I am extremely disappointed with the service I received at the Subway in Trinity Common.
My friend picked up sandwiches for us during her lunch break. She asked if the habanero cheese was halal, and the employee told her it was both halal and vegetarian-friendly. Since I had never tried it before, I wanted to make sure, so I looked it up online and saw that it wasn’t halal. To confirm, I called the store and asked an employee directly. She said, “No, no, no, sorry, no,” then hung up quickly before I could ask another question. When I tried calling back multiple times, no one answered.
On my lunch break, I went back to the store with my sandwich — completely untouched, unopened, and not eaten — and explained the situation. I asked if they could remake it. Employee B. Shirgill went to explain the situation to another staff member, whose name I believe was Sana. What Sana said left me shocked. She spoke in Hindi, assuming I couldn’t understand, and said I was using the sandwich not being halal as an excuse to get a refund. I never once asked for a refund — only for my sandwich to be remade.
When I spoke to Sana directly, she insisted my friend had asked about the cheese at the end of the order. I explained that regardless of when she asked, the employee still told her it was halal and vegetarian-friendly. I also explained that when I checked online, it said otherwise, and when I called the store, I was told “no” and hung up on. Sana then rudely asked if I wanted a refund. I said no — I only wanted them to take back the sandwich and remake it. I also told her that I understood what she said in Hindi and that I was not using halal as an excuse for a refund. She walked away, called someone, and I overheard her on the phone saying that if a customer asks if something is halal, you should just say yes.
This is unacceptable. Halal is a religious practice Muslims follow according to Islam. How can Muslim customers trust Subway if employees lie about whether food is halal?
While this was happening, B. Shirgill continued to be respectful, apologized for the mistake, and offered to make me a new sandwich once she helped another customer. However, even while my sandwich was being remade, Sana made another comment in Hindi, questioning how I “knew” that the cheese I asked for was halal. As a young adult who has grown up eating at Subway, I know exactly what I can and cannot eat.
When I asked for Subway’s corporate number, B. Shirgill kindly printed me a receipt, but the only number on it was for the store, not corporate. I also tried to confirm Sana’s name since her tag was hard to read, but B. Shirgill told me it was against store policy to give out names and that I’d have to ask Sana directly — which she doubted would happen.
I found Sana’s behavior extremely rude, racist, and offensive. I was a loyal customer at this Subway for years, as I work in the same mall and would often go there for lunch. After this experience, I will not return, and neither will my family or friends.