Chains you refuse to do any business with...

quote:

Originally posted by MetroplexJim


Starbucks. Why should I have to learn a different language to order a "large" and then pay prices that seem to be denominated in Euros? Somebody has to be laughing every time the register rings!

McDonald's. I love their clean restrooms and visit McDonald's only to use them. I suspect that they are hand-cleaned with their buns; maybe that explains why the served food looks so very different than the pictures.

re: Red above:

I just snorted a whole glass of water out of my nose!

Chick-Fil-A may be one of the best chains. I don't care what their parade policy is, but I know that Chick-Fil-A is usually clean and consistent. Also, I love how the staff is normal. Yes, normal. You will never see a freak show at the Chick-Fil-A. No staff is wearing a hat to the side, or has a nose ring, or has a bunch of prison tats on his/her neck.

I will avoid McDonalds if I can, but I do get breakfast there every now and again.

Little Ceaser's may have the worst pizza, but they are no longer in Maryland, so I really don't have to go out of my way to avoid it.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

Chick-Fil-A may be one of the best chains. I don't care what their parade policy is, but I know that Chick-Fil-A is usually clean and consistent. Also, I love how the staff is normal. Yes, normal. You will never see a freak show at the Chick-Fil-A. No staff is wearing a hat to the side, or has a nose ring, or has a bunch of prison tats on his/her neck.

I will avoid McDonalds if I can, but I do get breakfast there every now and again.

Little Ceaser's may have the worst pizza, but they are no longer in Maryland, so I really don't have to go out of my way to avoid it.

I thought Little Ceaser's still had a restaurant in Hagerstown, MD?
Of course its been awhile since I have visited that town.

You are right about Chick-Fil-A about the nose-ring, tats, etc...

Last month I was Indianapolis, went to my first White Castle. The girl there behind the counter had a tounge ring and I could not understand a word she was saying.

One of my neighbors manages a Chick-Fil-A. I showed her this tread and someone earlier mentioned that Chick-Fil-A doesn't allow its employees to have profiles on so-called "adult" websites. She was saying that not only is it totally false but even if they wanted to, how could they enforce that? If a company, any company goes as far as monitoring what their employees do online AT HOME ( at work thats a whole different matter ), who would want to work for them in the first place?

"Last month I was Indianapolis, went to my first White Castle. The girl there behind the counter had a tounge ring and I could not understand a word she was saying."

The presence of a tongue piercing would seem to indicate that this young woman had talents beyond what was called for in her White Castle job description. Those little thingies in the tongue can be there for "innocent" reasons, but they frequently indicate something else. However, what she does on her own time is her own business. Do I need to explain the possible implications of tongue piercing?

"Last month I was Indianapolis, went to my first White Castle. The girl there behind the counter had a tounge ring and I could not understand a word she was saying."



The presence of a tongue piercing would seem to indicate that this young woman had talents beyond what was called for in her White Castle job description. Those little thingies in the tongue can be there for "innocent" reasons, but they frequently indicate something else. However, what she does on her own time is her own business. Do I need to explain the possible implications of tongue piercing?

Mickey D's

There are some I won't patronize for any reason. Some I will if it's the only alternative. I will also list some that were on the list but now off, as in they get my business. Not all are food related. I will try (and fail) to catagorize.

bp: In addition to eliminating American made brands (SOHIO and AMOCO), the stuff they pass off as gasoline makes my truck run like sXXX. IMO, bp is the reason we need an American trademark protection law. The only thing bp is good for is smokes and liquid refreshment.

Giant Eagle (now removed from the list). When I was living in Warren, the bird was the only place to shop, as in monopoly. I later learned that not all birds are company owned. The Grove City store convinced me that the bird is good. The location that made me hate the bird is privately owned. I think the bird should spin off the private stores, perhaps rebranding to Valu King (name now owned by the bird).

McDonalds. I do like the occasional quarter pounder or Egg McMuffin once in a while, but I won't go out of my way. I feel many McD's are poorly managed. I stopped in at a newly rebuilt McD in Grove City. There was a line to the door and only one register open. Burger King got my business that day.

