Open Letter To The Burger King Girl
Posted by admin on July 21, 2007 · 71 Comments
Dear Laminta,
When you take someone's order at the drive through while you're laughing and text messaging, chances are you can make some errors. When you read back the order and are corrected on every single item there's no need to get nasty about it.Â
I ordered my burger with no pickles. I didn't order extra saliva. As a matter of fact, you can hold the saliva alltogether. And if my milkshake is going to be half a cup of warm milk with cookies crumbled in it, I guess you can keep that too.
When you are handing the bag out the window, you really should make sure you have a good grip on it. Don't just hold the edge and hope the bag doesn't rip to shreds. I wonder how much food gets dumped out right there at the window because you don't know how to handle a bag full of food. It's odd really, because it is your job to handle bags full of food.
When the food does drop to the ground and spill out everywhere, please don't ask me to open my car door to try to pick it up. I'm not going to do it and it's just going to make you angry when I roll my eyes. Also don't turn around and tell everyone you work with that I dropped the food. You know that *I* didn't drop a mf-ing thing. Anyone can make a mistake, but blaming it on me is only going to make me angry.
Thanks for the new bag of food though. I really appreciate you acting as though it was charity. It's great that at BK I can have it my way, all wrapped up and in a bag and stuff.
There's no need for attitude when I ask if straws are in the bag. It's a relevant question since I did order 4 drinks. If you tell me they are in the bag, could you please make sure that they are before I take the bag and check? It just irritates me when you lie. And it irritates you even more when I sit there and refuse to move until you give me straws.
Also, when you ask me if the kid's meal is for a boy or a girl, and I say boy, please don't make the mistake of putting a doll in the bag for him. Walter doesn't really like dolls, he would prefer a car or one of the Transformers or a Simpson's toy if you have it. I really wish you wouldn't screw this up every time. It makes us really unhappy when we get home and realize polly pocket hitched a ride with us.
I think if you can take my suggestions we can have a much better time on my next visit. Assuming there is a next time.
Sincerely,
Gerri
Being an employee of Burger King, this letter made me somewhat upset. I’m in college and am certainly not stupid by any means.
However, if an employee asks you politely to pick up the bag that fell, would it really be that much trouble to comply? The employee, chances are, will be much more caring to your new food if you pick up the bag. If not, (I would never, but there are a few bad apples at my location) expect a little something extra in your order.
Also, I am always polite. However, if I detect an ounce of rudeness in your voice, I’m just as rude right back. Fast food employee or not, I’m a person first, and I don’t have to take your attitude. Realize, I do not get tipped. Therefore, technically, I don’t necessarily have to be nice to you. I get paid the same thing either way. Also, if you wish to take your business elsewhere, that’s fine with us. Less work we have to do.
Next time you patronize a fast food restaurant, say please and thank you, and chances are, you’ll be greeted with good service, hot, fresh, spit free food, and a friendly smile.
Jenn,
I didn’t say Laminta was stupid. I implied that she was rude and lazy.
When the bag dropped on the ground, I was not in a position to pick it up without opening my car door, unbuckling my seat belt, inhaling exhaust fumes and twisting my body in an unnatural way. That’s not something I expect to have to do when I go to pick up food. Also, I was not asked politely.
I am always polite, but in general I am like you, if someone is rude to me, I am rude right back. I realize it’s not an easy job, but if you give me attitude right out of the gate – just because I am your customer, then we’re going to have a problem.
You don’t have to be nice. However, you are there to do a job. So do it or shut up and go home. You can be easily replaced by someone who does want to work and doesn’t mind when customers interrupt their text messaging activities.
I say please and thank you – always. As I’ve said before, I do not show up and act like a bitch to people who are preparing food for me.
Don’t assume that I was the person who was WAY out of line. It was definitely the other way around.
Gerri
On a rare occasion, my wife and I went through a fast food drive through and ordered food.
I gave the female money for the purchase. When she handed me back my change, I said, “Pardon me, but I think you’ve made a mistake, you..” (she had given me too much money) and before I could finish the sentence, she snatched the money out of my hand, slammed the window shut, fussed around for a bit and then jerked the window open and nearly threw the money at me.
I counted the money and found she had given me more than I had originally had given her. So, I again tried to tell her that she had given me too much money – but before I could say another word she told me, in one of the most hateful tones you could imagine that if I had a problem, I could park my car and speak with the manager and slammed the window shut again.
I put the car in gear and left, vowing that I would never patronize that restaurant again. Oh, it happened to be McDonald’s.
Since you won’t say it – Laminta was, and probably still is, stupid. Stupid is when you’ve been taught something and refuse to or can’t remember what you’ve been taught. Ignorance is when you don’t know and/or haven’t been taught. So much for pride of workmanship.
