i don't know...but we have just one t/b we go to consistantly. why? the kids are polite and listen!

Try saying "Beef only, no cheese".

Some people just don't get it, and if you are more specific, they might (no promises, though, LOL, people can be dense).

Mary, I've done that, "no cheese" many times and it doesn't seem to matter.

There is one McD's in Lexington I love to go to. They are polite, fast and have only gotten my order wrong one time, no matter how odd the order. Love them, I keep thinking I need to send the manager a letter telling them how much I appreciate them.

It's that way here almost everywhere.Can almost be gaurenteed that Burger King will screw up.I always tried to get burgers with just ketchup and pickles.I gave up...now I get them "dry"...plain...nothing on them but meat and cheese.Oh and I have to tell them to let the cheese on a cheeseburger.It gets tiresome.And try to get a small dish of plain ice cream at DQ...almost impossible!

I only placed one order at TacoBell that they got right...and I think the only reason it was right was because I asked the girl to "please break the tradition and get my order right THIS time"! lol

I have the same problem when ordering at Dunkin Donuts. I don't use sugar in my coffee and absolutely can't drink it if it does have sugar (or any sweetener). I do take milk in it. Seems they just can't get that right no matter what I say. If I say "with milk only", they put milk and sugar. If I say "Milk, no sugar", they still hear the word sugar and put it in (not really listening). If I say "just milk", they put sugar in. So now I do my best to make sure to get eye contact and stress "I do not want sugar in my coffee". It works about 50% of the time. And you're right - if they get it wrong they act annoyed at me.

Our local Taco Bell is very good at getting our orders right.

My problem is restaurants that don't understand "no mayo". Ketchup and mustard are served on the side. Why do they assume everyone eats mayo?

These kids and most of the fast food places employee kids, are taught to make the food items in a certain order. It's hard to break the rhythm and leave something off..something that most people want on their (in this case Taco Bell) food.
My DD works at TB and every night she comes in and tells about some of her customers..Most seem to think she is a mind reader and knows that when they say taco they don't want cheese, lettuce..etc or they don't want a certain sauce or a million other things.
I know here they have an outside screen that the customer is asked to read and to verify that the order is correct before they proceed to the window. Hopefully other places will follow suit and wrong orders will become a thing of the past.

littlebit

What's so hard to understand about "one large black coffee"? That's what my husband orders when he gets coffee "to go" from any restaurant. And they all reply, "did you want cream or sugar with that?"

I don't like Carl's Jr BBQ sauce on my Western Bacon Cheeseburger. Usually they get it right.

I don't care much for cheese either. I usually place my order and emphasize "NO CHEESE". I get it my way approximately nine out of ten times!

That reminds me of when one of our DGSs was young and would not eat the meat in the burger. He wanted a bun with a slice of cheese in it. We would order "a cheeseburger without the meat." That always brought a confused look, so we usually added - make that just a bun with a slice of cheese nothing else." When they got it right, he was a happy little camper!

I sure don't know what makes one fast food place get the order right most of the time, but another get it wrong most of the time. We live in the "the 'burbs," so not only are there many varieties of fast food, but also multiple franchises of the same one in a 10 miles radius. I have just learned which one is reliable and which one is reliable stupid.

There is one McD's that I refuse to ever go to again. I have gone to that drive thru and order ONE item and they get it wrong. That wasn't a one time thing, either! The last time I was there I ordered an unsweet iced tea. I am always very clear when I order b/c I know in the south I'm the weird one. And since I expected them to get it wrong, and b/c I saw the "guy" fill my cup from what I thought was the sweet tea, I asked "him" if he was sure it was unsweet. He said yes. I left the window, but not the lot, sipped, and it was very sweet. So I parked. Walked inside. Looked at the staff at the counter, dumped my full cup in the overflow part of the self-serve drink area, and filled it up with unsweet tea my darn self. Then I approached the counter, asked for the manager, and told him what happened, including asking the "guy" at the window if he was sure. I said I was telling him this so he knows he must train his employees on this detail. I admittedly used polite words with a bit of an attitude in the tone. ;o)

The manager replied, irritated at me, "Well, first of all, that employee is a SHE!" (Well, who could tell? Looked male to me, I didn't ask for evidence. I didn't say that outloud.) I said "That is not the point." He said "SHE is new and you'll have to get over it."

oh.. oh.. oh...

I do not go there anymore. Their service is obviously intended to drive away customers. Don't let me stop them.

I have worked the other side of the counter. I have walked a mile in their shoes. When you screw up the order, you say I'm sorry and you fix it. You don't give attitute and tell the customer to get over it!

