Bruster's Douglasville - Douglasville, GA

 Da'Shaquan Green

Really some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Update... Still the best.

 chad schoening

⸻ I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding the level of customer service my family experienced today at the Douglasville location during Bruster’s Customer Appreciation Free Ice Cream Day promotion. The advertisement stated that there were two ways to receive a free scoop of ice cream: wear pajamas or donate a pair of pajamas. My children were very excited about the opportunity, so despite the heavy rain, we made the trip to the Douglasville location dressed in our pajamas to participate in the promotion. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that there was no line. However, when we approached the service window and mentioned the promotion, the employee informed me that I needed to be a loyalty member to qualify. This requirement was not mentioned anywhere on the promotional flyer. The young employee appeared uncomfortable delivering this message and mentioned that I could speak with the manager if I had questions. Before requesting to speak with the manager, I reviewed both the promotional flyer and the website again to ensure I had not overlooked any details. Neither source mentioned that loyalty membership was required. When the manager came to the window, I politely inquired about the promotion and the requirements. Unfortunately, she was dismissive and simply stated that I did not qualify. When I asked how to become a loyalty member, she did not provide any guidance and closed the service window while I was still standing there. At that point, my children and I were left standing outside in the pouring rain, confused and disappointed. I returned to my car and called another Bruster’s location, where an employee confirmed that the promotion was available at all locations and explained what was needed to participate. I then downloaded the Bruster’s app and registered for the loyalty program immediately. I even registered the other members of my family as well. Once the rain slowed down, we returned to the service window. The employee turned to assist us, but I observed the manager instruct her not to serve us. We were left standing at the window for approximately five minutes before the manager finally returned. I informed her that we had registered as loyalty members (although it was not a requirement) and would like to participate in the promotion. Despite this, she continued to challenge our eligibility, stating that our phone number would not appear in the system. I showed her my phone screen, which clearly indicated that I was registered as a “Loyalty Tier Member” and that a $3 reward was available on the account. After more than ten minutes of unnecessary back-and-forth, the manager reluctantly agreed to provide the ice cream. However, the interaction continued with additional questioning, including whether we were actually wearing pajamas. The overall experience was extremely disappointing and reflected a very poor level of customer service. As first-time customers, this interaction was both frustrating and disheartening. What should have been a simple and enjoyable experience for my children turned into a stressful and embarrassing situation. Promotions such as this are intended to build goodwill within the community and introduce new customers to your brand. Unfortunately, the manner in which we were treated had the opposite effect. A simple scoop of ice cream could have created a positive and lasting impression, but instead left my family feeling unwelcome and poorly treated. I hope this feedback will be taken seriously and used as an opportunity to address how situations like this are handled in the future.

 Kay