Marathon. At the time, I was driving a 75 Imperial and needed gas. The Amoco next door was closed for remodeling, but the Marathon was open. 5 bucks of Super-M was instilled in said Imperial. Said Imperial ran worse than my mother's Chevy. It wasn't until I relocated that I figured out the Marathon in question was a very low volume station (now defunct). Our company's fleet cards are for Speedway, but good at Marathon. Now, Marathon is all I use, mainly because it has STP in it. Marathon is off the list.

Circuit City. After they screwed all those employees, they can forget my business. I'll stick to my tube sets.

Sun TV and Appliances (defunct). Bait and switch advertising. When they were in business, my mother wanted two new TV sets (this is before I became a collecter/restorer). We went to Sun for the ones they had advertised in the Tribune. Of course, they ran out of this particular RCA. Dumb prettyboy salesman tried to convince us to buy a more expensive set. We went elsewhere.

Wal*Mart. We all know the abuses they get away with. Once Target opens, I'll gladly drive by.

Pizza Hut. One word... BLECCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHH! I would rather go to Iraq than eat this stuff that passes as pizza.

Honda, Toyapet (Toyota), Nissan, Mazda. I only buy American cars. Riceburners suck.

Coors. I don't buy right wing non union beer.

I try not to eat at any "fast food chains" nowadays...simply because I get so angry with the level of service that I get, that it turns me off to go there. I agree with the people that said that they can't ever understand the kids behind the counters. The last time I checked, it was called "FAST FOOD"...not "I'll waltz around with no sense of urgency to wait on you...the customer"! The worst I've seen of this is at Boston Market, Taco Bell and KFC. Kids today seem to think that they are entitled to everything and that we as consumers are lucky to have them waiting on us.

I also agree with the person that said that nobody in one fast food place spoke english...that happens to me all the time! Last time I checked, this was America...where English is our language here..I shouldn't have to learn 10 different languages just to order a burger and fries. If these people don't like it...the answer is simple..move back to wherever they came from! If I go to France, they aren't going to learn english just for me...I will need to learn French.

And what's with the attitude of people working in Fast Food chains and restaurants nowadays? I've been in the restaurant industry as a server. I know we all have bad days...but this is called a job..its not fun..that's why its called work...so put on a smile, and deal with it. Do not take your anger/frustration/sadness out on me, the customer. If you do...your tip goes way down the drain.

quote:

Originally posted by Foxyfishy14



I also agree with the person that said that nobody in one fast food place spoke english...that happens to me all the time! Last time I checked, this was America...where English is our language here..I shouldn't have to learn 10 different languages just to order a burger and fries. If these people don't like it...the answer is simple..move back to wherever they came from! If I go to France, they aren't going to learn english just for me...I will need to learn French.

Somehow, I really doubt that the management wanted to hire only people who were not skilled in English. Rather, I think that it is likely that management hired the best of those who applied--or perhaps they hired the only people who applied.

It is also very possible that the wages that are paid by that franchisee have something to do with who is working there. Another possibility lies in the prevailing adolescent attitude that you have observed among some native American-born teenagers. Let's just say that the work ethic that one encounters is not always the best, and it is possible some of the English-speaking employees may have been terminated due to a poor work ethic, leaving only employees who were not skilled in English.

Do you honestly think that the management of the fast food place(s) in question intentionally set out to hire only those who are of foreign birth? That really would not make sense from any business perspective with which I am familiar.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Dave


Honda, Toyapet (Toyota), Nissan, Mazda. I only buy American cars. Riceburners suck.

What if the riceburner was made in America and the American car was made in Canada (like my Chevy Lumina) or Mexico? Which would you choose?

I never said that the management ever set out to hire a certain type of person or someone from a certain birth place...so don't distort my words to make your point.

And as far as work ethic...its not just the American-born teenagers that have poor wotk ethic...its many teenagers of all races, languages, shapes, sizes etc. What is even more sad though, is that its not the management's fault...and I never said it was...its really the breakdown of the family unit in this and many other countries. Kids aren't raised with values and work ethic anymore...so I'm not blaming any management of any fast food company...my point was..I'm sick of dealing with employees that have no idea what a job and responsibility consists of.

