19 Things Subway Employees Wish You Would Stop Doing
Whether you're a regular at your local Subway or pop in for a sub when the craving strikes, have you ever wondered what Subway employees really think of you? Chances are, you've done at least one thing that Subway employees hate and angered — or, at the very least, irritated — the person making your sub in the process.
From placing a huge order at closing time to ordering a salad during the lunchtime rush to ordering another sub at the last minute, there are plenty of things you could find yourself doing that you might not even realize are problematic. Sure, maybe you don't set out to annoy Subway employees, but you might end up doing so if you do any of these things.
We've rounded up 19 things Subway employees wish you'd stop doing, so you'll know what to avoid on your next visit. Which are you guilty of?
1. Placing a huge order at closing time
There is nothing more annoying than the person who comes in five minutes before closing time and places a huge order. For example, if you come in asking for 15 subs, and each one is a pretty complicated order.
Don't be the person who does this at Subway. Not only will your "Sandwich Artist" — the name given to Subway employees — hate you, but you can pretty much guarantee that the other employees will, too. In fact, we recommend that you don't do this anywhere that serves food.
Placing a huge order right before closing means the store will be late to close, but it also holds everyone up. Once they've finished making your order, employees still have to close up, cash up, clean, and prep for the next day. While we're not saying you can't pop in 15 minutes before closing for a last-minute sub, try to keep your order simple.
2. Ordering an extra sub at the last minute
Picture this: You've ordered, got your sandwich, and are about to pay, when suddenly, you decide you want another sub. This is also annoying to Subway employees, so don't do it.
Take the time to decide exactly what you want before you order. Sure, you can add an extra filling or two to your sub, so long as you're nice about it and do it in good time. But don't place a whole new order!
Not only are you holding up everybody else in the line by being disorganized, but you're also causing employees to feel disorganized and stressed. Don't know what you want? Stand to the side or outside, and browse the menu so you're ready to order when you approach the counter.
3. Ignoring closing time
It's also pretty annoying to ignore a closed sign posted on your local Subway. Asking: "Are you closed?" is sure to get you a few dirty looks.
If the door is locked and you can see employees mopping and cleaning, it's closed. No, you can't just order a quick sub or drink, or even use the restroom. The store is closed!
To avoid the risk of this happening, make sure you check out your local Subway's opening hours on its website or on Google. There is a reason the opening hours are listed. This is to prevent people from asking: "Are you closed?"
4. Overfilling your sub
Do you want one filling? Two? Three? Seven? Of course, technically you can order exactly what you want and as many fillings as you like, but bear in mind the laws of sandwich physics: only so many fillings will fit in a sub.
Ordering an overfilled sub is something that's strongly disliked by Subway employees. Fillings leak out the end of the sub, making a mess all over the counter — or floor — and it's really hard to make your sandwich look presentable.
Stick to just a few fillings and never overfill your sub. That way, you won't irritate your Sandwich Artist.
5. Ignoring the subway employee's questions
When you approach a counter to order food — in Subway, or anywhere else — your attention should be focused on what you're doing. Ignoring the person making your sub is just plain rude.
So when the Sandwich Artist asks you if you want veggies, or whether you want a footlong, stop chatting with your friends or get off your phone and answer them. By ignoring them, you're not only being rude, but you're also holding up the line and potentially irritating the person making your sub, as well as the customers in line behind you.
On that note, saying hello or good morning or afternoon to the Subway employee serving you is just a common courtesy, as is saying thank you, once you receive your sandwich. You can't do that if you're busy texting or playing games on your phone.
6. Asking them to open early
It turns out that opening and closing times can be a bit of an issue when you work at Subway. Don't be one of those people who arrive half an hour, 15 minutes, or even five minutes before opening time and expect to be let in early just because you have got a meeting to get to.
True, it might suit your schedule to grab an early sub and coffee, but the store opening times are there for a reason: because that's when the store opens. Waiting outside is fine, or take a walk around the block and get coffee.
Just don't ask staff members to open the store early. They're busy doing everything needed to get the store ready for the day.
7. Not saying the full name of the sandwich
If there's one thing Subway employees really hate, it's when customers don't say the full name of the sandwich. Yes, they understand that you are in a rush. But how is your Sandwich Artist supposed to know what you mean if you don't say exactly what you want?
Don't ask for "The Italian," or you'll leave the person serving you wondering whether you want Italian bread, Italian B.M.T., or something else entirely. It only takes a few extra seconds to say the name of the sandwich in full. That way, you'll get exactly what you want, without any confusion.
8. Confusing your cheeses
Yes, Subway offers various cheese options, but it's super helpful if you know what type of cheese you want. It also helps if you're sure what exactly the cheese you want is. Not sure? Just ask.
Ordering white American cheese when you really wanted Swiss, then complaining loudly that your order is wrong isn't doing anybody any favors. It's also going to seriously annoy Subway employees.
Swiss cheese is the one with the holes, in case you weren't sure. Also, don't simply ask for "white cheese," as that's not really helpful. There are lots of different white cheeses, from cheddar to mozzarella. Be specific about what you want. This way, you know your order will be right the first time.
9. Not understanding footlong bread
If there's one thing that annoys Subway employees more than almost anything else, it's not understanding the difference between a six-inch and a footlong. You've ordered a six-inch, so when the employee takes out a footlong and starts slicing it, you're quick to complain.
Trust that your Sandwich Artist knows what they're doing, and let them do their job. Subway employees are all trained in the art of making the perfect sub, and you're here for that. So let them cut the appropriate bread, without the running commentary.
By the way, a footlong is simply two six-inch sandwiches. So that's why the employee cuts your footlong sandwich in half.
