Just got off the phone with Pizza Hut

[CentralTexas]

and let them know their attitude lost them a 25 year+ customer. Lady took a detailed statement and said she was sorry. My Problem? This USA Today article-
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2004-12-09-guns-cover_x.htm
With this statement-

"Do you want your mail guy or delivery guy carrying a loaded gun when he comes to the door?" asks Patty Sullivan, a Pizza Hut spokeswoman. "What if he's not happy with his tip?"

Yeah actually I'd prefer it.
Does she imply her drivers are so whacked we should be glad they don't carry?
- So much for their hiring policies or does she imply "Well you know gunowners, they will just kill you for the slightest thing like not getting a tip!"
PLEASE call them and let them know you are sick of the stereotypes....
Customer Service: 1-800-948-8488 (U.S.)

 

[jnojr]

http://www.pizzahut.com/contact/feedback_type.asp

 

[tyme]

"Are we promoting open firefights in the parking lot?" says Paul Viollis, president of Risk Control Strategies in New York. "For legislation to permit employees and contractors to bring loaded firearms to work in vehicles is blatantly irresponsible."

Wheeee...

I guess selling vehicles with airbags means the industry is promoting irresponsible driving?
(out of myriad other possible analogies)

 

[ARperson]

I remember the Carmel, IN event. Funny thing. I don't think the picture is really that of the Pizza Hut employee. The man I remember (forgive the phrasing) came across as much more red-neckish in the television interviews. (And he kept using the word "clip" instead of magazines ). I remember him as being much thinner in the face too.

 

[Combat-wombat]

Just called. If everyone pitches in and lets Pizza Hut know we don't appreciate their position, it may very well change. Remember Applebees?

 

[psyopspec]

The comments I forwarded via the link above (thanks jnojr!!) :

To whom it may concern:
I was shocked and saddened to read the following comment in USA Today by a Pizza Hut spokesperson.

"Do you want your mail guy or delivery guy carrying a loaded gun when he comes to the door?" asks Patty Sullivan, a Pizza Hut spokeswoman. "What if he's not happy with his tip?"

Over the last two decades I've enjoyed your pizza several times, in fact it was a great comfort to have a Pizza Hut delivery person show up at my camp while I was an activated reservist serving in Iraq. From this moment forward, however, I will not be ordering from Pizza Hut any longer, and will tell my friends and family to do the same. It's one thing to ban employees from carrying lawfully concealed weapons of defense, and entirely another to make an uneducated and bigoted comment with negative inferences about all gun owners.

I thank you for your time; feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the comments I have offered.

Regretfully,
[Psyopspec]

 

[why_me]

That was like 8 months ago he shot that guy

I dont think it is right though him taking pictures with his gun. He should sort of lay low and not brag on it. Said he shot the guy 15 times and his last words were " i just wanted a pizza ..man"

 

[CarlS]

My responce to Pizza Hut

I have been a Pizza Hut customer for many years; your pizzas are, by far, the best of any the chain pizza stores. However, after reading the article in USA today, "Companies that ban guns put on defensive
By Stephanie Armour, USA TODAY, Ronald Honeycutt didn't hesitate. The Pizza Hut driver had just finished dropping off a delivery when a man holding a gun approached him...", I will no longer do business with Pizza Hut.

I especially resent this statement: "Do you want your mail guy or delivery guy carrying a loaded gun when he comes to the door?" asks Patty Sullivan, a Pizza Hut spokeswoman. "What if he's not happy with his tip?". I resent this spokepersons attitude toward gun owners and those with concealed carry permits.

I hope that if one of your delivery people gets robbed and hurt, or worse, killed, that a lawsuit is filed against Pizza Hut for endangering an employee's life by depriving him/her of his/her right to defend his or her life.

I have carried concealed for years and I am not a right wing fanatic. My gun saved my life once without me having to fire a shot. Pizza Hut has lost my business which is two lunches and one carry out per week.

Sincerely,

 

[Michigander]

I sent off a nice little message.

 

[big poppa]

yea just ask all those D.C. area delivery pizza guys that have been killed or robbed doing their job if they like to carry a gun?up there its open season on those guys.it just kills me when a companys image is more imporant than someones safety,here ya go buddy, you get minimum wage maybe some tips{if yer lucky}, your area is northwest DC,get in get the money and dont hang around long or you,ll get robbed maybe killed,and as you guys know DC has some of the strongest anti-guns laws in the country,and one of the highest crime rates

 

[AZRickD]

It's about time...

Gun owners are also fighting back, boycotting companies that ban guns or fire workers for having them.

 

[Zundfolge]

"Do you want your mail guy or delivery guy carrying a loaded gun when he comes to the door?"

Well considering the fact that I'LL come to the door carrying a loaded gun, it seems only fair to me

"What if he's not happy with his tip?"

:banghead: or ... I can't make up my mind.
I would explain to her what is required to get a concealed carry permit and that on average CCW holders are more law abiding then the police ... I'd ask her if she has a problem with a police officer carrying a loaded gun coming up to HER door.

There's ignorant and then theres stupid ... this lady is really teetering on that line.

 

[BryanP]

Based on the comments of friends of mine who have delivered pizza for a living I suspect more of them carry than most would believe. Legally or otherwise.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I don't ever do business with shameless anti-Second Amendment bigots.

 

[psyopspec]

Standing Wolf, when you use that phrase (which occurs quite often and in a justifiable manner), do you follow up with a phone call/note?