Here is some food for thought: My father was a high school teacher for many years. He once asked a girl who worked for McDonald's why it was so hard to get good service (meaning what you order actually gets to you in one piece in a fair amount of time) at her place of employment. Her response: "I go to school for 6 hours per day, I have after school activities I do, I have homework and tests to study for which stress me out throughout the week, so when I am at work, do you honestly think I care if someone correctly gets what they ordered with a smile in an efficient amount of time?" That's your answer right there...I understand that kids are stressed nowadays...but kids and adults alike have always been stressed...I have news for them..it only gets worse after High School. If you take a job, do it well or don't take it at all. Take responsiblity and pride in your work. Don't blame others or make excuses for your actions...as my dad always told me...you have two choices in any situation: You can live with it or you can get up and do something about it. But no complaining if you choose to live with it.

Actually, I was not distorting your words, and was, in fact, simply requesting clarification. You have provided some clarification.

Incidentally, I was a high school teacher and a high school counselor for over three decades, so I am quite familiar with the prevailing adolescent work ethic and attitude toward work. However, I have to report that, in my experience, the students who were foreign-born invariably had a far superior work ethic, as compared to their American-born peers. Your experience may differ from mine, but that is what I experienced.

I do find the chains in the suburbs have much better customer service than chains in the city. I live in Baltimore City, and I dread going to any chain, and I'm not just talking food. I find the attitude at chain grocery stores and drug stores is also bad. No one will help you, and the he place is always dirty. Now if I go to the same chain ten minutes outside the city, I almost never have a negative experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Dave

bp: In addition to eliminating American made brands (SOHIO and AMOCO), the stuff they pass off as gasoline makes my truck run like sXXX. IMO, bp is the reason we need an American trademark protection law. The only thing bp is good for is smokes and liquid refreshment.

Dave, that really strikes a chord with me! I totally agree with you on that! I never buy bp myself since they purchased (a word I like to use is "stole") the Sohio and Amoco brands. In fact, I had an Amoco credit card at one time, not to mention a big loyalty to the brand! Some time after it was taken over in 1998 I found a new brand to which I became loyal and still am this very day ... Marathon.

One footnote to my story: One day while driving outside of Wheeling, West Virginia, needing gas I came upon a BP (I capitalize the letters because this was when they used the shield with capital letters, 2000 to be specific) station and stopped. I got something there--directions ... TO THE NEAREST MARATHON STATION!!! I found it right by I-70 where it has this tall (and I mean TALL!) bridge over the road, got gas, and made it home. The perfect ending to a perfect trip!

A BP (correct for the time) employee giving directions to a competitor... Funny as hell. In the early 80's, ARCO and Exxon withdrew from Ohio within a year of each other and Marathon got many stations as a result. The one I had the trouble with was a former Exxon. It closed in around 1992 and sat vacant, complete with signage and pumps for about 4 years. I think it's now a medical facility. It was remodeled beyond recognition. After I moved, I had to use my own truck for the first year. I was on fumes and there was a Marathon. The rest is history.

I forgot a very important detail with Sun TV. The RCA sets they had advertised were on prominant display, in boxes, ready to go.

To answer an earlier post about a riceburner made in America or an American make made in Canada, this is a hard question. I would definitely consider a Gm, Ford or Chrysler made in Canada. I come from a GM family (extended family, my parents were teachers). I was raised on the belief that Japanese meant junk. When it comes to consumer electronics, for the most part, I was proven wrong, especially considering what happened to RCA and Zenith. For cars, I still have that belief, but not to the degree I once had. For me, the big three always come first. I had my best luck with Chrysler and the worst with GM. My company truck is a Ford. I might consider an Ohio built Honda at the expense of being disowned by my family.

I add Goodyear to the list of chains that I will not patronize. Both Dodge trucks I had/have were bought new and equipped with Goodyear tires. I couldn't keep air in them and they wore out prematurely. I buy Firestone, and have not had any trouble. Did Bridgestone taking them over help? I think so.

I also add Zenith to the list of brands that I will not buy. As a TV collector, the Zenith that made the sets I have and the Zenith of today are two totally different Zenith's. The sets I have were made in Chicago. The Zenith of today is a brand name owned by a foreign company. My Zenith sets, after a proper restoration, work beautifully. These were made in Chicago. The 60's era Zenith sets need very little to make them work great again. My daily watcher is a color combo from the 60's. Two tubes, fixing a control and cleaning the controls and tuners was all it took. As long as the CRT and other core components are good, these old Zenith sets will work better than that crap that passes as TV sets today. I feel that LG should let Zenith die with dignity. LG is junk.

