What Is Going On?

My last few experiences of ording at the driv-thru's has been unbelieveable. Last weekend I sent my son to pick us up breakfast at BK. I ordered a sausage and egg biscuit and he also ordered 2 orders of hashrounds. We he came back the sausage and egg biscuit was missing the sausage and there was only one order of hashrounds. I was so livid that I took them back. The girl at the window just grabbed the items and slammed them in the garbage, replaced my items and didn't even say sorry or anything. One day a few weeks ago I ordered a egg sandwhich on plain bread from Krystal, and sure enough, when I got to work and opened it up there was only two pieces of bread - no egg at all. A visit to Captain D's and the order was missing a baked potato we asked for. A visit to Taco Bell was missing items too. All this in less than one week.

Other orders that have been screwed up are to numerous to mention. I have deceied that when I order from the drive-thru I will keep my place in line, check the order, and then if it is right then I will drive off. I don't care how many cars or orders I'm holding up.

I know that my calling and talking to a manager will probably get me a replacement or my order free the next time, but I don't want it then, I wanted it right when I ordered.

Well, thanks my letting me vent on this topic.

The mistake as I see it is that you went there at all. Did you expect the orders to be right?

I'm afraid they just don't care.

At most drive-thrus we will check the order when it is passed out to us ...At some, the attendant will list the items on the receipt and actually look in the bag..so as to appear to take inventory.

Culver's, where you pull away from the window and they bring out your order, the delivery person will repeat the order while you check it before pulling away. I have yet to have a Culvers order messed up.

Several fast foods now have your exact order on the menu as you drive through. You can check it before you drive to the window.

Older establishments do not do this.

WAWA convenience stores in Pennsylvania and Virginia even do it better as you select from a touch screen exactly what you wish and they cook to order.. I have never seen them screw up.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

It's been my experience that what shows up on the screen when you order bears little relationship to what you get at a number of places.

Del Taco and Jack in the Box employees seem engaged. I don't have screwups at either.

Hello All,
Because of a shortage of time, I often visit drive through fast food places.
I have had problems with my orders, and have had a growing number of problems
in the last year. So I always check my order before leaving the establishment.
What I find puzzling is that I've never had a screw-up if I go inside
and place my order.
It can be a momentary point of distress that sours you beyond the moment. There
are places I have boycotted for months because of this.
At the same time, there are workers that know my voice, know what I will order,
and we have become friendly with each other. And that is a Kick.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

It's been my experience that what shows up on the screen when you order bears little relationship to what you get at a number of places.

Amen. Caveat Emptor!

I check everything before I leave and to hell with any of those faceless people in the cars behind me. Farmer Boys forgets the onions on my chili cheese fries at least 50% of the time as it is, so order checking is mandatory.

The problem sadly is not limited to fast food establishments. This is a huge issue in this society that is supposed to be service oriented. People get these jobs and while they may not be the best jobs, as employees, they do as little as possible. Socializing with friends, actually providing "service" to customers have all become hardships in many places and the customer suffers. The companies that run these establishments recognize this and make the entire process as idiot proof as possible.

I have had many jobs in my lifetime (ok, I am in my mid 30s), but when you decide to commit to something, you really should commit fully to it. Its really about a work ethic that sadly is missing today. People need to take pride in even those mundane retail jobs. Last year, I took a job at walmart while I figured out some life issues and as long as I was showing up, I didn't hold up the counter like many other people did. I tried my best to work with the customer.

Your mileage is going to vary with customer service. In my current career as a tier 3 data tech support rep for a cell provider, my customers get my email and phone number so if they have an issue, they don't suffer through IVR hell waiting to talk to a rep who may or may not be willing to help them.

Your issues are sadly a side effect of general apathy in society today.

The only time I ever use a drive-thru is when I have Sweeney the Wonder Dog (our 15 month old Westie) in my truck and he wants one plain hamburger. He likes Mickey D's burgers best.

We tick them off by checking the entire order before moving the car.

"Hi, this burger has mustard, this order of fries is limp...should we park and come inside to get what we ordered?"

Sassy, it will never change.
I do not go to drive-ins anymore because of this.

Whether Burp-up Thing or Taco Smell...they all stink when it comes to service...for the most part.

I must be lucky because the order taker-money lady at my McD is the nicest, friendliest person around. Always a big smile and always a little exchange of plesentry. On the other hand, the Burger King 2 blocks away doesn't hire people whose first language is English so you never know what you are going to get. I quit going there, no one to complain to.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen


At most drive-thrus we will check the order when it is passed out to us ...At some, the attendant will list the items on the receipt and actually look in the bag..so as to appear to take inventory.