I agree with the letter, i was raised working in my family’s fast paced bakery/donut shop, and no matter how little (nothing) i got paid, i was always polite and tried to get peoples orders correct, and our donuts are a lot cheaper than a mc d’s burger. if you have a job, even a crappy job, you should do it well or move on. if your not mature enough to have a real job, then find something else to do. also, to all those who say you get what you pay for, if i pay for my burger then i expect to get my double quarter pounder with cheese, no onion or pickle, the right way, because i paid for it and ordered it. if i wanted it wrong, i wouldn’t take the time to ask for it to be prepared a certain way. Work is never a place to be on the phone, to cuss loudly, to discuss personal issues in front of guests, or to have a negative attitude to the people who pay your wages, no matter how low they are, and the $5.00 i spend there pays for an hour of your work.
Morgan – and these people who act like this expect to be paid more?
Jess – Thank you for your comment. My family also owns a pizza restaurant and so I know first hand too how thankless the job of food prep can be. But still, if a customer is paying for something they deserve to get what they paid for and a friendly attitude goes a long way.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1182/911474278_36c3dbdc2a.jpg
Well the responses are all over the map here. First of all, ’some’ kids can be pretty rude today, no doubt, and just because someone is low paid is no excuse for crappy service or demeanor towards customers. On the other hand, what kind of attitude is that to immediately ‘fight fire with fire’? What’s that about? And if the employees are doing a crappy job, what’s that say about their supervisors? I just quit my 3rd job in as many years as I refuse to be treated like some cog for some faceless, devoid corporation that sees me as some disposable number.(although that’s what most of us have become…wait, the future isn’t any better as globalization marches on)… But I’ve always treated customers with the respect “I” expect to be treated with, irregardless of their attitude. That’s what your paid for. On the other hand, way too many people today will jump down your throat as soon as you act ‘human’ and not like some infallible robot.
Oh, that last job, I was working as a laborer for a Lebanese tile worker who couldn’t read or understand simple English, and his math turned my $12 an hour into $9 an hour. He claimed it was my fault, and than asked me to come back as he needed additional help…yet refused to pay me the wages I worked ‘very’ hard for. And he constantly complained he couldn’t shoot the abusive women he came across here in America like he could ‘back home’ without question. The job before that…The millionaire ‘claimed’ he gave me ‘all’ the money he had in the bank to cover my last paycheck ($300) when he owned me $749…and a week later he was whining about having to layout $9000 for his sick mule. It gets’ worse, he’s also my landlord. Just remember this…shit roles downhill…that’s why the folks at the bottom are sitting in and throwing so much of it. Yeah, everyone should keep a better attitude…but when the top 800K income earners took in more than the bottom 150 Million in 2005…Some attitude is not surprising. Maybe you should work for some wage equality in this Oligarchy we call a free country. And smile
The problem with fast food customers is that you all think its just you. You don’t realize that this person has 15 other people before and after you to serve. The funny thing is that when we all go to a sit down restaurant, we can wait to have a table for 1 hour, get mediocre service from the server, but we would never be rude to that server and still leave an 18% tip. But God Forbid we wait 1 minute at a fast food restaurant.
If you want to complain about a person at a fast food restaurant or complain about a manager, then feel free but do not bundle all fast food employees into the same category.
I’m sure none of you will ever go to a fast food restaurant to work but here’s a little test for you to see how it feels. The next time you are hosting a barbecue, have your guests’ line up and order food from you, make the food to order, and serve each one within 2 minutes. Then come back here and let me know how easy it was.
Hi Mel, thanks for your comments. I addressed my letter to Laminta specifically so I am not sure why you think I was talking about all fast food employees. My family owns a restaurant, so I know the job is not at all easy. I just think that if you have a job to do then you should do it. Period. If you can’t do that job then find one that you can handle instead of standing there all day, pissing off the customers.
This letter made me laugh!
)I know it frustrating to be on the abused end of things. I do not work at a fast food place or anything, but I have both been the customer and had experience taking care of the customer, and I’d like to add this, I notice the people with the attitudes generally just lack basic human respect for some reason. I believe it is very important to always treat people with basic human dignity.there seems to be a rampant lack of that in todays society and culture, it’s “cool” and “hip” to be rude and self involved. I do my best, and I always give people a break even when they are snotty to me. Truth be told anymore I doubt it’s me, people are just odd
nowadays.
I just stumbled on this site and this post and WOW fast food so called restaurants are my pet peeve. Heres my problem with them.
All of them are guilty of false addvertising , has anyone ever got a burger that looks like the picture on the menu NO, and how can they call themselves restaurants, at a restaurant you order-get your food-then pay at witch time you have the option to complain and or refuse to pay for crap.
