Rants of a Fast Food Worker...

[Sofar]

But what about vapor-lock?

[South Texan]

13.) Let me ask a question...HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE ASK YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO DRINK WITH YOUR MEALS BEFORE YOU START TELLING US WITHOUT HAVING TO BE PROMPTED? I can't tell you how many times I have heard this...

SC: Yea, let me get a number 1 with no onion. Then, let me get a number...
Me: What to drink?
SC: Sprite, then let me get a number two...an apple pie...
Me: What to drink?
SC: Huh?
Me: What to drink with the number 2?
SC: Oh, Coke....an apple pie....another number two with cheese and a cheesecake..
Me: OMFG! What in the crap do you want to drink already?

Me: "I would like a number four with no pick-"

Them: "Would you like cheese on that?"

Yes, I know the cheese is an extra option but the way I was raised is, do not interrupt someone speaking until they're done. Wait for me to finish, then ask me about the cheese if you must. I will happy say 'no thank you'.

True enough, we are not suppose to interrupt while you are ordering. We are suppose to ring it up just as you order it, so indeed if you order a number 4 no pickle, then that will be rung up before you say Large sized. Unfortunate, but true. Now, I do try to pause myself and see if you will alter your order, but if I do that I will often fall behind on the rest of your order and possibly miss something.

Short of forcing customers to take a class on how to place an order, I don't see a solution. And in truth, such a class would be pointless, because the rules/menu keys change so darn often it's hard to keep up, customer and employee a like.

This is why it was so much easier when the orders were written down on paper before being entered into the computer. The person taking the order could go back and add things on as the customer ordered them. If the customer left something out of the order, the person taking the order could go back and ask for the drink details after the customer finished.

This computer crap that McD’s now uses is frustrating for both the employee and the customer. I am sorry, but there is no reason to be angry at the customer for not knowing how the computer works IF THE PERSON TAKING THE ORDER DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY things have to be done in a certain order. The customer may be trying to be as cooperative as possible in ordering, thinking that starting with the combo number rather than its size and stating all the drinks at the end is the way to do it (that is the process for most restaurants) but if the person taking the order needs the order to be stated “just so” so the computer can log it in properly, then why cannot the person taking the order ask the customer to follow the computer’s style?

A simple “I am sorry, but the computer needs me to put things in in a certain way, so can you tell me which drink you want as you order each combo?” might go far in easing the situation.

[Hobgoblin]

OK, you got me there...I wasn't referring to the oil, though. Aside from the corn flour and corn starch in the breading, a lot of the unpronouncable chemical names in the ingredient list are actually derived from corn. There is sooo much corn grown in this country it's ridiculous. (But I'm from Jersey, gimme some fresh sweet corn on the cob any day!)

You want chemical names pronounced? Ask away. I'll record the proper sounding-out of each name and upload it onto here so you can hear them all. I figure I should put my chemistry degree to use somehow, right? It really doesn't get used at the game store, and rarely at the college.

And the McD's promotion for the Cards that was mentioned above was awesome. That's all we ate (lunch and dinner) on those days.

[I See Stupid People]

A simple “I am sorry, but the computer needs me to put things in in a certain way, so can you tell me which drink you want as you order each combo?” might go far in easing the situation.

OMG I would LOVE to be able to do that! But alas I am not, because it would be the same as "correcting" the customer, which is a no-no. It's a no-winner.

Oh, and in the same train of thought, I once witnessed a then-new co-worker taking a very long, complicated order. She was very patient, repeated the order several times, made a bunch of changes, and ended up getting it perfect before she collected. Sounds great, right? Well, I made the mistake of going to the SM to praise said co-worker, and do you know what I was told? That she took too long to take the order! For pete's sake, the customer was the one doing all the incidental talking and last second changes. What exactly was co-worker suppose to do? Tell 'em to hurry the heck up? I'm telling you, it's a no-winner.

[Kusanagi]

Welcome to Burger King, can I please take your order?
WHOPPER!
Um, what was--
WHOPPER, NO ONION!

LARGE FRY!!!!

[South Texan]

OMG I would LOVE to be able to do that! But alas I am not, because it would be the same as "correcting" the customer, which is a no-no. It's a no-winner.

Geez, that is one screwed up corporate policy.

[I See Stupid People]

Geez, that is one screwed up corporate policy.

My friend, you've said a mouthful.

[bullets]

RE: Fast Food

I was in the drive thru line at Mickey D's at lunch one day and I was next in line with my window rolled down waiting for my turn. However, my turn was delayed due to an idiot trying to place their order. The conversatiion went like this:

Employee: May I take your order please?
SC: I'd like a double quarter pounder with cheese meal but I'd only like to get one meat patty?
Employee: So, do you want a quarter pounder with cheese meal?
SC: No, I want a double quarter pounder with cheese meal but I don't want two meat pattys. I only want one meat patty.
Employee: We can give you a quarter pounder with cheese and add an extra slice of cheese. It would be cheaper for you.
SC: No, I want a doulbe quarter pounder with cheese and only 1 meat patty.
Employee: (getting frustrated at this point) MA'AM, a double quarter pounder with cheese with only one meat patty is a quarter pounder with cheese.
SC: I don't want a quarter pounder with cheese.
Employee: Fine. Your total is $XXX

[RailroadMonster]

Ah man... I used to work at Wendy's. This is truthiness, to say the least.