I'll think of more later.

The only company I can think of that I absolutely would not go anywhere near was Chi-Chi's.I took this decision about a week after they opened in my town,and I never set foot in the place.My reasons were personal and maybe a bit unfair,looking back,but suffice to say i had a blazing hatred for that outfit,chain wide,even when the other stores had nothing to do with my perceived problem,such was my ire.
I'm a little sheepish to mention I was smiling as i watched the company go down the tubes.I guess this what the germans call "schadenfreude".25 years later,I look back and think maybe I overreacted to something that wasnt even the company's fault,but at the time I thought it a major indiscretion and a very real bummer.But i dont regret my little "one man boycott",when all was said and done,I felt vindicated and satisfied.

Taco Bell gives a whole new meaning to "Run for the Border" I only eat there if I'm constipated,relief in 15 minutes or less.I can't see why people line up to eat at" Olive Garbage " tasteless excuse for Italian food.Most Hamburger Helper is an improvement.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

I do find the chains in the suburbs have much better customer service than chains in the city. I live in Baltimore City, and I dread going to any chain, and I'm not just talking food. I find the attitude at chain grocery stores and drug stores is also bad. No one will help you, and the he place is always dirty. Now if I go to the same chain ten minutes outside the city, I almost never have a negative experience.

I've noticed the same with Post Offices.

I'm really glad that the moderators allow us to freely express ourselves on this site (with some very rare exceptions). If someone posts negative comments about a specific commercial entity on Chowhound.com, the comment is likely to be censored into oblivion within a few hours.

I can only assume that the principals of Chowhound are overly concerned with lawsuits, even though the comments that they choose to censor would usually not be actionable in a court of law. Anything that is overly negative is gone within short order at that site. What a bunch of cowards they are at Chowhound!

quote:

Originally posted by 45013

quote:

Originally posted by Big Dave

bp: In addition to eliminating American made brands (SOHIO and AMOCO), the stuff they pass off as gasoline makes my truck run like sXXX. IMO, bp is the reason we need an American trademark protection law. The only thing bp is good for is smokes and liquid refreshment.

Dave, that really strikes a chord with me! I totally agree with you on that! I never buy bp myself since they purchased (a word I like to use is "stole") the Sohio and Amoco brands. In fact, I had an Amoco credit card at one time, not to mention a big loyalty to the brand! Some time after it was taken over in 1998 I found a new brand to which I became loyal and still am this very day ... Marathon.

One footnote to my story: One day while driving outside of Wheeling, West Virginia, needing gas I came upon a BP (I capitalize the letters because this was when they used the shield with capital letters, 2000 to be specific) station and stopped. I got something there--directions ... TO THE NEAREST MARATHON STATION!!! I found it right by I-70 where it has this tall (and I mean TALL!) bridge over the road, got gas, and made it home. The perfect ending to a perfect trip!

The negative comment about BP definitely struck a note with me. My Subaru (made in Lafayette, Indiana!) normally performs flawlessly. One Sunday, a few months ago, I filled my nearly empty tank with BP gasoline because it was a few cents cheaper than my usual Shell gasoline. Within a few minutes, I began to get hesitation and I perceived less power when I accelerated, as well as a rough idle. I ran that tank of gas down to the minimum over the next few days, experiencing bad performance the entire time, and when it was almost down to empty, I refilled the tank with my usual Shell gasoline. Guess what? Within 30 minutes or so, my car was once again performing flawlessly.

You couldn't pay me to use BP gas. Never again!

I'll add Waffle House to the list.

A few years ago my wife and I were traveling home and stopped at the Waffle House in Hagerstown MD. I didn't know they didn't take credit cards. It wasn't as if I were at some meat and three off a country road. Who would figure a corporate place on the interstate doesn't take credit cards?. Not only do they not take credit cards, but they don't have an ATM machine on premise. The staff told me where an ATM was. As I went to get in my car the Staff all swarmed to the window and started writing down my license place. Yes, they were going to foil my elaborate ruse to swindle the Waffle House out of a bad burger and the worst steak my wife ever ate. when I got to the ATM they suggested, it was out of order. I had to drive around Hagerstown at 11 pm on a Sunday night looking for an ATM.

