Why have our standards lowered?

[Aidensmom]

Over 20 years ago, when I was 16-17, I worked at Taco Bell. At that time the technology used at the drive through was simply enter the order, cash it out so it went to the computer on the line so they know what to make, take the printed out receipt and put it in proper order on the counter so you knew what went to what car, and when the car got there you had to figure change in your head because you'd already cashed it out. Never ONCE when I worked drive thru were there two people assigned to it. It was just me. If I didn't say exactly what we were supposed to ("Welcome to Taco Bell, would you like to try xxxxxx today?", "Thank you, your order was xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, that comes to x dollars and x cents. Would there be anything else?" , "Please pull forward") I would have been reamed out right in front of the customer.

Today I went to Wendy's. There were two people working drive thru, and they were not high school kids, they were adults. This was the conversation.

Woman: "Go ahead."
Me: "I want xxx and xxx"
Woman: "blah blah blah" (I couldn't understand it)
Me: "I'm sorry, what?"
Woman: "I SAID DRIVE UP. JEEZ. YOU HAD XXX AND XXX."

I get to the window:

Man: "5.14"
Me: "Uh, my order couldn't be that much."
Man to Woman: "What was her order?"
Woman: "Um, I think this is it."
Man: "Did you have xxx and xxx?"
Me: "Yes"
Man: "2.12"
At that point I reach in my wallet to get the 12 cents.
Man: "I said 2.12"
Me: "I am getting the change, I'd have had it ready if I was told my total when I ordered"
I handed him the money.
Man: "Bye"

How in the WORLD is that acceptable customer service?

And my burger is cold.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

Frustrating, isn't it? My son said to me one day as I was going back through the line at Burger King, "Don't worry, mom. When I get old enough I'll work in a restaurant so you'll at least get the right order once in a while."

I laughed (then and now), but it's really sad that I always have to check my order when we get takeout and it's almost always wrong.

 

[Kimberly]

One reason why I hate going through the drive through. Most of the times it's faster just to walk in...

 

[Chuck S]

Our local Wendy's and McD's always screw up our order. We don't go there anymore...and to make it worse, the managers don't seem to care.

I've been pleasently surpised by our local Jack in the Box, though. Wrong orders there are very, very rare. It really depends upon your local managers.

 

[NMAmy]

One reason why I hate going through the drive through. Most of the times it's faster just to walk in...

I actually had a manager at Wendy's question me one time when I went in the store about why I came inside for an order to go. He got a bit annoyed when I told him, "There are less people in line IN the restaurant than the drive thru and I'm more likely to walk out with the right order if I'm inside." At the Wendy's closest to me, the drive-thru exits immediately to a very busy street. If your order is wrong, there is no way to park or get back into the parking lot. And trying to cross the street and come back in the entrance is impossible. So, if you get the wrong thing, you're pretty much out of luck.

 

[declansdad]

One of our local McDonalds put in a second lane at the drive-thru, now they are twice as slow and they still forget the straws. Have you ever tried to drink a milkshake with out a straw??

 

[Tazicket]

We routinely get the wrong order or are left to sit in the drive thru for a very long time at most of our local fast food joints.

However, we have a Chinese restaurant near us that has the best Chinese food in town. We've been going there for almost three years, we have their phone number in our cell phones, and they recognize us when we come in. In the time that we've been going there, they have messed up our order exactly one time (and even then, they just forgot an extra egg roll we ordered). It's refreshing to be able to trust one to-go place to get our order right.

 

[kbkids]

We've absolutely quit going to McDonald's for this same reason. Not once that I can remember has our order been completely right. We would always pull up a little and look through the bags to see what DD was going to have to run in and get - seriously, everytime!!

But our last trip was the final straw - we're done. The speaker was down, so you were having to drive around and order through the window - no problem. I pull up to the window - there are two cars ahead of me who have ordered and are waiting for their food at the pick up window. I'm sitting at the ordering window for seriously, about 10-12 minutes waiting for the two cars in front of me to move. There are two employees standing there talking, occasionally looked over at me, so they knew I was there and never opened the window. So, I'm assuming, well, they're taking all orders through the pick up window - no wonder it's taking so dang long!! Well, I get to the pick up window and start placing my order (by the way, ordering for six people). The lady looked at me like I had lost my mind, so I stopped and said, "Is there some kind of problem?" She said, "Why didn't you place your order back there where you were supposed to?" "Well, because I sat there for over 10 minutes and no one even acknowledged me, so I could only assume I was supposed to order from here." She rolls her eyes and calls over the manager. He gets all aggravated and asked me to park and come inside. "Um, you know what, no!! It's storming raining, your employees sat there and chit-chatted when they could have been taking my order. So, take the order from here or I will go elsewhere." They took it - and amazingly, everything was accurate when I received it - first time in months!!! By that point, I was so ticked that it will be quite some time before I ever go through there again!!

 

[believe]

I feel very lucky. My orders are 99% correct from Wendy's and McDonald's. I even took 13 individuals in at once to order, one bill, and it was correct. I only go there 1-2 times a month, but have no issues with the ones around me.

