Okay, would somebody check and see if there was a memo sent out that informed the world that fast food from a drive-thru no longer means "fast" or it
means "would you please pull up to the front and park, sir?"
I am SICK AND TIRED of that and I have determined that it is MY policy to tell any drive thru monkey that asks me to do that "No thanks, I'll just
stay here. Thanks!"
So... Long day spent doing yardwork in the fall chill for Dad. Sit my aching bones in the car, head home. Notice the local Braums store, and think to myself,
"Say, been a long time since I indulged in a milkshake, why not?"
Earlier in the day, I had gotten a small burger from another franchise (I was on the road a lot today) and was told by them to move to the outside lane, where
they let FOUR cars get their food before they finally got to me. I wasn't aware that "pull to the outside lane" meant the same thing as
"park at the front of the store so we can get to you when we get to you." If I HAD known that's what they meant, I'd have told them my usual,
"No thanks, I'm staying here."
I'm beginning to think some asshole in corporate middle management in these companies thought it would be a grand idea to force more "efficiency"
out of their drive-thrus by having some kind of timing or "quota" or something that has to occur for each customer. But I've actually been
FORGOTTEN and had to walk back into the store on more than one occasion to remind them that they have my money and could I PLEASE have my food in rightful
exchange for it? I don't play by the "rules" of this game anymore. If you can't get my food to me in a timely fashion, that's on YOU, not
on me! Especially when I'm only ordering for myself!
So I pull in, order my milkshake. Nobody in the lane but me. Looks like a slow day. I get up to the window, pay my money and THEN she tells me to pull forward
to the front of the store!
I look behind me again. Nope! Nobody in the lane behind me! After my earlier experience and my general attitude about the practice in general, I do my standard
polite, "No thanks, I'm staying here..." With an added comment, "... especially since there's no one behind me."
The dumbstruck look follows, followed by her starting to tell me that they are "timed" or some such bullshit. NOW I'm getting annoyed and
snapped, "Look! I. Don't. CARE!"
About half a minute later, she hands me the cup that supposedly has my milkshake in it, and I start to drive off.
I can't even get my straw into it. In effect, she gave me a cup of ice cream, not a milkshake.
Normally I'm not "that guy". I try hard to give people the benefit of the doubt. I work customer service, I KNOW how bad it can be. But... no.
This is unacceptable.
I turned around, got out of the car, and walked into the main resturant, slammed the cup down on the counter in front of who I presume was the manager and
started reading them the riot act. Starting with "If I'd WANTED a cup of ICE CREAM, I would have ASKED for ICE CREAM. But that's NOT what I
ordered! I order a MILKSHAKE, now listen to me... !! "
I went up one side of that girl and her manager and back down the other. I got my milkshake done RIGHT, and MY way. I could have gotten a refund, but all I
wanted was the damn product I had paid for and once I'd vented, that's all I cared about. I also gave them HELL for the way I was treated.
So today I was "that guy". Oh BOY was I that guy. I usually feel a bit of a heel when I get angry like this. But I think this time I was entirely in
the right and justified. I never cursed. I didn't threaten. But I let them know in no uncertain terms that they can't just do that sort of thing and
get away with it.
(Deep breath) Okay. I'm good. Just needed to vent a bit.
So. Was I a justified angry consumer or just an asshole? Or a little of both? (I'll own up to "both" actually.
)
means "would you please pull up to the front and park, sir?"
I am SICK AND TIRED of that and I have determined that it is MY policy to tell any drive thru monkey that asks me to do that "No thanks, I'll just
stay here. Thanks!"
So... Long day spent doing yardwork in the fall chill for Dad. Sit my aching bones in the car, head home. Notice the local Braums store, and think to myself,
"Say, been a long time since I indulged in a milkshake, why not?"
Earlier in the day, I had gotten a small burger from another franchise (I was on the road a lot today) and was told by them to move to the outside lane, where
they let FOUR cars get their food before they finally got to me. I wasn't aware that "pull to the outside lane" meant the same thing as
"park at the front of the store so we can get to you when we get to you." If I HAD known that's what they meant, I'd have told them my usual,
"No thanks, I'm staying here."
I'm beginning to think some asshole in corporate middle management in these companies thought it would be a grand idea to force more "efficiency"
out of their drive-thrus by having some kind of timing or "quota" or something that has to occur for each customer. But I've actually been
FORGOTTEN and had to walk back into the store on more than one occasion to remind them that they have my money and could I PLEASE have my food in rightful
exchange for it? I don't play by the "rules" of this game anymore. If you can't get my food to me in a timely fashion, that's on YOU, not
on me! Especially when I'm only ordering for myself!
So I pull in, order my milkshake. Nobody in the lane but me. Looks like a slow day. I get up to the window, pay my money and THEN she tells me to pull forward
to the front of the store!
I look behind me again. Nope! Nobody in the lane behind me! After my earlier experience and my general attitude about the practice in general, I do my standard
polite, "No thanks, I'm staying here..." With an added comment, "... especially since there's no one behind me."
The dumbstruck look follows, followed by her starting to tell me that they are "timed" or some such bullshit. NOW I'm getting annoyed and
snapped, "Look! I. Don't. CARE!"
About half a minute later, she hands me the cup that supposedly has my milkshake in it, and I start to drive off.
I can't even get my straw into it. In effect, she gave me a cup of ice cream, not a milkshake.
Normally I'm not "that guy". I try hard to give people the benefit of the doubt. I work customer service, I KNOW how bad it can be. But... no.
This is unacceptable.
I turned around, got out of the car, and walked into the main resturant, slammed the cup down on the counter in front of who I presume was the manager and
started reading them the riot act. Starting with "If I'd WANTED a cup of ICE CREAM, I would have ASKED for ICE CREAM. But that's NOT what I
ordered! I order a MILKSHAKE, now listen to me... !! "
I went up one side of that girl and her manager and back down the other. I got my milkshake done RIGHT, and MY way. I could have gotten a refund, but all I
wanted was the damn product I had paid for and once I'd vented, that's all I cared about. I also gave them HELL for the way I was treated.
So today I was "that guy". Oh BOY was I that guy. I usually feel a bit of a heel when I get angry like this. But I think this time I was entirely in
the right and justified. I never cursed. I didn't threaten. But I let them know in no uncertain terms that they can't just do that sort of thing and
get away with it.
(Deep breath) Okay. I'm good. Just needed to vent a bit.
So. Was I a justified angry consumer or just an asshole? Or a little of both? (I'll own up to "both" actually.
)