Anyway, when we got back home my wife called the Waffle House to complain about the credit card/atm issue. The customer service person ended up saying: "Well, I guess we just do things different in the south." Now, I consider myself a southern even though I live in Baltimore. I went to school in the south and my ancestors were among the first settlers of Virginia and Tennessee. But even if I were from New England, I can not express how much I hate it when somebody tries to deflect criticism with the "you wouldn't understand, you are not one of us." line. And even if I bought the cultural argument in some cases, I'm not going to buy it here. It is not as if credit cards are some exotic occurence south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

I'll add Waffle House to the list.

A few years ago my wife and I were traveling home and stopped at the Waffle House in Hagerstown MD. I didn't know they didn't take credit cards. It wasn't as if I were at some meat and three off a country road. Who would figure a corporate place on the interstate doesn't take credit cards?. Not only do they not take credit cards, but they don't have an ATM machine on premise. The staff told me where an ATM was. As I went to get in my car the Staff all swarmed to the window and started writing down my license place. Yes, they were going to foil my elaborate ruse to swindle the Waffle House out of a bad burger and the worst steak my wife ever ate. when I got to the ATM they suggested, it was out of order. I had to drive around Hagerstown at 11 pm on a Sunday night looking for an ATM.

Anyway, when we got back home my wife called the Waffle House to complain about the credit card/atm issue. The customer service person ended up saying: "Well, I guess we just do things different in the south." Now, I consider myself a southern even though I live in Baltimore. I went to school in the south and my ancestors were among the first settlers of Virginia and Tennessee. But even if I were from New England, I can not express how much I hate it when somebody tries to deflect criticism with the "you wouldn't understand, you are not one of us." line. And even if I bought the cultural argument in some cases, I'm not going to buy it here. It is not as if credit cards are some exotic occurence south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Most people would have enough cash on hand to pay a tab for two at Waffle House. pb

quote:

Originally posted by Big Dave

A BP (correct for the time) employee giving directions to a competitor... Funny as hell. In the early 80's, ARCO and Exxon withdrew from Ohio within a year of each other and Marathon got many stations as a result. The one I had the trouble with was a former Exxon. It closed in around 1992 and sat vacant, complete with signage and pumps for about 4 years. I think it's now a medical facility. It was remodeled beyond recognition. After I moved, I had to use my own truck for the first year. I was on fumes and there was a Marathon. The rest is history.

I forgot a very important detail with Sun TV. The RCA sets they had advertised were on prominant display, in boxes, ready to go.

To answer an earlier post about a riceburner made in America or an American make made in Canada, this is a hard question. I would definitely consider a Gm, Ford or Chrysler made in Canada. I come from a GM family (extended family, my parents were teachers). I was raised on the belief that Japanese meant junk. When it comes to consumer electronics, for the most part, I was proven wrong, especially considering what happened to RCA and Zenith. For cars, I still have that belief, but not to the degree I once had. For me, the big three always come first. I had my best luck with Chrysler and the worst with GM. My company truck is a Ford. I might consider an Ohio built Honda at the expense of being disowned by my family.

I add Goodyear to the list of chains that I will not patronize. Both Dodge trucks I had/have were bought new and equipped with Goodyear tires. I couldn't keep air in them and they wore out prematurely. I buy Firestone, and have not had any trouble. Did Bridgestone taking them over help? I think so.

I also add Zenith to the list of brands that I will not buy. As a TV collector, the Zenith that made the sets I have and the Zenith of today are two totally different Zenith's. The sets I have were made in Chicago. The Zenith of today is a brand name owned by a foreign company. My Zenith sets, after a proper restoration, work beautifully. These were made in Chicago. The 60's era Zenith sets need very little to make them work great again. My daily watcher is a color combo from the 60's. Two tubes, fixing a control and cleaning the controls and tuners was all it took. As long as the CRT and other core components are good, these old Zenith sets will work better than that crap that passes as TV sets today. I feel that LG should let Zenith die with dignity. LG is junk.