As for the employees I dont think anyone chooses to work at one of these joints but if for what ever reason they accept the job they should do it with pride and self respect. That said heres my problem with the employees. These days they all have those TV monitors RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM so how they read quarter pounder with cheese pickles only and a second later spooge ketchup musterd and onions on it wrap it and send it out just amazes me, I have a theory though-all new employees are sent to a secret school to teach them complete and total incompetence…well maybe not but still if I’m gonna pay over $3 for a burger and I only want pickles thats what I expect if thats not what I get I politly ask for it to be done over then if they give me a crap attitude I give it right back.
amused & pensive and Trukindog, I agree with both of you!
I agree, sometimes my co-workers [I work at a burger king] can be instantly off the bat mean to customers. And sometimes even me too. But it’s just that, so many people are just so darn rude to us. And a lot of people treat us like we never went to school or aren’t going to college. I’ll have you know some of us bk workers are students saving money for college. One of my co-workers is an honor student at her highschool.
I smile at a lot of people and take their order in a nice fashion. But some people are instantly rude to me. Some of them will tell me one thing, and when they get their order they complain that it’s missing something.
For example, we get some people who order with those stupid coupons, the buy 1 get 1 free. And they complain that they’re missing an extra fry and soda and they get all pissy at me when I tell them no, that you only get a free sandwich only with the purchase of the value meal. As if I’m the one who made up those coupons.
I always have a bad day where I work. And on top of that, we don’t get overtime. So if I do over 40hrs, ill only be paid for like 36 hrs. It’s illegal but my manager does it.
People are so mean and so disgusting. A lot of people leave their trays behind. They obviously can’t walk the few feet to the trash can and throw the trash away. And a lot of you always leave your stupid straw paper behind on the drink station.
I am nice to people and I love the nice people. I even hold conversations with them, but some of my customers are outright PIGS.
i absolutely agree with cyn cuz i am nice to the customers that come in or go through drive thru but alot of them are instantly rude to me just cuz i work at burger king…but guess what i am also still in highschool! ever heard of walk a mile in another persons shoes…well i think you should do that before you start to judge those of us that work in fast food!
I worked at McDonalds for 4 years. 4 years of my life I can never get back. However just because you choose to work that job doesn’t mean you should be treated like shit for doing it. Oh poor you it takes a minute and a half to make your to meals and three kids meals all with somthing different and you have the balls to complain bacause you think it should have been done in less?
There are some really nice customers so I try my best to do what I can but did you know that fast food is also one of the most stressful jobs out there? so that means most of these peoples jobs don’t really stack up and they expect us to be super nice while they bitch non-stop. Tell you what you treat hem with respect like you would any other human being and they will do the same and give you great service.
It’s not there job to hear you bitch
Chris, Do not talk shit to me. I am one of those nice customers. I treat everyone with respect until they give me a reason not to. Laminta was rude, hateful and inefficient.
Well, BK drives me nuts. I just checked my bank statement today and i got charged for my food 3 times the other night. And when i called today and asked for a manager they said, we are busy can you call back later? I said no my credit card was charged 3 times I want to talk to someone now, they just passed the phone around until I finally got a Manager and she said you have to wait until the store manager comes in, i don’t have anything to do with that. After I get this taken care of I will not be going back there.
Heather:
That is you’re choice to not return to BK. I do have to ask though. Did you not look at the receipt we give you when we give you you’re credit card back? Seems like it was error on you’re part as well. Always double check everything.
Truthie:
I must begin by saying I am sorry for you’re ordeal. I know how busy it gets for us during rush hour. It is basically a big “cluster fuck”. One person bagging 8 orders for front and Drive-through. We Get orders wrong but it is human error. It sounds to me that Laminta was having a shitty day, she could have even been a trainee. Even so I am not defending her actions. That is by no means how you should treat a customer. Hopefully if she ever got the chance she would apologize to you, if she wouldn’t than she is a stuck up bitch who will get nowhere with that attitude. I hope that you could at least enjoy the rest of the day with you’re kid.
Now to defend my fellow workers from the minority of “unique” customers.
PLEASE read the coupons before you hand them to us. If the says on it “FREE WHOPPER SANDWHICH with the purchase of a whopper value meal” that mean I have to give you a Valu meal before I can give you the free sand which. Don’t cus me out saying that I am a retard, while it is in fact you that cannot read the simple wording.
When you want anything fresh, please don’t give us attitude when it takes a while for it to be cooked.