10. Complaining that your customized sandwich tastes bad
With so many ingredients on offer at Subway, it can be tempting to go all-in and order a really weird and wonderful combo of fillings. But guess what? If you ask for a weird combo and it tastes bad, that's on you.
Since you're the one dictating what goes into your sub, you don't really have a right to complain if the fillings you've asked for don't complement each other or just taste downright awful. Please don't be that customer.
Are you unsure of what to get with the fillings you've already ordered? In this case, we'd ask your Sandwich Artist what they'd recommend, or order one of the menu options.
11. Ordering a meatball sub
The Meatball Sub consists of Italian meatballs in a rich, tangy marinara sauce, plus your choice of veggies and condiments. It's a Subway favorite. However, it's not such a favorite of Subway employees, according to a Reddit thread.
Truth be told, Subway staff hate it when you order a meatball sub. It's huge, it's messy, the filling goes absolutely everywhere, and it's a pain to make.
We're not saying don't order a meatball sub next time a Subway craving strikes. Just don't be surprised when the person making your sandwich looks pained. You haven't done anything wrong, you've just ordered the sub nobody enjoys making.
12. Asking for your cookie to be warmed up
You've strolled into Subway on your day off during the lunch rush, and there's a huge line. After ordering an epic sub from the stressed-out employee, you add a cookie to your order.
It's time to pay, and you say the words no Subway employee wants to hear. "Can I get my cookie warmed up?" An employee explained what's annoying about this on Reddit, writing: "Cookies come as is...use your own microwave. I am your sandwich artist not your cookie butler."
It might not seem like that big of a deal to ask for your cookie to be warmed up but consider this. If Subway wanted to sell warm cookies, the cookies would already be warm when you purchased them. Food for thought, indeed.
13. Ordering avocado last
Subway employees have pretty much had enough of anybody who orders avocado last. You've asked for veggies on your sub, and now it's just about ready. Then you ask for avocado. But since avocado is a veggie, please order it along with the other veggies on your sub. Subway employees everywhere will thank you if you remember to do a simple thing that makes their lives easier.
The same goes for any ingredient, really. Have a clear idea of what you want to order, and place your order in a logical manner, so your Sandwich Artist can make your sub as quickly and efficiently as possible.
14. Moaning about the price of the six-inch compared to the foot-long
Absolutely nobody who works in Subway will ever want to serve you again if you moan about the price of the six-inch compared to the footlong. Yes, they're well aware that the six-inch sub is half the size of the footlong.
But if the footlong subs are often less than $10, why aren't six-inch subs often less than $5? It's half the size, so why isn't it half the price? Because it isn't.
You wouldn't quibble about prices in a clothing store. The price is the price — this isn't a moment to do math, as that's not how it works!
15. Adding meat after the sandwich has been toasted
You've finished ordering your sandwich, your Sandwich Artist has prepared it, and it's being toasted. This isn't a great time to ask if you can "just add some bacon" — or any other meat.
Sure, the employee wants you to be a happy customer, so it's likely that they'll agree to do it to ensure you're satisfied with their service. However, they're almost certainly going to be annoyed at your disorganized ordering. They've got good reason to be irritated, too. Many Subway workers are instructed to heat most meats, according to a Reddit thread.
This is another reminder to plan out your sandwich ahead of time — and definitely before it's been toasted. If you absolutely do have to add some meat after toasting, make sure you're apologetic and show how much you appreciate your Sandwich Artist with a tip.
16. Pointing at stuff without saying anything
Unless you've lost your voice due to a really bad cold — in which case you should really be at home resting rather than at Subway — there's absolutely no reason to point at ingredients without saying anything. You know exactly where you're pointing, but it's not always clear to other people.
This is especially important to do at Subway because there are so many ingredients to choose from. Pointing, not saying anything, and then getting visibly irritated when the employee asks what you pointed to, is just plain rude.
Do you want mozzarella? Ask for that. Do you want a meatball sub with salad? Ask for that. If you're unsure what an ingredient is, just ask. There's no need to just point.
17. Being rude if the filling you want isn't available
If you live in a busy city, chances are that there's always a huge line at your local Subway come lunchtime, or all day on the weekends. So it's inevitable that, sooner or later, Subway will run out of a specific meat, cheese, or vegetable.
You may be disappointed that there are no more meatballs or Swiss cheese. That doesn't mean you need to have an attitude about it. If what you want isn't available, just choose something else. Don't act entitled and like you're more important than the employees and everyone else in line.
18. Ordering a salad during the lunch rush
You know how busy Subway gets at lunchtime, so if you can avoid ordering a chopped salad during the lunch rush, that's a great move. Chopped salads are a pain and time-consuming for Subway employees to make.
There's no hard and fast rule that says you absolutely can't order a salad at lunchtime. Just be prepared for your order to irritate the employee tasked with making your salad.
Chances are the customers waiting in line behind you will be grumpy too. By ordering a time-consuming salad, it'll take longer for them to be served.
19. Adding items or ingredients to your order too late
You've ordered a chicken sub. Halfway through it being made, you decide you want lettuce, then olives. Then, when it's almost done you add avocado. Then, finally, when your sub is pretty much ready, you ask for bacon.
The Subway employee has finished making your sub and is about to take payment when you say the dreaded words: "Can I also get a chopped salad?" Don't be the person who does this, please. Adding to your order as you go along is stressful for employees and holds up the line of customers behind you.
Don't add to your existing sub as you go, don't order a second sub after your order has been made, and definitely don't wait until you're about to pay before saying you also want a salad. Remember these three rules and your Subway Sandwich Artist will be happier!