I work for a fast food chain as a drive-thru cashier. And day in
and day out I see the same rude and senseless behaviors by a large
number of the customers I serve. Here are some tips and basic rules
of the drive-thru:
1. Speak up and speak clear. The volume on the headset can only do
so much. If you are whispering or mumbling your order chances are
we may not hear what you want correctly and ring you up for the
wrong thing.
2. If you're engine is loud, turn off your vehicle. Especially
with big trucks. Yelling your order over the sound of the engine
only hurts the ears of the cashier and annoys everyone inside.
3. If you're pulling a trailer don't come through the
drive-thru. We don't have time to sit there and watch you try
to maneuver around the drive through turn. We have other orders and
you are taking up space. The sensible thing would be to park and go
inside.
4. Have your money ready when you get to the window. Common sense
would tell you that if you are ordering something you are going to
have to pay for it, so have your wallet or purse ready before you
even get in line. And if not that the cashier will tell you the
total after your order at the speaker so be getting it ready while
you make your way to the window.
5. If there are multiple people in the car, order one at a time. A
cashier can only decipher so much from 4 people ordering at the
same time.
6. Decide what you want to order in a timely manner. For the most
part fast food menu's do not change much. Any new item will
most likely have its own sign. You should have an idea of
what you want before you enter the line. Most drive-thru's work
off a timer, so waiting for you to decide hurts the drive-thru
times and wastes the time of the people waiting behind you.
7. NEVER talk on your phone while in the drive-thru line. If you
are ordering for someone else and are calling to get their order,
get it before you get in line. Talking on the phone while you are
ordering or paying is very rude to the cashier. You are paying more
attention to the conversation you are having than ordering. You
don't listen to the total so you don't have your money
ready, you probably forgot to ask for something which then the
cashier has to add to your order which makes more work for the
managers later in the night. Your focus should be on ordering, that
is why you are there.
8. Be friendly and courteous to the drive-thru personnel. Please
and thank you is always a nice gesture. You would be surprised how
often people come through my line and don't even acknowledge
I'm there besides opening and closing their hand. NEVER be rude
or discourteous to any personnel. Remember, we handle your food.
And you think we accidentally messed up your order? You asked for
no ketchup and you got extra? Missing a sandwich? Mistakes do
happen, but don't be rude or they wont be mistakes.
Food
Thursday, November 26, 2009
User Post: Drive-Thru Etiquette
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Posted by Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:11pm PDT
Report AbuseI follow these simple rules, but once in awhile, still find I am missing a sandwich,ect. I had an experience at a fast food place I have since forgiven, as I spoke with the manager and she disciplined the offensive teenager who was genuinely rude to me..this is what happened: I pulled into a drive-thru with two hungry children. The children are mine, and know to be good and quiet, as I order for them. However, in this instance, I sat at the order point/speaker for a full five minutes and was not acknowledged...finally, I simply said " Hello?: Anybody Home?' To which a voice replied snottily, "NO!, we are NOT Home! We all left! That did it! As I passed the open service window, I saw the culprit and her friend laughing at myself and my children. I pulled into a parking space, went in and asked for the manager. I also asked her to personally prepare my children's kiddie meals as I certainly would NOT trust the employees I had already encountered to do so. Of course, she complied, apologized as well. She didn't want to accept payment, but I insisted, as I wanted to be certain she understood this was not about trying to get free food. The message was well received, as I left, I overheard her tell the offending employees to punch out, they were terminated. As she handled the situation appropriately, this restaurant still has our business.
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Posted by Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:11pm PDT
Report AbuseI think you ruined everything with your last tip.
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:45am PDT
Report AbuseFast food service in my city is usually really bad. Only one place has really nice people working there. Everywhere else has the people with the worst attitudes. It's as if the people in the fast food restaurants advertise for these people. Like they put up a big sign that says, "Bad Attitude, Poor Customer Service, Rude Speaking Voice, Please come in and Apply!"
