Do you want fries with that?

I think with age comes a certain lack of tolerance.

Maybe because we know a thing or two about life, or maybe just because we really listened to that "Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten" book stuff.

Pretty sure they mentioned something about paying attention, or doing your best, or something along those lines.

Things that are apparently ignored at fast food restaurants around the world.

I won't say that I've never made a mistake, although I refuse to admit it in any case.

I've worked as a waitress.  Against my will.

Maybe I'm just old and don't understand how freaking difficult it really is to put an order of french fries in a bag.

How many of you have gone through the drive through of a fast food place only to get home and realize you've got either someone else's order, or your server was a complete and total moron?

My daughter and I gave my husband our order and he didn't even have to ask us to repeat it.  Simple really.

A couple of orders of nuggets, fries and sweet tea.  Easy peasy.

If it had been the first time this has happened, I could blow it off.  Mistakes happen.  People screw up.  Things get crazy.  Orders get messed up.  But really?

Every.

Single.

Time?

I think not.

It's not just Mickie D's though.  BK is just as bad or worse, Taco Bell is quickly catching up and even the elite of the bunch, Arby's is pretty freaking pathetic.

After paying two trillion dollars US for a few sandwiches and some waffle fries, I got fed up with Arby's.  I called them.  Told them I might be having pms or maybe some hormonal imbalances due to the "change" but I'm finding it totally unacceptable to put out a second mortgage on your house for some roasted moo cow only to get home without said roasted moo cow.

Their reply?

"Oh, we're so sorry, you can just run right up here and we'll give you the missing items."

REALLY?

This is where it got ugly, I'm sad to say.

I drive a 2000 Dodge Durango.  I have to pour at least $10 of gas in her just to get her to wake up and turn over a time or two.  Arby's is approximately 8.4 miles from our house.  Round trip of 16.8 miles.  My truck gets about 8 miles to a gallon.  Gas is hovering around $3.50 a gallon.  Do the math people.

I graciously informed the manager that I would not in a million years, no way in hell, he was out of his freaking mind if he thought I would drive back up there and then back home, spending at least $7 in gas to pick up a $5 sandwich.

How do two $5 sandwiches, some fries and drinks add up to two trillion dollars anyway?

Getting back to topic, no.  That's not acceptable.  It's not MY fault their drive through attendants or staff or whatever they call them cannot manage to look at a printed order and compare the items in the bag with said order and get. it. right!

Since the manger didn't seem to like the idea of paying me for gas for my sweet, darling Durango (yes I have to sweet talk her, if she even catches wind of a slur, verbal or electronic, it's war) he agreed to duplicate the order for free the next time we stopped by.  We exchanged names, phone numbers, etc, much like a car accident victim and I was satisfied.  Thought for a moment about feeling guilty for questioning his abilities to differentiate a moron from a human being qualified to read, but I managed to shut it down.

Ugh, I'm wandering into rant territory here.

Have you noticed that if you leave the drive thru and say "Thank you" upon getting your food, most often the response is "You're welcome."  REALLY?    How about "No, thank YOU for choosing our establishment!" or maybe "My pleasure, thank you and come again!"

When did we relegate the morals of customer service to a bunch of tweens who are failing English and can't even make change unless a digital screen tells them how much they have to give you back?

Why am I thanking a kid who looks at me like I've grown a second head when my order comes up to $5.01  and I hand over a twenty and a penny.  Would they really rather gather up three quarters, two dimes and four pennies from the drawer to dump in my hand or on the ground beside the car when they just dump it without even looking in the direction of their actual customer?  Why am I thanking them when they completely "forget" they owe me another fifteen dollars?

Is it just me?  Am I turning into a nasty old woman in my old age?

It's not just fast food either, although they're the worst.

It's everywhere.

The mall, restaurants, bookstores, traffic.  You name it.

I once got into an actual drag race with a 17 year old driving his Daddy's Beamer just to get out of the high school parking lot.  Yes, I'm stubborn.  There comes a time when you have to put your foot down.  On an accelerator or as a figure of speech.

Does anyone teach kids anymore what the word "polite" means.  Or just "manners"

How many times have you been walking into an establishment only to have the door slam shut on you by some snot nosed kid who has no clue the right thing to do is hold the door for the next person coming in behind them?

Then there's the whole texting thing.  Not reserved for kids and teenagers this time.  There should be texting rules.  You should get zapped like those dogs with the collars when you break the rules.  Wow, I just created a whole post for another day!

I remember when cell phones came in bags and about the only thing they were good for was for calling 911 or the coroner.  Sometimes, they could be used effectively as weapons too.

I'm going to go off topic if I keep it up here.

Note to self:  Make notes for future blog posts.  Do NOT go off topic.

Have you ever sat in  your car in the drive thru while waiting for the drive thru person's boyfriend to finish talking to her while standing at the window outside?  Isn't there a sign or something that you can't just "walk up" to the drive thru?  Isn't there a car required in that equation?

To be completely serious, I think there's a lesson to be learned here.  McDonalds was the leading source of employment in the United States in 2011.  They make literally billions of dollars every single year.  And yet they have not a clue about real customer service.  We have enabled them to carry on business as usual because they're convenient.  I know we're all busy, I know there are days when cooking dinner and getting in on the table, just isn't an option.  But should we accept just anything because of it?  Should we just let it go when we pay for things we don't get, or when we get the wrong things?

I've started being bitchy about it.  I call.  I send e-mails.  I call their customer service hotline.  I'm tired of being treated like their next ten dollar bill instead of an actual paying customer.

I totally deserve to get my fries with that.