Please boycott Baskin-Robbins in Putnam, CT

On a recent trip to Woodstock, Connecticut I passed through Putnam, CT on a beautiful warm day. (Please keep in mind that it was a very recent trip, as of the middle of March, 2009.) Going by a Baskin-Robbins / Dunkin Donuts store, I promised myself that I would stop there after my business was done. A hot fudge sundae was to be my reward if I did a good job; an ice cream cone was to be my consolation if things didn't go as planned.

The meeting went well, the potential customer became a client by giving me a check, and I was happily on my way to my sundae. Or so I thought.

When I entered the Baskin-Robbins there was a selection of ice cream flavors, not all of which had labels. I asked the clerk what a couple were; she could not describe one of them or tell me what was in it. It looked interesting, so I decided to have it anyway. I ordered a two-scoop hot fudge sundae, one scoop of the unknown flavor and the other scoop of a well-known flavor.

A few minutes later, the clerk came back to tell me that there were no Baskin-Robbins sundae containers; would I mind having my sundae in a large styrofoam Dunkin Donuts cup? "OK", said I, not being happy, but figuring that that was my only option. (sigh)

The clerk scooped the two flavors, mashing them into the styrofoam cup. (sigh) She then went to the hot fudge dispenser, pumped it, pumped it again, looked in the container, and said "It looks like we're out of hot fudge." She couldn't find any backup stock of fudge, either. (sigh)

"How about butterscotch?", I asked. Nope. They didn't have butterscotch, but I was offered carmel instead. "OK", I said. (sigh)

Back went the clerk to the topping dispensers. Pumped, pumped. "It looks like we don't have any carmel either." (sigh) She looked in all of the pump containers; all were empty. (That meant that making milkshakes would have been impossible, too. But I digress.)

"We can give you the powder we use to make hot chocolate on top.", she offered. I declined.

Now, at this point a sane person would have walked away, never to return. I asked for the manager and was told that there wasn't one. (Huh? No manager on duty? During the mid-afternoon, during the week? Late at night, or during some parts of the weekend, I could understand. But during prime business hours? In case of emergency, such as power failure or fire, could they lock the doors? Who was watching for shoplifting, or employee theft?)

At this point another clerk drifted over. I asked the clerks to call the manager on the phone. They claimed that they didn't have the manager's phone number. (I didn't call them liars, but it was very difficult to believe. What would they have done in case of emergency, such as one employee being injured on the job?)

Then the second clerk made a major mistake: "It's winter. People don't eat ice cream." I lost my cool. It was in the 50's outside, the signs outside and inside say "Baskin-Robbins", the menu board says sundaes, shakes, etc., and it was during normal daylight hours, not near opening time nor near closing time. There is no possible debate: I am a people, and I eat ice cream all year. And so do lots of other people.

Baskin-Robbins makes, in my opinion, the best commercial ice cream of any national brand, with the possible exception of Ben & Jerry's. If it had been a mom-and-pop store, I would have understood if they had only a few flavors of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry [or maybe coffee] are staple flavors in New England), that they might be out of one sundae topping, or wouldn't have bananas for banana splits. But Baskin-Robbins?! No toppings? And no paper containers for sundaes? And the employees can't tell a customer what is in a flavor of ice cream?

Therefore, I ask you to boycott the Baskin-Robbins / Dunkin Donuts store on Woodstock Road in Putnam, Connecticut. The store where there is no product that is clearly advertised and has such bad service does not deserve to remain open. Vote with your wallet.

All opinions expressed are mine, and are not necessarily those of my employer. Comments are welcome; spam is not. Contrasting opinions are welcome; attacks are not.