If you order something and it is wrong, dont come up to us and say “Hey you dumb piece of shit, you screwed up on my order burger boy!” There is a simple process that is and should be considered:
1) Look at the receipt to see if the order is wrong. If it is bring it up we will fix it for you, although it may take a while since you just cut ahead of all the other people that were behind you.
2) If you wanted something like no tomato or pickles, but you didn’t order it, just pick it off, don’t bring it up so we can fix it because that is all we do. If you are allergic to the thing (you should have known you were allergic and asked for no w/e) we will make a new one for you.
Here are a few basic common sense things that you think a human being would know of…….*RIGHT*
When I have to leave my position to clean up you’re milkshake off of the window because you missed hitting your friend with it, pardon me for the slight attitude when you ask me for a free refill while I am cleaning you’re mess.
When You give me $20 and I hit the $20 button and the register opens, all transactions are closed. Don’t “remember” the 10 cents you forgot about in the pocket. I wont take it. Not because I cant do simple math, but I am not supposed to. The computer registers the $20. If I put 10 cents in it throws the money totals out of proportion.
I will charge you for anything other than a courtesy cup. If you want a “free medium cup for ice” I am charging you for it, since I am sure the ice will be accompanied by some soda.
Seniors, I am sorry that we don’t have a senior discount. When I say we don’t, please I don’t need you yelling at me and spitting all over my face, take it up with the actual company.
When you use the bathroom, please don’t pee all over the floor. The run off drain on the floor isn’t a floor urinal.
Dont give me attitude when I charge you 10 cents for sauce with no tenders, it is the rules I have to follow to keep my job to put me through school.
If you forget to order something in drive through, dont give me attitude when I tell you to pull around front and fix the order, because it is now my ass that is gonna get chewed out for having an D/T time over 2:10 even though it is the customers fault.
The last thing is when you get the CKY wannabee ass holes come in through drive through at 10:30pm and throw their drinks back through the window screaming “Fire in the hole MUTHA******!” Well the joke is on you, not only have you just spent $1.06 on a wasted drink, you missed hitting me and it is just a nusiance mess to clean from the floor, you wasted your time, gas, and money to go through drive through with a lame ass prank, you committed a crime and are on camera which the police will see, and you are banned from that BK pending criminal charges.
This is just some of the things that I have been able to expierence as a BK employee.
Just remember next time you go to a BK or any other fast food place and the people might have a little attitude, it prolly is nothing you did, it is something the other people that walk this earth with us have done.
BK Worker: You make some excellent points. People should treat others with respect, no matter what. We actually have been back to BK, and have not seen Laminta. We have not had another bad experience there at all. Thank you for realizing that I’m not a total bitch to people who work in food service. I know it is a rough job. I have great respect for those who can do it with a smile.
One time I was working at Burger King, and someone left their trash all over the table. I went to clean it up, complaining that if people don’t want to pick up their own trash, then they should at least leave me a tip. Don’t you leave bus boys a tip at other restaurants? So as I proceeded to pick up the mess, I found a quarter. Oh, goodie.
“When the bag dropped on the ground, I was not in a position to pick it up without opening my car door, unbuckling my seat belt, inhaling exhaust fumes and twisting my body in an unnatural way. That’s not something I expect to have to do when I go to pick up food.”
Amazing. While most employees, probably any employee, would have handled it better. You went into a store and probably spent more than the hourly wage of all employees combined, not even parking your car and going inside to request this presumptuously huge order that you want precisely your way. Then, for whoever’s fault it is inference happened, the crap $.00008 bag ripped because the bagger can’t bag. She then, frustrated, asks you to pick it up (Yeah right darkie, just give me my food.) It’s not like you weren’t about to get about 700-1100 calories (plus 600 for your warm milk with cookies) of energy to recuperate from your horrible ordeal.
The easiest way to tell the content of someone’s character is how someone treats their wait staff. You were inconsiderate, lazy and unsympathetic the entire time. Of course shanaynay isn’t going to be nice, she made a quarter putting up with your go through the drive through during rush self (The milkshake was warm, that’s ridiculous) and this is probably the best opportunity this uncouth woman was going to get. ( You would have paid a poor struggling waitress who would not have had the general manager looking over her shoulder and six other cars to worry about. You really expected good service from fast food? Burger King is great, and I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them, but statistical eventuality dictates that someone is going to get horrendous service. And being that guy with the twenty-five dollar order and the unapologetic attitude assured that it would be you.
I guess I should be more sympathetic, it sucks being treated like crap. But it is something we deal with every day. We get people yelling because we need them to repeat how to make their sandwich. We constantly get people talking down to us because we need clarity on their awkward ordering style. I’m sorry you got bad service, it would not have happened where I work. But really, don’t act so surprised, both the employees and the consumers are viewed as cattle by the company. Go to Perkins next time.