I'm a pretty kind person and it seems the fast food workers are always rude in my city. They always get my order wrong. They're usually on the cell phone when I drive up to the window. They don't ever thank me for my business. My boyfriend says that maybe because so many of the workers there are making their living off of working at the fast food joints and they're not just some kid who's trying to make a few bucks to pay for gas or a new video game.
Maybe the writer of this article should write a story of tips for his fellow fast food industry workers because some of them stink!
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:58am PDT
Report AbuseI recently had an issue at a drive thru that caused a little argument between my sweetie and I. We drive to the window, and the lady on the speaker akes me what we'll have. So I politley ask for a quick moment. So I quickly decide on something and look over at my BF and he's picking at his teeth in the mirror. "Do you know what you want?" Nope! Meanwhile 2 other cars have pulled up behind us and the lady askes, "are ready to order yet?" "NO, I'm waiting on someone else now, sorry" I get a little ticked because all that time he was picking his teeth he could have figured out what he wanted. PEOPLE are waiting for crying outloud. He acted like the world had just stopped for him. It really pissed me off, and he was mad at me for being upset, he told me I should be on his side and who cares about the people behind us. ( we hardly fight) But I will say he's a spoiled brat sometimes. I just like to be curtious of others, especially the ones making my food! I will admit, sometimes its difficult to be nice when the person at the window is a total a---- ! I mean if you hate your job that much, quit! I don't want to order food from someone who acts like I've ruined their day by being an innocnet customer!
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:34am PDT
Report AbuseI have to admit, I thought this was going to be another one of those rants like the one's posted from waiter/waitresses that frequent Shine, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that these were useful, not demanding, and didn't imply that the customer was an idiot - just careless sometimes. Nice job. One suggestion though - go easy on your use of the word "NEVER". There's always an exception to consider and its use can zap the intelligence out of your statement. Otherwise, very well done.
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:35am PDT
Report AbuseThis is funny because not only 2 minutes ago I was reading a similar post by someone named Doomerexis...full of errors. In comparison, your post is very well written. My opinion is, if you want someone to see things from your point of view, it is best to come across as half-way intelligent. You will not win any debates sounding like a child. However, I have to agree with the previous comment about you ruining a good post with your last tip. Threatening to make mistakes with our food is not going to help matters and only continues to perpetuate the "us vs. them" mentality.
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:55am PDT
Report AbuseI couldn't be more tired of these type of posts. I have a few tips for you:
1. The person taking the order should speak loud enough for the person ordering to hear. I can hardly ever hear the person that is taking my order when they repeat the order back to me.
2. If I am traveling and pulling a trailor and I am in a hurry, I am going to the drive-thru. I know how to maneuver and I don't really care what you think about it.
3. How about you and your drive thru personnel be courteous to me? More often than not I get rude people who can't even be bothered to say hello. Most "personnel" look like they are miserable and don't want to be there.
4. I am sick of people rolling their eyes and sighing when I ask for ketchup. Almost everyone I know uses ketchup for their fries. Don't act like me taking ketchup comes out of your paycheck.
5. I AM THE CUSTOMER. You are at the drive thru to hand me my food or take my money...that's it! It is not a difficult job!
Please remember that without the customers you would have no job!
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:41am PDT
Report AbuseMrs. P - I am in total agreement with you. It is their job to be courteous and give us what we ask for, no matter how "complicated" it is. If you don't like waiting on people, go back to school and get a better job.
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:37am PDT
Report AbuseHave our my money ready when I get to the window?? I would love to but about 2/3 of the time the drive-thru attendant just says, "Pull ahead, I'll have your total at the window." Then I get to go through my wallet and count my change, figure out if I want to pay by cash or card, etc. under pressure with the attendant staring at my impatiently. I find this really irritating.
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Posted by Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:15pm PDT
Report AbuseWe (the customers) are the ones paying your hourly wage (by giving the restaurant our business). So, unfortunatly, it is YOUR (the cashier/order taker) JOB to be POLITE. The CUSTOMER is always right. Not the piss faced cashier who acts as if they are too good to be taking MY order, while they are the ones working in the GREASE JOINT.
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