers are, especially in a non-commission job.
Think of how when you go to a retail store, and the cashier asks you if you’d like their store “club” card, or credit card, or any upsell for that matter. Many companies require their employees to “sell” a certain number of these items, or face bad marks on their performance reviews, which means they may get little or no raise, or they may actually get a write-up, and if they collect 3 (or whatever amount) for any reason, they’re shown the door.
I’ve also heard that some companies require the employee to ask a total of 3 times during a transaction, should the customer say “no”, to begin with.
Think of how annoying that is, even for the most patient of customers. And who’s the “bad guy”? That front line employee, of course.
Mike
April 26, 2010 at 4:46 am #693265
CarolPBMemberMike- you make an excellent point-Target comes to mind. They always offer 10% off if you apply for a credit card “today”. This is so obviously a required statement. I do try to remember they are just doing what is expected by management.
At least if we complain, it could be passed on and eventually make a difference.
April 26, 2010 at 5:07 am #693266
KenParticipantI order from PJ a couple of times per month and I always use the online order. I automatically opt out of marketing links so I don’t know exactly how I did it, but I don’t even get emails from them except the order confirmation.
Using text to market is just plain wrong and those involved must do everything they can to make sure they know your objection.
The local store has been screwed over before by national marketing sending coupons and flyers for things the local store could neither fulfill not ring-up in their point of sale system.
Perhaps this is another national or regional screwup.
April 26, 2010 at 2:03 pm #693267
CarsonParticipantI am not sure I would condone “harassing” the workers, even though that’s what management is doing to their customers via unwanted texts. I would call the owners and managers at their worst opportunity and make sure I made my point. Again and and again until the issues was fixed.
April 26, 2010 at 8:36 pm #693268
EmmyJaneParticipantJust sent them a text saying they owe me for the cost of the text messages and I’ll be reporting them to the BBB.
April 26, 2010 at 9:08 pm #693269
CarsonParticipantThe BBB is a total waste of time and energy. Try Yelp, Rip Off Report and Angies List if you want to see some response.
April 27, 2010 at 12:09 am #693270
KenParticipantI am guessing some one signed you up for this service.
http://my.textcaster.com/ServePopup.aspx?id=125
If it was happening nationally or even widespread, google would have some hits to the words papa johns and text spam.
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