McDonalds and other sightings

[fma_fanatic]

I had to run some errands, and I decided to stop at McD's for some lunch.

I pull into the drive-thru and it's one of those dual ones. I don't care for them because there's always the chance that they'll mess up your order or whatnot or think that you're the car behind you.

I get up to the first window and wait for the cashier to tell me my total.

Cashier: so you have a happy meal with nuggets and diet coke, right?
Me: no a #2 no onions and coke.
Cashier: oh. *long pause as she taps things on the screen* okay. *holds hand out as she gives me my total*

I pay and go up to the second window, where I get: a happy meal with nuggets and a diet coke.

Me: This is no my order.
Worker: What did you have?
Me: #2, no onions and a coke.
Worker: oh..um..hold on.

Worker walks off, I wait and wonder if it's just bad day all around. Worker comes back and tries once more to hand me the happy meal.

Me: No. Again, this is not my order. Can I please have what I ordered?
Worker: You can't change your order at the first window.
Me: I didn't change my order. I know what I ordered. *holds up receipt very clearly showing my #2, no onions and coke* THIS is what I ordered and I would very much like it please or for you to give me a refund.

Worker walks off again, and by this time a couple of cars start honking their horns. I'm getting really cranky because this is not only my lunch, but the first meal of the day for me.

Someone comes up, hands me a bag and a drink and slams the window shut. Seeing as the natives behind me are getting restless, I pull around to the parking lot and park to check my food.

I got:

2 cheeseburgers with onions, slathered in so much mustard and ketchup that if I'd taken a bite, it would have dripped down my shirt

A container filled 1/4 of the way with fries

And a diet coke.

So I went in.

Cashier: Can I help you?
Me: yes, I would like to speak to a manager and I would like a refund.
Cashier: okay. *yells out for a manager, and I step aside so she can help others*

It should be noted that there were a few others besides me in the restaurant who apparently went through the drive thru as well. So I wasn't the only one privy to the shenanigans of the drive thru crew.

The manager comes up and I explain how I tried to get my order, was told I had changed it, and even showed him the food being messed up. I wanted a refund because I did not feel that I would get what I wanted and that I was going to go to the Burger King down the street.

The manager refused, saying that I was stuck with my food and that was that.

Me: Alright, I suppose my bank will have something to say about this come Monday. *turns to another drive thru victim* would you mind giving my bank a statement saying that the manager refused to issue a refund due to his inability to manage his restaurant?

Manager: alright, here! take your damned money. now get out!

I left - maybe I was sucky, but dang it, this is the same place that a year ago shorted me change and made me wait an hour before they would count down the drawer to see that it was indeed over, all the while swearing I had my change.

The second sighting was on my way home at the grocery store.

Apparently the courtesy clerk felt it would be a good idea to put all the wine bottles in one bag, despite the protest of the customer ahead of me.

He lifted the plastic bag, and I could see the handle start to rip. Of course it was too late and crash! The look on the courtesy clerk's face was priceless.

[Broomjockey]

Uh, no, you weren't sucky. At all. And in fact, after the manager shouted get out I'd probably have had some choice words for him. At a very high volume.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The manager refused, saying that I was stuck with my food and that was that.

At this point, it would've taken everything I have to keep from humming the bag of food at said manager's head. All that ketchup and mustard can make quite an impressive mess.

Yeah, I know, sucky in the extreme, and I always try to be much more polite than that. But I do have a temper on occasion, I'm only humanand I don't appreciate it when fast food workers screw with my order just because they can. .

I wouldn't even care if I got banned from the place. A restaurant that operates on the premise of "We deliberately screwed up your order because you dared to call us on a mistake, so we're going to stick you with it. Fuck you very much and have a nice day"--evidently from the top on down--does not deserve my business anyway.

[dendawg]

Nah, you were in the right...the McD's people were suckier. Sometimes you just have to fight suck with suck.

