Getting Her To Stop Is Like Trying To Make Fetch Happen

(Today is October 3rd, it is Wednesday, and I am wearing pink. I’ve decided to get dinner from a well-known fast food taco place before going home and settling in to watch a certain movie. I get in line and am zoning out but soon realize what is happening:)

Customer: “Why did you charge me full price?”

Cashier: “That is the price of that burrito.”

Customer: “But I ordered it without meat. It should be cheaper!”

Cashier: “You can order it without something, but the price stays the same.”

Customer: “But it costs you less to make it. I should be charged less!”

Cashier: “I’m sorry, but we don’t do that here.”

Customer: “So, what you are telling me is that if ten of my vegetarian friends all came in and ordered without meat, you’d still charge them full price even though you’d have all that extra meat to serve to all your other customers?”

(The cashier has a deer in the headlights look. By this point, I’ve gone from slightly amused to rather annoyed because I am hungry, she’s holding up the line for other people to order, and she’s becoming more belligerent to the employee. I decide to say something.)

Me: “Ma’am, no fast food place does what you are asking. If you don’t like this policy, please complain to corporate because she’s just following policy. She can’t make any changes. You are complaining to the wrong person.” *looks at the cashier* “Can you give her the phone number for corporate?”

(I got back in line, hoping this had resolved the issue. No. The customer continued to rebuke the employee for several more minutes before she finally felt like she’d been mean enough and walked away.)