Culver's, where you pull away from the window and they bring out your order, the delivery person will repeat the order while you check it before pulling away. I have yet to have a Culvers order messed up.

I've eaten at Culver's a few times and was curious how they do the drive-thru with the food cooked to order. Thanks for the info, sounds like a plan!

There is a Starbucks in the resort where I work, and the girl that was my relief today, came in with a funny, tale this afternoon.

She ordered her usual, blah blah, whatever, latte with dis n dat.
She said the girl handed it to her, and Julie looked at the girl and said "Wheres the coffee?"..
LMAO
The girl behind the counter put all the BS in her cup and totally forgot to put the coffee in it.

Why can't these idiots make change??/
Young high school girl yesterday @ McD'd---bill is $5.18, I give her a twenty and two dimes. Her pretty little head filled with a mindfull of mush, starts sighing and counting with her fingers and breathing through her mouth. Then after 30 seconds hands me 14$ and a handful of change. I'm thinking "It's not worth it" After driving away, I count out 87 cents. Interesting Math they teach in the Socialist Schools today huh?

SassyGritsAL,

While in college many years ago, a friend and I went thru a phase of craving Wendy's deep frind chicken sandwiches all the time. We got so good as to use the Wendy's lingo for what we wanted when ordering: chicken-cheese-mayonaise-lettuce. Since the regular sandwich came with tomato automatically, we began checking our orders to ensure that it was a no tomato deal. About 25% of the time they (especially on pre-pak non dining rush times)put a tom on.
Solution:
Pull forward from drive-thru about 20 feet to dining area windows.
Check sandwich. If sandwich is OK, drive on. If tomato was aboard, remove tomato from sandwich (and it usually was placed next to the mayonaise ) and fling at window making a mess for all to see.

Many of the local places got the hint very quickly.

Sometimes the best way to dicipline the platoon is to let the platoon dicipline itelf.

jjjrfoodie

My favorite Mickey D's experience.

Went in one afternoon, ordered 2 cheeseburgers and a coke.

Clerk: "Would you like cheese on those cheeseburgers?"

DUH!

around here, the only way to get a correct order at the drive-thru is if you speak spanish, thai or vietnamese... english doesn't seem to work.

I've noticed here it depends on which part of town you're in. Unfortunately, the drive-throughs nearest my house are NOT where one should go if one expects someone working who can put the correct food items in the bag (requires reading skills) or who can make change even though it comes up on the computer screen what the change should be (requires both math and reading skills). Ironically, I live in the suburbs, in a quickly-growing and relatively affluent area. The inner city fast-food places have some of the best, smartest, competent workers around. Go figure.

Favourite BK story: I order a junior whopper (no onion or tomato, plus cheese), fries, and a rootbeer. Order total something like $3.17. I hand over $5.17. I receive $3.83 in change. I also receive a regular whopper (no onion, no cheese, double tomato), onion rings, and a diet coke. Receipt in the bag.

For that, I actually parked, brought the money, food and receipt into the store, and asked to see the manager. He was appalled...but yet they still haven't EVER gotten an order right. I've taken to going to the one further away and stopping in a parking lot somewhere to eat if I'm on my way home instead.

Good things I have had at Wendy's (in the past):

Fresh double breaded, cooked to order fried chicken filet with thick, ripe tomato slices, fresh sliced onion, cheese (melted), fresh cold sprouts, and ranch dressing on a toasted bun.

A half-pound (round) cheeseburger (real cheddar) with plentiful sauteed & seasoned onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers.

A six-inch round homemade buttermilk biscuit with 4 pieces of bacon, 2 sausage patties and two fried eggs, along with melted swiss cheese. Sliced tomatoes on the side.

A 14 oz. fresh baked potato with melted butter (real), both fresh cheddar & cheddar sauce, fresh crumbled fried bacon, fresh steamed broccoli florets, raw diced red onions, and sauteed mushrooms.

Thick cut (Vidalia) onion rings and jumbo fried mushrooms (freshly buttermilk battered).

There are many more. The above are what I can remember off the top of my head.

Oh yeah.. One more. The triple beef stroganoff burger.

