DD's closed due to internet outage?

3,990 Views | 30 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by LOYAL AG
Smeghead4761
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I tried to get pizza from the Double Dave's on Boonville last night. They had a sign in the window saying they were closed due to an internet outage.

Is there something stopping them from running cash only and taking delivery/take out orders by phone? Or is the need for internet access so deeply built into the system that they can't run without it?

I worked as a pizza delivery driver when I was an undergrad, for a local chain in another state, 25-30 years ago (mid 90s). The system for getting orders from the order taker to the line was computerized, but no internet was involved. Most of the orders were paid for with cash, sometimes checks.
textar4404
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We won't get anything from Double Dave's until they open the buffet again.
jopatura
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Can't take credit cards with no internet. It may have been more cost effective to close for the night (i.e not pay employees, not waste food) then it was to rely on cash only.
Smeghead4761
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I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.
Goose83
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Anyone know if (or when) DD's is ever going to serve their buffet again.
LOYAL AG
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Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
Rearview
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Goose83 said:

Anyone know if (or when) DD's is ever going to serve their buffet again.


I called and asked and was told never.
UmustBKidding
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They have it in many locations outside bcs currently
halibut sinclair
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UmustBKidding said:

They have it in many locations outside bcs currently

Probably the decision of that franchisee.
AgProgrammer
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Last time we ate there was before the pandemic when the buffet was still open. Haven't been back since because of no lunch buffet. If I'm going to order a pizza for carry out, there are much better options around this town. But they must have done the math and determined they come out ahead by not having the buffet. A relic from a past time long gone now, I guess.
SPI-FlatsCatter 84
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FWIW

Imo their pizza and pepperoni rolls delivery with both ranch and marsala sauce is STILL the best in BCS
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Goose83
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Rearview said:

Goose83 said:

Anyone know if (or when) DD's is ever going to serve their buffet again.


I called and asked and was told never.

I guess that explains the shuttering of the stores on Mondays - No need to stay open if you're not going to have either the lunch or evening buffets anymore.
91_Aggie
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SPI-FlatsCatter 84 said:

FWIW

Imo their pizza and pepperoni rolls delivery with both ranch and marsala sauce is STILL the best in BCS

Marinara
Marsala is a red wine based sauce
BiochemAg97
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Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.
I have credit cards which just printed numbers on the back. Couldn't take an imprint even if anyone still had the stuff.
BiochemAg97
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LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
Smeghead4761
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I've never been able to make their online system work for pick up orders. Works fine for delivery, just not pickup.
LOYAL AG
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BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
BiochemAg97
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LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan.
Sorry, I was thinking cellular card as backup to CC processing. Wasn't thinking about how online ordering might be integrated into the POS. But you could effectively have cellular backup internet for just about any small business these days, so even if online ordering isn't integrated into the POS, you could still have cellular backup for the internal network.
tb9665
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I think a Piasano's would be great there.
91_Aggie
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LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
pudge
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The manager told me in early December that he's so short of workers that he can only open a couple of stores at a time, so he was rotating those around the BCS area.
pudge
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The manager told me in early December that he's so short of workers that he can only open a couple of stores at a time, so he was rotating those around the BCS area.
LOYAL AG
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91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
Yeah I know all of that. Still comes down to poor planning. You can buy routers that accommodate cellular cards as a backup and switch automatically when hard line fails. That's been around for years. If being open is important you make those decisions. Maybe DD didn't know that and if that's the case their IT guy should be fired. I'm an accountant and I know these things.
Smeghead4761
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I recall looking to get pizza on a Monday during Christmas break, and all of the DD's were closed. Having worked as a pizza driver, I couldn't imagine a pizza place being closed when MNF was being played. That was always a good night to work - lots of runs, lots of tips.
FearNoWeevil
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To tie into the slow pharmacy thread, the Walgreens across the street from the DD had a "cash only" sign on the doors. I assume they were in the same boat.
techno-ag
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FearNoWeevil said:

