January 22, 2008
How to Make a Head McExplode Part II
I dropped Big I off at a play date yesterday and there was no way I was getting Lil C out of that house quietly without some serious bribery. When you are wearing a leg brace, it’s just not worth it to cause a temper tantrum. I’m wisely choosing my battles. So, I promised her a happy meal from McDonald’s and she was more than happy to leave with me like a little angel.
We went to the drive-thru. I ordered a meal for me that cost $4.98 and a happy meal for Lil C. There was a sign up that said, "Order any extra-value meal and get a happy meal for $.99". Perfect. So, my total before tax should have been $5.97. I couldn’t hear my total through the speaker, and their display monitor wasn’t working properly. I should have seen trouble coming right then and there.
When I pulled up to the window, the woman reached for my credit card and said my total was $9.54. WHAT?
I politely told her that the amount was incorrect. She didn’t even allow me to finish my statement before she started barking at me (as if I’d just called her a horrendous name or something) that "I don’t punch in the orders; I just take the money. If it says it’s $9-something, then that’s what it is."
Now I’m annoyed, and my head is about to mcexplode. This happens at McDonald’s a lot.
"Well actually, that’s not what it is. My meal costs $4.98 and the happy meal is $.99. That equals $5.97, nowhere near $9 and I’m not paying $9." I considered asking her to add it up in her head but realized that this was probably an unrealistic request considering my treatment thus far. I did the work for her and still. . .
"Well, that’s what it says," she barks back at me.
"Well, then you’re going to need to go find someone who knows how to fix it and work the cash register because I’m not giving you my credit card until you do." I contemplated driving away, but there was Lil C to consider and also the principle of the matter.
She then proceeds to bark at me that "I can’t see the breakdown until I charge you and print out the receipt.
"Well, then you’re going to need to find someone who can," I tell her, "because that’s just going to make extra work for both of us-you over-charging me, and me having to get you to take the charge off when this is already proving difficult enough for you."
"Well I didn’t do it!" she yells at me.
"I didn’t say you did," I said back to her calmly. "I just told you that the total is not correct and asked you politely to please fix it. If you can’t do that, then kindly find someone who can and will. I’m not going to be overcharged $3."
Maybe money grows on trees (or by overcharging customers) for McDonald’s, but I work hard for mine. Meanwhile, the cars are lining up behind me.
She slams the window and leaves the area in a huff. My blood was boiling on the inside. I believe I started breathing as if trying to get through a bad labor contraction. She comes back, punches a couple things into the cash register and amazingly enough, my charge is reduced by $3. Amazing. It turns out those cash registers can take charges off. Who would have ever thought they could do such an incredible thing???? They seem to just need a willing human being to work them.
I hand her my credit card and she hands me back my receipt. It’s only as I’m driving away that I see that she actually charged me ten cents more than she should have for the happy meal. I didn’t go back.
It’s just not worth it. I think we’re done at McDonald’s. My blood pressure will thank me, and so will our arteries.
It amazes me how many morons McDonald’s hires. You ought to contact the manager of that location in case he isn’t aware that he has an incredibly rude employee on his hands. Or then again, maybe he is aware.
I know the managers at fast food places have a terrible job. They work long hours under high stress and get tiny paychecks. And what they essentially do is babysit 15 year olds all day. But it is hard to feel sorry for them when they take their crappy job stress syndrome out on YOU when you are being polite and reasonable.
My biggest problem is Wal-Mart. If I have 50 items in my cart, I remember the listed price on all of them and watch the scanner like a hawk. They usually try to overcharge me for at least on thing. Then it holds up the line as the scan zombie does a price check (their subtle way of discouraging you from saying anything from the hassle that causes and a gentle way of letting you know they don’t trust their cutomers). And yes, I will squawk if the price is only 10 cents more than the tag I saw in the store. But usually the error is MUCH bigger than that.
You know, there are some grocery stores (King Soopers, I think) that have the policy that if it rings up for higher than the tag said–you get it FREE! I wish Wal-Mart would do that! But they’d go out of business, because I imagine that randomly over charging people is part of their business model equations. Sad.
This is why I laughed when I heard the news that McDonald’s wants to “Give Starbucks a run for their money” and have fancy coffees and “baristas”. You’re talking about high school kids…at best. I just don’t see it happening.
In a similar vent. I was at the grocery store today. Against my better judgment I went to one particular store that has a reputation for not giving a crap. I didn’t want to drive across town in freezing rain. As we are checking out, I notice that the cashier rings my onions up as Jumbo Yellow @ $1.79/pound. What I had was actually sweet onions @ .99/pound. There was even a sticker on it with the produce code printed on it. I tell her and she says “They don’t LOOK like sweet onions”. Ok, but they are. So she re-rings the onions as sweet onions, but doesn’t delete the original charge. So she overcharged and double charged me for these stupid onions that I only picked up because they were on sale! Lesson learned, I will forever drive across town to the only decent store in town. In bad weather I will pay the $4.99 for online shopping so all I have to do is go pick everything up.