Now. If I could do that, why can't the Wendy's Corporation????

quote:

Originally posted by jjjrfoodie
[
While in college many years ago, a friend and I went thru a phase of If tomato was aboard, remove tomato from sandwich (and it usually was placed next to the mayonaise ) and fling at window making a mess for all to see.
jjjrfoodie

Not drive thru related but Wendys related. For years at several local Wendys I would always order the #1 (single burger, fries, drink) this way " I would like a #1 with lettuce, ketchup, mustard and mayo". The cashier would ask "do you want cheese on that?" I would then repeat the order I just gave her. About every third time I would get cheese anyways (never charged extra for it). After too many times of this I finally pulled the cheese off the burger and slapped it on the window. Next time it happened I smeared it all over the chair next to me. Yes,very childish; but after many times of saying no to cheese and then getting it I just did not care.

I feel your pain! Every time I go out to eat with the family anywhere, they mess up the order, with out fail. Every single time they do so. Either they leave off a chili, a coke, a burger, the straws, the BBQ sauce, forget to remove the onions or add mayo, it has to be something, every time. Never a single correct order. Drives a person nuts rather quickly. Yet my grandparents never have any sort of issue when they get us fast food... I don't see how else they expect a family of six to get fast food easily without going inside to the counter... I doubt my brother would be willing to sit still that long.

quote:

Originally posted by kland01s

I must be lucky because the order taker-money lady at my McD is the nicest, friendliest person around. Always a big smile and always a little exchange of plesentry. On the other hand, the Burger King 2 blocks away doesn't hire people whose first language is English so you never know what you are going to get. I quit going there, no one to complain to.

Lolz, and sorry to people who don't like double posts. At the Mc D's closest to my home, the cashiers were always frowning and glaring. Though you can guess how fast they learned to smile when the "no smile, free apple pie" thing started up.

quote:

Originally posted by IndyRick

My favorite Mickey D's experience.

Went in one afternoon, ordered 2 cheeseburgers and a coke.

Clerk: "Would you like cheese on those cheeseburgers?"

DUH!

I have heard of someone ordering a cheeseburger minus cheese.

Last night at about 1:30 in the morning, I stopped at McDonalds drive thru with a few of my friends. here is what we ordered. a cheeseburger, small fry, 2 double cheeseburgers 1 plain and the other with ketchup and mustard, 2 large fry, and a six piece chicken nugget. The guy that took our order had no idea what he was doing it took severeal minutes to get everthing ordered, finally when we pulled up to the pay window, the guy was repeating what we ordered but he got some of it wrong and was reordering some stuff, we couldn't understand what he was saying. He got the manager to help him and the manager was pissed. He started to yell at the guy and finally got it all sourted out. when we got our food we found out that we were missing the cheeseburger, the plain doublecheeseburger was not plain, but we got an extra chicken nugget. And we took so long in line that the guy behind us was yelling very loudly.

I agree that it is difficult, bordering on impossible, to get a correct order at a drive-up window, but then again, incompetence seems to be at unprecedented levels in our society today. And, this is not confined to the fast-food industry.

For example, I have observed that it is virtually impossible to find a workman (carpenter, roofer, landscaper, plumber, etc.) who shows up on time--or even vaguely close to the appointed time--after he has made an appointment with a homeowner. I live in Central NJ, in an area of relative affluence, with services priced to match. But, in spite of the inflated prices that are charges for services, the people who provide these services have little concept of being prompt or professional.

Even worse than my experience is that of my brother, who lives in the Pocono region of PA. There, he has found it virtually impossible to find workmen who will actually show up to give an estimate. According to my brother, if one wants electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, etc. done on one's home in that area, contacting...let's say 7 or 8 contractors...will result in perhaps 2 or 3 showing up. Many times, he leaves multiple messages on their voice mail systems, and never even gets a return call. And,those who do make appointments and then fail to appear rarely call to try to reschedule their appointment.

Perhaps the best way to explain the problems at the drive-up window and with workmen for hire is to think of it this way:

It is probably unrealistic to expect non-professionals to act in a professional manner.

It would be nice if they did, but that seems to be extremely rare today. The people at the drive-up window are being paid a low wage, and they probably deserve that level of pay in many cases. However, the "skilled trademen" who fail to appear, or who appear many hours late, are actually paid well for their efforts--despite their non-professional status.

Friday afternoon, somewhere in Tennessee, I ordered two double cheeseburgers and a milkshake at a McDonald's drive-thru. Silly me, got on the freeway again before looking in the bag.

Apparently, four regular cheeseburgers is the same as two doubles in Tennessee. I giggled a lot, pulled off at the next exit and built my own, throwing away the exra two buns.