 

[admar2]

sent a comment myself.

damn, I like pizza hut pizza though.


just kidding.

no mo pizza hut for me. wonder what papajohns stance is on this.

 

[Hazwaste]

My Reply to Pizza Hut

I read about your spokesperson's comments concerning gun owners. It's in USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2004-12-09-guns-cover_x.htm

So Pizza Hut believes that gun owners are a bunch of whackos that are just waiting for the slightest slight such as a low tip as an excuse to commit murder???

Well, there are over 240 million guns owned by over 80 million gun owners in this country. I'm talking about law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. We are not criminals or potential murderers, and to say such a thing is slanderous and ridiculous. Some of them are drivers for Pizza Hut too. Does Pizza Hut really believe that their drivers are potential murderers?

There is a psychological affliction called "projection" which causes sufferers to project their fears of their own weaknesses and evil desires onto other persons or groups of persons. Perhaps your spokesperson believes that she would shoot somebody for a low tip if she owned a gun. Perhaps she and her managers should seek psychological counciling. Don't forget also that Freud said that fear of firearms is a sign of arrested psycho-sexual development. They may need a team of shrinks to take care of their problems.

I and my gun-owning friends and family will no longer do business with Pizza Hut. Too bad too, because I loved your buffet.

 

[Moparmike]

"What if he's not happy with his tip?"

Why does your company hire mentally unstable delivery drivers? Moron.

 

[moby clarke]

Just sent this to Pizza Hut

I am very disappointed that you have forced me to discontinue buying your product. With your views regarding your driver’s ability to defend themselves, or in your case, inability, I will stop ordering from you. Further, your spokespersons remarks, as quoted in a USA Today story from 12/10/04, speaks volumes about your attitudes toward guns and the people who own them. Thank you for clarifying your views and allowing me to know who I should support and whom I should not.

 

[JPM70535]

I have been aware of Pizza Huts ban on their drivers carrying weapons while working. I sent them the requisite letter and have not ordered so much as a bread stick from them.

Multiply my action by the number of Law abiding gun owners and our economic clout should be awe inspiring. All we have to do is use our boycott option and we can bring any company to its knees.

JPM

 

[enfield]

Well considering the fact that I'LL come to the door carrying a loaded gun, it seems only fair to me

That's essentially what I told them in an email.

Delivering pizza is a high-risk job in the Detroit area. So is answering the door after dark.

 

[dakotasin]

i fired off an email. i sure wish that everybody else on this board will, too...

 

[Newguy1]

I also sent a polite but firm message.

 

[standingbear]

I guess selling vehicles with airbags means the industry is promoting irresponsible driving?

thats a very good analogy I think.

comments like those that the P.h. rep gave..uneducated and foolish.Another customer lost here too...matter of factly,I never liked them anyhow but my wife did(used to that is).I'd rather they start defending themselves legally by carrying than end up shot by a robbery suspect.I'd prolly tip the delivery person more knowing they were exercising their legal carry options,afterall,its not like one can just hop in a car and get the lisc without any kind of training and checks.

its not going to be dodge city or the ok corral like these folks are making it out to be.saying crap like this needs correcting.

 

[Moondoggie]

If Pizza Hut would extract their head out of their you-know-where and simply adopt a cash control method like Domino's they'd have almost no problems.

I delivered Domino's for 3 yrs in the San Diego area as a second job while I was stationed away from my family with the Marines.

Domino's STRICTLY enforces a policy of drivers carry ONLY $20, a wedding ring, and a driver's license (no billfold/credit cards). Each driver had their own drop box for cash, and store managers were always watching to ensure that we used them, also asking frequently if we were making our required "drops". Area managers would stop drivers heading out the door to a delivery and have them empty their pockets. If said driver had more than the allowed items, they were fired on the spot (another driver got to deliver those orders). So, if you happened to get robbed after a 3rd delivery on a particular trip the bad guy was only gonna get about $60 and maybe a pizza or two. Most pizza delivery robberies are set-up with a phone call so that the robber is waiting outside the phony address for their victim. Hardly worth the effort for $20 bucks or so. Domino's also had a strict policy of calling back new customers...hint: your phone # is also your "customer #" to Domino's computer system. If the situation didn't "sound" right, we'd simply gaff 'em off, then wait to see if they'd call back to complain about no delivery. If they DID call back 1/2 hr later asking after their order, then they were probably legit, and we sent their order out for free. Safety AND customer loyalty enhanced.

In our area some guys were robbing pizza drivers at one time. They robbed a pizza hut guy for $260, robbed a Domino's girl for $20, then robbed 3 more pizza hut folks for a bunch of $ before the cops got 'em. Domino's policy was to give up the money and the product to any robber...they didn't want anybody getting hurt. One store I worked at had "zones" that we didn't deliver to at all and some that we only delivered to during daylight hours. They also didn't want to start any retaliation crap if the Domino's folks came out on top in an encounter with gangbangers.

I'm a staunch advocate of RKBA, but I can also see these companies' point of view....anything their employees do becomes their responsibility. Who are the lawyers coming after post-shooting, Jow Blow pizza delivery guy who still lives at home, or mega bucks nationwide corporation? What if pizza guy's bullet kills an innocent bystander even if the shooting was completely justified? Pizza store owners (many of them individual franchisees) really don't want to have to manage a firearms safety/use of deadly force program in addition to running their business. What do you think would happen to the cost of their liability insurance, if they could even GET coverage? It's simply a business decision. It's really the only viable option available to them.

Pizza Hut's spokesperson could have done a better job of expressing their point of view.