 

[FroggyinArk]

my standards have not lowered, which is why i havent been through a drive through for more than cup of coffee in ages. and why there is only one locally owned fast food place we even go to here, the only time we stop at them now is when we asre on the road somewhere and theres nno other option, and at those we go in.

 

[ericamanda01]

Years ago when I lived in Imperial Beach CA, the local McDonalds was the worst for screwing up orders. After a few too many times of incorrect orders I would get my bag and go through everything to make sure it was right. 9 times out of 10 it was wrong. It was even so bad that if you ordered a Coke, they would give you a Sprite. I think if anything my standards have gone up, I refuse to except second rate service. I work too hard for my money.

 

[willis37862]

I think the worst drive thru experience I have had lately was....

I get to where I am going to eat and I realize they gave me the wrong thing to drink, look at the receipt and they had over charged me and then there was a hair in the fries.

And this is one of our nicer fast food places in town. Now I sit right there and check the bag quickly before I drive off at all fast food places.

 

[fabshelly]

I get the bag, open it, make sure the order's right, and that they gave me everything I wanted, and I don't budge the car until it's exactly right.

 

[va32h]

I'm not exactly sure why - but yes, the general work ethic of today is lousy. It's a combination of:

- I don't get paid enough to do this
-That's not in my job description
-I'm not doing anything more than I absolutely have to
-Why should I have to be polite to people I don't like
-Give me a raise and I'll work harder
-It's not my fault I'm late, absent, talking on the phone all day - I have transportation problems childcare problems, personal problems
-I don't even like this job, why do I have to do it
-I'm too smart for this job, they should give me a better one

And the list goes on and on.

The notion that you start at the bottom and work hard before you get a pay raise or a promotion is entirely foreign. The idea that "your job" is essentially "whatever you boss asks you to do" is another jaw-dropper. What do you mean I have to empty a trash can, what do you mean I have to stuff envelopes, that's beneath me!

Young people have no idea how to earn, they only know how to receive.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Whenever a friend and I go to the Wendy's here, he always insists on going through the drive-thru...always has to repeat the order at least 3x...then I joke, "Now, let's see what we get."

And it never fails...I want chicken nuggets with sweet-n-sour sauce. The person taking the order always repeats it, sweet-n-sour sauce. It comes up on their little verify screen, "sweet-n-sour sauce." Drive around, pay, pick up order...no sweet-n-sour sauce. Look at receipt..."5-PC CHK NUG NO SAUCE."

*sigh*

And heaven forbid you order a burger without onions.

 

[JadenLayne]

Whats sad is that it breeches off into bigger business. I was at the bank the other day just waiting to deposit a check and there was this older man in front of me. Seems THE BANK had run his small 9.00 check for 900.00. Well of course his checks were bouncing and his entire account was messed up horribly (all the bank charges, all the returned check charges etc....) Well like I said this was a older man and the poor thing was confused and just at his wits end.

What made me so mad is that the bank managers were acting like HE WAS ANNOYING THEM and wasting THEIR time getting his account THAT THEY MESSED UP fixed.

I would have thought if something like that happened the bank would do anything and everything they could to make this man happy and fix his account. Really sad.

 

[willis37862]

Whats sad is that it breeches off into bigger business. I was at the bank the other day just waiting to deposit a check and there was this older man in front of me. Seems THE BANK had run his small 9.00 check for 900.00. Well of course his checks were bouncing and his entire account was messed up horribly (all the bank charges, all the returned check charges etc....) Well like I said this was a older man and the poor thing was confused and just at his wits end.

What made me so mad is that the bank managers were acting like HE WAS ANNOYING THEM and wasting THEIR time getting his account THAT THEY MESSED UP fixed.

I would have thought if something like that happened the bank would do anything and everything they could to make this man happy and fix his account. Really sad.

Thats how must of the people who mess your stuff up act. They don't do their job correctly and then they have the nerve to get mad at you for expecting them to fix it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Are you sure they weren't training someone? (not a good shining example of it though).

 

[declansdad]

I'm not exactly sure why - but yes, the general work ethic of today is lousy. It's a combination of:

- I don't get paid enough to do this
-That's not in my job description
-I'm not doing anything more than I absolutely have to
-Why should I have to be polite to people I don't like
-Give me a raise and I'll work harder
-It's not my fault I'm late, absent, talking on the phone all day - I have transportation problems childcare problems, personal problems
-I don't even like this job, why do I have to do it
-I'm too smart for this job, they should give me a better one

And the list goes on and on.

The notion that you start at the bottom and work hard before you get a pay raise or a promotion is entirely foreign. The idea that "your job" is essentially "whatever you boss asks you to do" is another jaw-dropper. What do you mean I have to empty a trash can, what do you mean I have to stuff envelopes, that's beneath me!

Young people have no idea how to earn, they only know how to receive.

While I completely agree with your list, I don't think it is only the young people who act this way.

 

[willis37862]

While I completely agree with your list, I don't think it is only the young people who act this way.

I agree it seems to be people of all ages.