Judy J.
Yelp
NO STARS to Pie Gourmet's proprietor at 507 Maple Ave W. Vienna, VA 22180.
I have spent decades in the Vienna region and have had pies at your place before. Due to my active military status, I relocated out of state approximately three years ago. I had the good fortune to come back here. I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with my church friends by buying the pecan pie and apple cranberry pie for our church's Thanksgiving dinner on November 24. To order some pies for pick-up on November 24, I stopped by the store on November 3, 2024. After taking my order, a young man told me he didn't know how to apply the military discount and informed me that he would call me back the next day.
Fast forward to this morning, 11-24-24. I went with my son to pick up my order around 1030 a.m. The store was bustling with employees and customers alike. I waited in line until an employee called me up to the counter. I gave her my name. She looked at a pad of paper and said that there were three pies and that I did not pay for them. I informed this employee (a Hispanic woman) that I paid by credit for my order. She looked perplexed and asked whom I spoke with on 11-4-2024. I recalled it was a woman, not the name. She proceeded to ask me for the credit card that I used to make the purchase. She found the charge that was placed on 11-4-2024 for two pies. She said that this did not match the paper order on 11-3-2024. I explained what happened when I came into the store on 11-3-2024 and spoke to the young man working then. She stated that she remembered talking to the young man and instructed him not to apply the military discount. This Hispanic woman kept on arguing with me that the order taken on 11-3-2024 by the young man was different from the order taken on 11-4-2024 (charged to my credit card/paid). I repeatedly asked for the two pies that I was charged. She said that she could not provide a refund as well. Twenty minutes had passed since I entered the store, and I was late to my church service. By now, I was the only customer, and there were many employees in the back and staring/listening to the discussion that became heated between myself and the Hispanic woman. She found out that the employee who assisted me on 11-4-2024 was named Agnes. I asked for the Hispanic woman's name, and she adamantly refused to provide that to me multiple times. I also asked for the owner's name, and she again refused to provide this information and told me to go to the website. A Hispanic gentleman employee was stepping into assisting me, and the Hispanic woman instructed him not to help me. While he was trying to resolve the situation by providing me the pies that I was charged, she accused me of stealing pies, as she claimed that I already picked up the pies that I ordered for pick today, 11-24-24. On numerous occasions, I responded that they had not picked up my order as I scheduled this morning, 11/24/24, for pick up. She further insulted me by saying that I should go to church and find repentance for stealing. The accusations kept on coming. She further threatened me that I would not be welcomed back in the store to purchase any items, as she would remember my face. No other employee from Pie Gourmet seemed to help, except for the young Spanish gentleman. When I asked for the receipt from the Spanish gentleman, the Spanish woman employee had the audacity to order him not to print it out for me. Her toxic attitude and ill manners seem to affect your other employees there. For instance, she even got Agnes to tell me that I should pray to God for forgiveness when I got to my church (shaking her head as to say "shame on me").
Your store's complete lack of respect, let alone customer service, disgusted me. I support small, local businesses, so it's a shame that you no longer have my business. I'm not going to be able to say anything good about your store. It goes beyond pie. Having someone treat me badly in front of my own son made me feel incredibly sad and disappointed. She openly called me a liar and a thief. This employee should at least apologize to me. Her actions are very unacceptable. It seems that your whole workforce, in collusion, exhibits the same disregard for human decency and dignity. Her behavior is absolutely unacceptable. It appears that your entire staff, by complicity, bears the same neglect for proper decency and respect for individuals.
I submitted this to shop@pie.gourmet.com on 11.24.24 and have yet to receive a response or hearback from the owner. Given this, it appears that they do not really care about such things as customer service, as they are still making profits and still selling their pies. They fail to comprehend that it is beyond the pecan, apple, and banana pies during the holiday season, if you will, but it is more about the human spirit and service to building up the community of Vienna with respect, dignity, and kindness. Hope you do not experience type of abusive treatment at your next visit there.