I'll think of more later.

Two places I can NOT stand....Manpower and Kelly Services, both are TEMP companies for those who do not know.

My cousin for years and years worked in the Fleetwood Travel Trailer plant Winchester, VA. That is until about 5 or so years ago when Fleetwood shut down that plant. Yes, of course a lot of people were upset about that, but the biggest slap in the face to the employees, at the last meeting they had before the plant closed, some young girl from Manpower and another from Kelly showed up, went before the employees and told the many of soon-to-be-former co-workers "...we have assignments for you..only $6an hour at Manpower!!!! Well considering the fact that most of those workers made $20 and hour and been there so long, well chances are they could have made more money on unemployment than they could ever make working for a day or two at Manpower or at Kelly.

I have heard that in many markets many retail stores such as Petsmart, Kohls, Borders Books, and CompUSA are now using Manpower and Kelly to staff their stores even for part-time employees. Wondering how long will it be before they be doing the same thing for McDonalds?

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr
I went to school in the south and my ancestors were among the first settlers of Virginia and Tennessee.

I believe my people got there at least 4 or 5 thousand years before yours did.......

quote:

Originally posted by chriscubva

Two places I can NOT stand....Manpower and Kelly Services, both are TEMP companies for those who do not know.

I can echo your opinion of Kelly Services. For my second career (post-retirement), I worked for several months through the aegis of Kelly Services. I can tell you that they were the most "hands-off" agent that you could possibly imagine. When I had a question (regarding contract extension or anything else), I would telephone my contact person or send an e-mail to the Kelly office through which I was contracted. I soon learned that they did not return phone calls and did not respond to e-mails. I eventually had to keep going up the chain of command with phone calls until I got a partial answer to my question.

Essentially, it turned out that nobody--even those in a supervisory capacity at Kelly Services--seemed to know the answers to the questions that I posed to them regarding my contract. Luckily, the Kelly contract expired and it was awarded to a different staffing company which has proven to be much more responsive than Kelly was. Then again, some corpses are more responsive than Kelly was.


Edit: Please let me add that, if I posted an opinion like this on Chowhound.com, it would be gone in short order, due to the incredible censorship on that site!

Roadfood rocks!

Ted

AL

Although I admit that I scanned these postings I do not recall anyone posting Arby's as a place to avoid. They advertise other things beside their beef sandwiches which are made from that mystery meat you know so well that all the mystery is gone so I tried a turkey sandwich on whole grain. Great bread but the turkey was nothing but shavings not even as good as the dregs from the Thanksgiving turkey 4 days old. Now we have not only mystery meat but mystery fowl.

quote:

Originally posted by selandirv

Although I admit that I scanned these postings I do not recall anyone posting Arby's as a place to avoid. They advertise other things beside their beef sandwiches which are made from that mystery meat you know so well that all the mystery is gone so I tried a turkey sandwich on whole grain. Great bread but the turkey was nothing but shavings not even as good as the dregs from the Thanksgiving turkey 4 days old. Now we have not only mystery meat but mystery fowl.

No doubt, the roast beef at Arby's is not prime rib. Even with that, I'll take an Arby's over McDonalds, Wendy's or Subway any day.

Arby's does a decent chicken salad and the potato cakes are also pretty good. Some Arby's have decent coffee as well.

Oh, so many! I'm quite sure they've all been mentioned here. South Jersey is just a horrid wasteland of chain restaurants, and getting more horrid by the day. I noticed they're building a Carrabba's and an Outback right next to each other 'round the corner from me. Anything to diminish the former farmland in the area, right? You know, I ate in a Boston Market only two times in the past ten years, and do you know I got mild food poisoning both times? How weird is that? Ten years between meals? I'd like to add one more that I visited last night for takeout. http://www.seasonspizza.com. Did not know it was a (regional) chain, either, and the place has only been open for a month. Never saw it before, and thought I'd give it a try on the way home from doing laundry in Stratford, NJ. While the cheesesteak wrap and fries were not bad (and their menu really does look good), let's just delicately say that one hour later I had to go to an emergency meeting of the Stomach Pain Club, and felt my $6.29 didn't go very far...