BBM, I feel your pain.
Between DW and I we have over 15 years in fast food management (most of it with McD’s) and you are completely right to feel upset.
Yes the job can suck at times (I should know), but if you act the way the person did it only gets worse.
I think you should find out who owns the store you went to (not who the manager is, but who actually owns it) and send them a copy of the post (or send it to customer relations at the corporate office).
You may or may not get satisfaction from them (as well as a well deserved apology), but it might just wake someone at the top of the food chain up to the problems they have.
Hope the rest of your day went better 🙂
oh dear. this post makes me glad i don’t eat fast food. it’s just not worth the hassle! it’s always something at those places.
ok, truth be told i sometimes eat taco bell but my rule is: only if it is past midnight and i am drunk. then the hassle doesn’t really bug me. ah sweet liquor! 😉
Wow. I have a Burger King story that would compete with this one. I’ll tell you about it sometime when I’ve got time to do it justice.
Sounds like you handled it well.
@Scott – I refuse to ever go into Walmart ever again. That place is a center for the dredges of society.
@BBM – I don’t know how you can eat at that place. I used to eat there all the time but a couple years ago swore it off, and THEN swore it off completely after seeing Super Size Me. If I eat there now, THIS GUY gets sick siCK SICK.
Is there such a thing as GOOD customer service anymore?! I just posted a blog about this today! Grrr!
You should have been in Florida. An old lady got arrested last week for refusing to pull through the drive through of McDonald’s while waiting for her salt-free fries that she ordered.
I go to Burger King. That is, on the rare occasion when I get fast food for myself or my kids and Checker’s isn’t handy.
I’m satisfied that the best McDonald’s in the world is about 1/2 mile from where I work (and 2.5 miles from where I live.
There’s one that’s closer, but I always make the drive as I know the people at the one I frequent will take care of me.
Ugh. I am so with ya on that, BBM. The last year or two in general, I’ve been wondering when “The Customer is Always Right” turned into “The Customer Has No Rights.” Bleh.
Miss Chris: I swear they’ll all like that. I doubt it would do any good. Then again, it’s been a long time since I wrote one of my strongly worded letters. 😉
Scott: If McD’s had that policy, they’d basically be a food bank, and would have to go out of business.
WG: Yes, that is laughable. And it is worth it to go across town. I hear you.
Dougis: I’m considering pasting my post url into their comments section on their website. Maybe. . .
Sizzle: LOL. Your comment made me laugh so hard my head almost mcexploded again.
Steve: Can’t wait!
Bush: I’m done I tell you. I broke the news to Big I and I guess now that she can’t have chicken nuggets from there, she’s officially a vegetarian. She actually took the news well.
GoMommy: I don’t think so.
Junebee: That would have been me! Glad I don’t live in FL. 😉
Delmer: You’re a lucky man.
Andrew: You’re SO right.
And we wonder why half of our labor jobs have been shipped to India.
I don’t have a blog but need to vent:
The other day I dropped my son and his buddy off a store in the mall and went to surprise him by buying him a Peyton Manning jersey. I walked into this footlocker type store only to find the sales girl lying on her back talking with another girl. The store has just opened and I was looking through the racks on jerseys trying to find the right size. At no time did the girl ask me if I needed help finding anything. When I asked her if they had any jerseys for kids she didn’t even look at me and told me no, we only have adult jerseys here and then continued to laugh and joke with her friend. I knew this girl was an idiot and as I surveyed the store further I saw an entire rack of kids jerseys. I was ticked off that she wasn’t helpful, went over to the rack, grabbed a kids jersey and asked her “What are these, jerseys for hobbits?” she finally got up and said, “oh those must be new”
I usually am not a jerk to people in service positions but I kind of laid into her and said, “Do you even care if I buy anything from your store?” she was kind of embarrassed and I said why don’t you get off your fatass and see if you can help me find a Manning jersey for my son” She wasn’t very happy but managed to drag her lazy self off the floor and stood there while I went through the jerseys. I finally found the jersey but thought-I’m not buying this here from a person whose only redeeming quality as an employee was in her ability to convert oxygen into cardon dioxide. No, I was going to be a complete prick and find the jersey elsewhere which I did.
Thanks, I feel better now.
I’m impressed you treated her better than she deserved. Takes a special person to do that. You can leave there (forever) and feel a little bit of accomplishment. Nice exemplar for the kids.