I have sworn off going inside fast food restaurants. I’m trying to swear them off altogether, but that’s another story for another time. Today’s story is about service.
It’s bad enough when they can’t get your order right…and it matters not where you go: Golden Arches, some guy with a crown, a freckled girl with pigtails, or the ice cream place masquerading as a hamburger joint…any of them. But, I’d settle for the occasional mistake on my order anymore just to get served in the order I arrived.
As I said, I don’t go inside. I always get ticked. It doesn’t matter what line I get in, some dude who blows in five minutes after me gets to order first, because I’ve gotten stuck behind either the “I’m ordering for the whole soccer team” mom, or the “I’ve never been here before” geek, or the “don’t rush me, I’ll order when I’m good and ready, and I’ll pay when I finally get my wallet out of my purse after 12 minutes” blue hair. So I won’t go inside.
Instead, I go for the speedy “drive thru” service. That way, I know I’ll not get screwed in line, because I’ll get served in the order I pulled into line, and I’m happy with that. Um, not so fast. A few years ago, I heard for the first time, “can you pull ahead and we’ll bring it right out to you?” because, heaven forbid, I’ve ordered chicken nuggets, which take a little longer to cook. Never mind that they should be ready, but now I’ve got to pull ahead and wait while the dude who got here after me gets served? No way. I tell ‘em no. I tell them, “sorry, but I’d rather not. I’ll wait for my food and get it in order, thank you.” You should see the look on their faces.
So, I’ve got that problem nailed. Ahh, now we can just sit back and know we’ll get served in the order….ARRRGHHH! Along comes McDonald’s with the sickening new “double drive thru” lanes. Sh*t! And it never fails, EVERY time I get to the speaker, the guy behind me gets to the OTHER speaker, gets to order BEFORE me even though he’s arrived AFTER me, and then sticks the nose of his car in the back seat of the car in front of us so I can’t get in.
Pisses…me…off.
So, McDonald’s: See ya.
One down.
3 responses so far ↓
1
Cory
// May 20, 2008 at 11:48 am
BJ,
They get paid $7 an hour. What do you expect? No matter how courteous they are, or how fast they flip a burger, chances are that they’ll never make enough to own a home or support their children without welfare.
2
BJ Stone
// May 20, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Oh, I totally understand that part of it, Cory.
That’s why I say I can handle a mistake every now and then IF the greedy owners would make sure I got served in the order I arrived.
When I used to go inside to order, I always preferred Wendy’s or the old-style Burger Kings, where you went into a cattle stall and stayed in line all the way up to the single register. THAT’s how it’s supposed to be done. So when they all went to multiple registers, I started using the drive up. Now, they’ve got multiple drive ups. NOT the fault of the employees, but the fault of some moronic marketing or operations guru who has no freakin’ clue.
3
vonster
// May 20, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Y’all haven’t been to Culvers, I take it.
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