Bringing This Conversation To A Cold Stop

(It’s a busy lunch hour and this couple orders two meals. After paying for their order they also request that their sandwiches are fresh. We have them sit down and tell them we will run their order out to them when it comes up. About ten minutes after receiving their food the customer comes back up and we have this conversation:)

Customer: “This is the second time I’ve come up here. I said I wanted my food fresh, and this sandwich is cold.” *this is only the first time she has come up since receiving her food*

Me: “I’m sorry about that, ma’am. It was made fresh when you asked for it, however.”

Customer: “No, it’s not. My burger is cold.”

Me: “Well, we keep both our tomatoes and our cheese cold, which is probably why your sandwich got cold.” *not to mention that she let it sit untouched for ten minutes*

Customer: “But I asked for it fresh.”

Me: “It was made fresh. But the cold tomatoes and cheese are going to make your burger cold.”

Customer: “I want it made again.”

Me: “That’s fine. We can make it again, but it’s going to end up the exact same way unless you want us to leave the tomatoes and cheese off. We can put them on the side for you, if you’d like.”

Customer: “No, I don’t want that.”

Me: *offering her back the original sandwich* “Then you’re just going to end up with this again.”

Customer: “But that’s cold.”

Me: “Right, because of the cold tomato and cheese. So do you want me to make it with the tomato and cheese on the side, or do you want this sandwich back?”

Customer: *I could see her thinking really hard about the offer I just made* “I want it remade.”

Me: “With the tomato and cheese on the side?”

Customer: *long pause* “Yes.”

(She didn’t come back up after that, thankfully. I didn’t think I could handle another ride on the merry-go-round.)