To tie into the slow pharmacy thread, the Walgreens across the street from the DD had a "cash only" sign on the doors. I assume they were in the same boat.
Do they both use SuddenLink or something?
Goose83
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FearNoWeevil said:

To tie into the slow pharmacy thread, the Walgreens across the street from the DD had a "cash only" sign on the doors. I assume they were in the same boat.
That was a corporate-wide system failure - All the Walgreens across the country were down yesterday.
91_Aggie
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LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
Yeah I know all of that. Still comes down to poor planning. You can buy routers that accommodate cellular cards as a backup and switch automatically when hard line fails. That's been around for years. If being open is important you make those decisions. Maybe DD didn't know that and if that's the case their IT guy should be fired. I'm an accountant and I know these things.
But it is more likely a combination of it being down hard and not worth it stay open for cash only payers.
We went to Freddie's about 2-3 months ago and they had same issue, but stayed open only taking cash.

So not limited to poor planning by DD.
No reason to assume the worst/most negative interpretation based on the limited information we have about their inner workings. (no I don't know anyone associated with DD and I have no financial stake).
LOYAL AG
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91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
Yeah I know all of that. Still comes down to poor planning. You can buy routers that accommodate cellular cards as a backup and switch automatically when hard line fails. That's been around for years. If being open is important you make those decisions. Maybe DD didn't know that and if that's the case their IT guy should be fired. I'm an accountant and I know these things.
But it is more likely a combination of it being down hard and not worth it stay open for cash only payers.
We went to Freddie's about 2-3 months ago and they had same issue, but stayed open only taking cash.

So not limited to poor planning by DD.
No reason to assume the worst/most negative interpretation based on the limited information we have about their inner workings. (no I don't know anyone associated with DD and I have no financial stake).
There's no reason to have to be cash only, that's my entire point. They were cash only because their sole source of internet access was down. Unless Google crashed the entire internet (again) then a router with a cellular card backup removes the hardline internet as a single point of failure. If being open is important then business 101 dictates you remove as many single points of failure that would keep you from opening as you can practically remove. The internet is an easy one to address, again if being open is important.
BiochemAg97
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LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
Yeah I know all of that. Still comes down to poor planning. You can buy routers that accommodate cellular cards as a backup and switch automatically when hard line fails. That's been around for years. If being open is important you make those decisions. Maybe DD didn't know that and if that's the case their IT guy should be fired. I'm an accountant and I know these things.
But it is more likely a combination of it being down hard and not worth it stay open for cash only payers.
We went to Freddie's about 2-3 months ago and they had same issue, but stayed open only taking cash.

So not limited to poor planning by DD.
No reason to assume the worst/most negative interpretation based on the limited information we have about their inner workings. (no I don't know anyone associated with DD and I have no financial stake).
There's no reason to have to be cash only, that's my entire point. They were cash only because their sole source of internet access was down. Unless Google crashed the entire internet (again) then a router with a cellular card backup removes the hardline internet as a single point of failure. If being open is important then business 101 dictates you remove as many single points of failure that would keep you from opening as you can practically remove. The internet is an easy one to address, again if being open is important.
You raise a valid point that many small businesses should consider a cellular card for backup internet.

Apparently, many small businesses do not utilize such a set up, either through ignorance or decision. It is possible some make the (potentially shortsighted) decision that paying for the card and cellular service isn't worth the cost. However, I think it more likely that they just aren't aware of the option. I doubt the local ISP is recommending having a cellular backup for when their service goes down.

LOYAL AG
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BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

91_Aggie said:

LOYAL AG said:

BiochemAg97 said:

LOYAL AG said:

Langenator said:

I remember being in a business some years ago, phones were down and the boss had told the cashier to run credit cards the old fashioned way.

Kid was super grateful when I showed him how to use the old school carbon copy credit card receipt machine.