Another thing... When I was at Wendy's people would sometimes come in and order chicken mcnuggets, a Happy meal, et al. Well one of my managers got fed up with it so when people mentioned anything from the golden arches, he told them to go across the street to McDonald's.

[EmiOfBrie]

4.) You are not being sneaky people! If you are not allowed to have salt on your fries...I understand because I am a nursing student also, but what is with you ordering fries with no salt and then asking for salt at the window?!? This gives up the charade...we KNOW that you just want fresh fries...NEWS FLASH...you don't get fresh fries...you get the old ones that have been re-dropped to get rid of the salt.

How does that get rid of all the salt? Just curious.

A.) Don't think that you're a genius by coming into the dining room. Chances are, whatever is holding the drive-thru up is affecting the whole friggin store. You WILL NOT GET YOUR FOOD ANY FASTER! Matter of fact, in most places, the drive-thru gets the priority...so you just shafted yourself.

Weird. In those situations, I usually *do* get my food faster by ordering inside the building, at least during the lunch rush, anyway (since most of the customers remain in their cars. 9 times out of 10 during lunch rush when there is a huge line of cars, I hardly see anyone ordering inside. Then again, I usually order something commonly ordered, too which probably helps)

[BusBus]

But what about vapor-lock?

I don't know if you purposely made a Simpsons reference there, but I laughed anyways.

My first job was working at a non-McD fast food restaurant. The number of time people would order a Big Mac or some other McD's specialty was staggering.

I don't know about the rest of you, but am I the only one that had people order food and then go and sit down, expecting you to bring it to them? Hello? I'm quite busy here. Wait a minute and you can bring the food yourself.

And, BTW, fucking with people's food is not cool. Regardless. If someone is being a real ass, refuse them service.

[Imogene]

How does that get rid of all the salt? Just curious.

Re-dropping the fries that have no salt, means we dump them out of the little fry box we scooped them into, with the rest of that batch of unsalted fries, and salt them, then give you the fry box at the front of the line.

[HYHYBT]

Actually I can relate to all things said but I can't and won't ever tolerate anyone doing anything to undermine the quality of the food that I serve...To imply that you would harm someone else's food just because they are not living up to certain standards is just plain neglectful.

Hear, hear!

The customer may be trying to be as cooperative as possible in ordering, thinking that starting with the combo number rather than its size and stating all the drinks at the end is the way to do it

Well, it's not *that* bad. Items can be entered in any order at all, and the system counts drinks as separate from meals even though they aren't really. It's just that grills (such as "no onions") can't be moved from one item to another. Which again isn't that big a deal with something simple like "no onions". But if you order a Big 'n' Tasty, no onions, extra tomato, light mayo, substitute shredded lettuce, on a regular bun, then after that's entered say it's a meal (completely different item), then after *that's* entered say it's with cheese (again a completely different sandwich as far as the computer and pricing are concerned, with its own separate meals), then change it to large... plus if the grill team is caught up, they could make the sandwich several times, especially if you ordered at the speaker and the changes were done at the window.

One more thing: once you say you're done and recieve your total (in Drive-Thru) we *cannot* make any changes until you get to the window! Specifically, the "store order" key cannot be undone (though on the old POSII+ system pressing DT RECALL would bring it back. Someone, somewhere in charge of these things is an idiot). Also under the old system, had it had that problem, we could have gotten around it by skipping ahead on the cashier register, changing the order at the end of the line, press two buttons to go back to the front of the line, and continue. With the current system, you can still skip around any way you like but if you make a change then that order must be paid before you can go back to another. Put simply, don't say you're done ordering unless you mean it, and don't yell at me and/or drive off if you do decide you wanted five more things after all and I ask you to add them at the window. And don't (as someone did the other day) add something completely different at the window, then expect the item you tried to add at the speaker for free because we "left it out".

How does that get rid of all the salt? Just curious.

It probably doesn't, but customers who wouldn't notice their fries are nasty from being redropped wouldn't notice a little salt still on them either, especially if they're adding it from packets anyway.

Weird. In those situations, I usually *do* get my food faster by ordering inside the building, at least during the lunch rush, anyway (since most of the customers remain in their cars. 9 times out of 10 during lunch rush when there is a huge line of cars, I hardly see anyone ordering inside. Then again, I usually order something commonly ordered, too which probably helps)

It depends on what the hold-up is. If it's a matter of not being able to take orders as fast as people get in line, going inside (if the line there is shorter, of course) should help. Same if it's someone who refuses to park, or is picking apart every sandwich in a $40 order at the window. On the other hand, if it's, say, that a heat lamp fell out of the fry station and broke on the fries (extreme example but yes, it's happened, and of course it was during a rush. We of course threw out all the fries and took the thing down for washing as if we were closed) then it'll be a while regardless. One other thing I've been yelled at for: ordering at the counter does not make your food get made first. Ordering *first* gets your food made first. As in, if there are five people in line at the window who have already ordered when you come in, their food will be made before yours is even if your are the only customer in the store. You do, however, get in front of the other five cars waiting to get to the speaker

[Lace Neil Singer]

I will say that during my time working in a pizza place, not a single pizza or foodstuff was ever tampered with. Instead, SCs got their food delivered last, or got ignored in favour of polite people if they were in the shop. It took one woman at least 10 minutes to grasp the fact that shouting "Over here, stupid!" was not the best way to get served on a busy Saturday night; however, waiting patiently in line and being nice was.