[marasbaras]

When the employees suck, you can usually count on the management sucking, too. That guy was a complete twit.

You were definitely NOT sucky there.

At nearly ANY OTHER McD's in the world, they would've refunded your money AND given you the correct food.

[Rine]

I pull into the drive-thru and it's one of those dual ones. I don't care for them because there's always the chance that they'll mess up your order or whatnot or think that you're the car behind you.

I don't get it: what's a dual one?

The only ones I've been through are the ones where you speak your order into a speaker, pay at first window, pick up at second window. Or: tell your order at the first window, pay at the second window, and then pick up food at the third window. I'm just curious...


But, those workers were very sucky, indeed and I think you acted correctly.

[Broomjockey]

Usually they only have dual line-ups at banks, but it's where there's two ordering stations, which then feed into a single pay/pick-up line. I can't for the life of me see how that would be more efficient, since ordering can't take *that* much longer than the rest.

[Rine]

Ooooh, I see. Sorta. Well, I can't really picture in my head how it would work and I'm glad I don't have to deal with that sort of thing on my rare trips through fast food drive-thrus.

[Kogarashi]

I think that's about where I'd try to contact the franchise owner, or Corporate if no owner is available. Suck like that doesn't deserve to stay in business, at least without a management overhaul.

But I do think you handled it the best way you could've. That was deliberate mischief with your food there, and it was only fair to expect a refund at the least.

[fma_fanatic]

Ooooh, I see. Sorta. Well, I can't really picture in my head how it would work and I'm glad I don't have to deal with that sort of thing on my rare trips through fast food drive-thrus.

I wish I could find a decent picture of a dual, aka double drive thru. We have Rally's here (may also be known as Checkers) which employs sort of the same thing; the only difference is that you can go to either side, depending on which speaker you use.

[iradney]

I agree with Kogarashi - report them to corporate. You were not sucky, you politely asked for your correct order, and you were treated like dirt. You deserve better. And one day, they might pull that sort of stunt on someone who will not be as civil as you. Report them to corporate.

[Andara Bledin]

I wish I could find a decent picture of a dual, aka double drive thru. We have Rally's here (may also be known as Checkers) which employs sort of the same thing; the only difference is that you can go to either side, depending on which speaker you use.

We have lots of In N Out and Rally's in this area that have the split drive thru. For those who ask, here is a concept image I found of a typical In N Out with a split drive thru:



I've been to In N Outs that get busy enough that they have order takers outside before you can even get to the speakers just to make the whole process run faster.

I think that's about where I'd try to contact the franchise owner, or Corporate if no owner is available. Suck like that doesn't deserve to stay in business, at least without a management overhaul.

But I do think you handled it the best way you could've. That was deliberate mischief with your food there, and it was only fair to expect a refund at the least.

Don't even let that one lie. That was deliberate food tampering and I'd give serious thought to calling the health department on them for that shit.

^-.-^

[Becks]

That McD's was full of suck.

LOTS of suck.

And on another note, I wish I could've seen the aftermath of the wine drop.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I don't get it: what's a dual one?

Two lanes for ordering, each with its own menu board and speaker. These two lanes then merge into a single lane to the window where you pay and maybe receive your food.

The McDonalds kitty-corner from my store has this setup.

[FenigDurak]

I've been very fortunate to have avoided all but one screw up at a McD's Dual Drive Thru. The suck was on another vehicle's part, not on the employees. I had finished ordering before the truck to my right, but the minivan in front of me wasn't pulling up quite yet allowing the truck to my right to creep in ahead of me.

Our orders got switched up. Which didn't bother me much as what I ordered was also in his order, in addition to extra fries and extra cheeseburgers. I mentioned it at the second window, and the girl offered me a refund, I offered back the food, but her manager told me to go ahead and keep it since they'd have to make fresh stuff if that guy came back anyway. So my honey got to eat free and my kitties got a rare treat of fries.