I'd guess this is illegal now since it creates a literal paper trail with the card number, name expiration and cvv on it.

It could be that DD POS requires a live internet to function. If so shame on DD for not have a cellular card as a backup plan. No reason this should happen in 2022.
I'm guessing they do a lot of online orders. Without the internet link back to the corporate website ordering system, I'd bet their order volume would be way down. I'd guess 50% or more. At some point, it is just more cost effective to close shop and send everyone home.
That's why I brought up a cellular card as a backup to the hardline internet. If up time is critical it's important enough to have a back up plan. If being open is important to DD then they should have had a backup plan. The internet really isn't an excuse for being closed unless all of the internet is down.
With Credit Card processing all that has to be within a protected router/domain or else the CC companies won't let you process anything. They would have had to have planned ahead to have cellular available for backup in case main internet went down. Likely they had multiple failures and just said "wifi down" as a simple answer for the guests.
Probably bigger issues behind the scenes than they would tell us.
Yeah I know all of that. Still comes down to poor planning. You can buy routers that accommodate cellular cards as a backup and switch automatically when hard line fails. That's been around for years. If being open is important you make those decisions. Maybe DD didn't know that and if that's the case their IT guy should be fired. I'm an accountant and I know these things.
But it is more likely a combination of it being down hard and not worth it stay open for cash only payers.
We went to Freddie's about 2-3 months ago and they had same issue, but stayed open only taking cash.

So not limited to poor planning by DD.
No reason to assume the worst/most negative interpretation based on the limited information we have about their inner workings. (no I don't know anyone associated with DD and I have no financial stake).
There's no reason to have to be cash only, that's my entire point. They were cash only because their sole source of internet access was down. Unless Google crashed the entire internet (again) then a router with a cellular card backup removes the hardline internet as a single point of failure. If being open is important then business 101 dictates you remove as many single points of failure that would keep you from opening as you can practically remove. The internet is an easy one to address, again if being open is important.
You raise a valid point that many small businesses should consider a cellular card for backup internet.

Apparently, many small businesses do not utilize such a set up, either through ignorance or decision. It is possible some make the (potentially shortsighted) decision that paying for the card and cellular service isn't worth the cost. However, I think it more likely that they just aren't aware of the option. I doubt the local ISP is recommending having a cellular backup for when their service goes down.


I think that's exactly what's happening and despite my hardline stance here I'm more than willing to believe it's the former that most just don't know. IMO a small business owner, and to be clear I own one and make a living advising a dozen others, should never do the following:

  • Buy commercials from the TV station. They aren't a video production company, they're a TV station. Hire professionals to make your commercials and pay the TV station to run them.
  • Don't task one of the women in the office with managing your company social media. I don't care how much of your time she spends on Facebook she doesn't know how to do this.
  • Let the Suddenlink guy be your IT guy. He won't tell you things like, "Hey we will have outages from time to time and a $50/month cellular card is a great idea for keeping you operating when we do."
  • Buy group health insurance from your P&C guy. If he has a health specialist in the brokerage that's different but group health and P&C are in no way related beyond being called "insurance". This isn't as big as it used to be since ACA has eliminated most of the options we had in the small business space but still I want an expert here if possible.
  • Buy the store's real estate in the same business that operates the store. Always buy your commercial real estate in a separate entity then pay yourself rent.
  • Lie to your accountant, lawyer or banker.
  • Task the accountant with being the IT guy. He can hire and manage them somewhat effectively but he can't be them.

Now I also don't go to the car dealership to buy a loan and I don't hire stay at home mom's for real estate transactions. Nor do I partner with part time tax guys. I'm just particular about some things. I'm the guy that questioned why Wendy's didn't do breakfast all those years because they were paying rent for a closed store during a time of day when millions of Americans are looking for a fast food breakfast. I push my clients to consider reasonable scenarios then make a conscious decision on whether to respond and how.
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