Customer Service

October 31, 2005

Customer Service

After living in New Orleans for about 3 years, I realized one thing that all fast food restaurants had in common – a complete lack of customer service. I thought it was just New Orleans for some time – however, now that I am in Atlanta, I realized it is here too!

I don’t really get it. Take today for instance, I went to McDonalds. Now, lately they have been promoting the incredible Monopoly game. Chris and I had collected several of the free-food pieces. We decided to use one of the free-large-burger pieces today. Apparently, the drive-thru employee was caught completely off-guard by our outrageous request to purchase a burger with a McDonalds-issued coupon. Finally, the extremely intelligent employee felt he better speak with his superior in order to accept the strange offer of a coupon instead of payment. The manager informed him that the Monopoly game was no longer in session therefore the coupon was not valid. Now, the coupon was received from this exact McDonalds location just over a week before and had the exiration date of 11/15/05 written – centered and bolded – on it. Apparently, this specific McDonald’s location was misinformed about the appropriate dates of the Monopoly game. Those blasted district managers!

At this point the go-between-drive-thru boy asked what else he could get us – so kind of him don’t you think. Here, my husband decided we would opt for a lovely in-person experience instead of the impersonal drive-thru. So we parked and proceeded into the store. There we were greeted by a long line of individuals who seemed just as happy as we were that we would all get to place orders with the same one individual working the cash register.

When I made my way to finally meet this much loved employee behind the cash register I showed him the coupon and explained that the date on the Monopoly piece had actually not arrived yet – although I know how fast time can fly when you are working hard. I then requested a #6 value meal with a coke – he too decided to request the approval of his grand superior…the manager! Apparently, she has bad allergies because she kept rolling her eyes and huffing. We know how working in food service kitchens can be.

I paid $1.32 for my value meal and thought I had done quite well. Then I recieved my coke and burger from the manager. Apparently, she wanted to make sure everything was to my liking because she stood there to watch me sort through my order. However, my fries had been forgotten. I informed her of the simple mishap. Then she informed me that my order did not come with fries. I then motioned for the lovely employee behind the register to come over and confirm my idea that value meals did actually include fries. He graciously informed me that while I did in fact request a #6 value meal with a coke – the manager, who could not leave her very busy post of watching other employees make french fries to type in a code on the register for the coupon, had actually told him to just ring-up a burger and a coke. Now, in all the hussle he must have forgotten to inform me that the slogan “Have it your way” really meant “have it the way that is convenient for us” but the manager did not hesitate to inform me that I could make my way all the way back to the end of the line for a second time if I desired to order french fries for my #6 value meal with a coke, no fries. Apparently, she knew I loved meeting new people and wanted to give me the opportunity to mingle with more individuals in line for the one open cash register.

Complete incompetency in a management position.

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