Domino's owner threatens to 'smash' grandmother's face over $12 pizza return
The South Australian woman said she simply tried to return the pizza when the situation spiralled out of control.
An Aussie grandmother says she's been left "embarrassed" and "shaken-up" after a heated altercation with a Domino's employee, in which she said she was verbally abused and had a pizza thrown at her when she tried to return it.
South Australian woman Katherine Pickles attempted to return a $12 pizza to Domino's. She was unhappy with the quality of the meal which she said "looked like two [different pizzas] put together", but claims she was met with an onslaught of abuse from the store's owner.
Pickles, from Mount Gambier, said she was "humiliated" during the ordeal, capturing the fiery altercation on video.
In the footage, the store's reported franchisee, a man wielding a broom, can be heard yelling profanities at the woman, urging her to "get the f***k out" a number of times. "I own the f***ing store," he tells her.
"If you don't get out, I will smash your f***ing face," he threatens.
"I thought I'd take the pizza back and show him," Pickles told 7News. "But when I get there, he just lost the plot." Video shows Pickles attempting to deescalate the situation, saying "you don't argue with a customer mate, you've got no idea."
As his threats escalated, she called the store owner "mental", saying; "You're done mate."
It's not clear what took place before the recording began.
Pizza 'thrown' at Aussie woman
Off-camera, Pickles alleges the owner then threw the pizza at her, later showing the jacket she was wearing with food stains on it and scraps that she says were left on her clothing in the aftermath.
"I cried the whole way [home]," she said. "I didn't sleep last night at all. I'm quite shaken up by it."
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"People shouldn't be afraid to make a complaint about something that's not acceptable when you paid for [something]."
Domino's 'sincerely sorry' over video
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Domino’s said it takes "safety and wellbeing extremely seriously" and has a "zero-tolerance approach to aggression, harassment, or abuse of any kind" in stores.
“As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we launched an internal investigation, including into the circumstances which led to the interaction recorded. Following this investigation, we will take appropriate action," a spokeswoman said.
“We have attempted to get in contact with our customer via multiple channels, including through the information provided with her order, and encourage her to reach out to us so we can discuss this important matter further.
“This customer’s experience does not reflect the high standards and values we pride ourselves on, and we are sincerely sorry.”
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