On the other hand, last week I stopped at a ChickFilA (if you're not from these part, they are usually very good). I chose to go inside and order to go b/c the drive thru line was literally a full circle around the building. Inside was almost as bad. Not an empty table and 3 lines 6-8 people deep. The place was possible over capacity. I order 24 nuggets to bring home, the woman next to me ordered 1 sandwich. We had to wait several minutes, more than 5 less than 10, to get our food. She complained to me about waiting that long for one item. I defended the staff; I mean, seriously, they weren't twiddling their thumbs. I just told her it was faster than I expected, considering the crowd, and that I was just glad I didn't have to trade places with the staff right then, or go home and make chicken nuggets myself in this heat.

I have no problem with a short wait or an occassional mistake as long the service is otherwise good and I can see honest effort. I understand they are kids, I want to cut them some slack while they learn about customer service. It is a hard job when you're 16. It is the hardest thing they've done yet in their youthful experience. I mean that: it looks easy when you're 40 and handled much harder things, but it's tough when you're a kid. So I want to smile encouragingly and say "That's OK, we've all been there." It's when they are too busy with a conversation to get my order right that I just want to scream! Or when they are the 40-y/o manager and are just plain rude!

I guess I never make a "special order" at Taco Bell. I like lettuce and cheese on the tacos. I always check the count though. Been shorted at McD's too many times. Never a problem at Burger King. If you want attitude, try Culver's around here. They screw up and it's your fault. Arby's never a problem. I just don't go to fast food much anymore. I can swing into a restaurant and get a near-homecooked meal for the same price, often nearly as quick and much better tasting.

I also tend to make it very obvious I'm checking things. I often shut off my vehicle while I'm waiting. Wrong change though is common at BK & McD. My one problem with Taco Bell especially at the one is if you order 4 tacos, you'll get 2 packets of sauce if you're lucky. I usually try to count the packets before I leave too if I think of it.

It shouldn't be hard to at least get the count right. I can understand if they mess up and give a regular burger instead of "hold the pickle". But you can often see when they're paying attention or goofing off. I have noticed that I seldom have an overage in my order. And McD's is famous around here for 1/2 full fry containers.

It seems like the norm from these posts, but I generally never order anything different than what is offered... if the big mac has lettuce and I hate lettuce, I'll just order a cheeseburger instead... if a burger has mustard and the kids won't eat it, I just order them chicken nuggets instead. It's fast food... the food is kind of supposed to be made as the menu states..I'm not gonna push a variation unless there is life threatening allergy. I'll order things my way at a sit down restaurant, but I just don't expect it from a fast food place.

It's seems like they should be able to handle a variation... but it's fast food, and generally, low paid (often kid) workers... what do you expect?

kathsgrdn
When my DD came in last night, I asked her if a customer ordered a hard shell taco beef only..How would she ring it up and what did she think that meant? She said taco no lettuce, no cheese. and then I told her about this post. She said that's why you always need to come in...Drive thrus are under pressure to get the order out the window quickly and even with the new screen orders are still mess up..She said you could come here (TN) and she would make sure you got your order right. LOL :)

littlebit

From the way you worded it beef only I too thought it would be what littlebit's DD said it would be....a taco shell with beef only, with no cheese or lettuce.

Maybe it would be less confusing to those taking your order in such a rush if you just state that you want a hard shell taco, with no cheese as opposed to beef only. I often feel sorry for the drive through workers, with the push on them for speed, as well as politeness and accuracy.

When I go to BK, I order a "jr. whopper, add mustard". Half the time I'll get a plain burger with only mustard. lol Now I just say "I'd like a jr. whopper with everything on it, but please add mustard, too." Then they repeat it back, semi-incredulously as if putting mustard on a burger with mayo and ketchup is unheard of.

Kath- you're going to have to be super-specific with these peeps, I guess. "Plain beef taco, meat only, NO other stuff, just meat, OK? Beef, hardshell taco, nothing BUT the beef." lolol

My son and husband are picky eaters..Husband no cheese on taco, son no lettuce....me I take it the way they make it.
I very rarely will get stuff for both of these guys at Taco bell because that order is just too confusing for them.

My husband always has hard time at Wendys, swears he will never go again. Usually orders the double hamberger, last time it took 4 times for them to get one w/out cheese, and he was only ordering for himself. (he even spoke to manager after the second wrong one)

If I don't want something that usually comes with whatever i've ordered, I tell them "no -----, I'm allergic to it." Since they don't want me having a seizure on their floor, they usually pay attention. (And I really am allergic to some things--but I don't have seizures from them.)

Jann

I always order at Taco Bell, "bean burrito, extra sauce and extra cheese." They CHARGE me like .70 cent more for it and is there ever any extra? NEVER. I stopped going there.

Blessings,
Haley

I can understand your frustration.I went to burger king the other day to get my son a burger.I ordered a whopper w/ cheese PLAIN,and they still didnt understand that I wanted cheese on it.I got to the window to check it and no cheese.I finally asked the manager why would I pay extra for a cheese burger,but have you leave the cheese off?

Shelley