Subway has had great success with its “$5 Footlong” promotion, but this month the quick-service chain faced a pratfall when one Australian customer’s sandwiches came up short.
On Jan. 16, customer Matt Corby posted a photo of his inch-short sandwich, complete with tape measure, on Subway Australia’s Facebook page. Since then, the chain with 38,000 worldwide units has faced everything from complaints and lawsuits to avid support from social media users whose sandwiches met the 12-inch standard.
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Last week, Subway responded to the attention by issuing a formal apology. "For 47 years, customer satisfaction has been our top priority. We regret any instance where we did not fully deliver on our promise to our customers," read the statement.
The company also vowed to double down on its operational efforts to ensure consistency. "We freshly bake our bread throughout the day in our more than 38,000 restaurants in 100 countries worldwide, and we have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve,” the company said. “Our commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every Subway Footlong sandwich is 12 inches at each location worldwide.”
Here’s how the "Footlong" flap started and played out in various social media channels:
Contact Ron Ruggless at ronald.ruggless@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless