Ignoring Those Nuggets Of Information

(At our restaurant we serve a nugget meal, which comes with 8 or 12 nuggets. It’s the #5, but many people order a #8 or #12, wanting the nuggets. When they order a #12, it’s pretty easy to catch the error, as we don’t have a #12, but the #8 gets mixed up a lot with the actual #8, which is a grilled chicken club sandwich. I make it a habit to double and triple check #8 orders just in case. It happens way more often than I’d like. It’s near closing time, and most of the other employees are cleaning or working the drive-thru. I’m the only one at the register.)

Customer: “Yeah, I’d like the #8 with sweet tea.”

Me: “Okay, that’ll be the grilled chicken club meal with a sweet tea?”

Customer: “Um, yeah! That’s what I said!”

Me: “Okay, just double-checking. Your total will be [total].”

Customer: “Why would you need to check? I SAID a #8! What’s so hard?”

Me: “I apologize, sir. Just wanting to make sure it’s right.”

Customer: *getting very irate at what he seems to take as an insult to his intelligence* “Of course it’s right!! WHY WOULDN’T IT BE?”

Me: “Sorry, sir.”

(I finish ringing up his order, give him his drink, and his food, which has just come up.)

Me: “Have a nice day, sir.”

(I help the next person, then two women step up to my register.)

Lady #1: “Hi, I’d like a #12, please.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am; we don’t have a #12. Did you want the #5 with 12 nuggets instead?”

Lady #1: “Oh, yes! I’m so sorry! Didn’t mean to say that; I guess I was just thinking of the number I wanted and it came out wrong.”

Me: “Don’t worry about it. It’s no problem at all.”

Lady #2: “We’re paying together. I guess I shouldn’t order a #8 if I want nuggets, right?”

(She’s grinning, so I know she’s joking. I laugh.)

Me: “You’d really be surprised how often that happens, honestly—”

(Customer #1 suddenly storms back inside and to my register, cutting in front of the women.)

Customer #1: “You gave me the wrong thing! Why is there a sandwich in here?”

Me: “Sir, if you’ll wait just a minute, I’ll finish this order and then help you, as there are no other customers in line.”

Customer #1: “NO! I am in a hurry and you messed up my order!”

(I already know what his problem is, but I’m not about to help him over the other women who were already at my register.)

Me: “Sir, please wait just a minute, okay?”

Customer #1: *ignoring me* “I ordered a nugget meal and got a sandwich! I demand you fix this for free! How hard is it to get my food right?”

Lady #1: “Oh, go ahead. We’re not in a rush.”

Me: “Are you sure, ma’am?”

Lady #2: “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Me: “Okay. Now, sir, may I have your receipt?”

(He thrusts it in my face.)

Customer #1: “I ordered an #8 and I got this sandwich!”

Me: “Sir, I’m sorry, the #8 is our chicken club sandwich. I remember taking this order a few minutes ago, and I repeated your order to you to make sure it was right. You did say it was.”

Customer #1: “I wanted the nuggets, idiot! How hard is it to know I wanted the 8 nuggets?”

Me: “I do apologize, sir—”

Customer #1: “Don’t apologize! Fix! It! Now!”

Lady #1: “Sir, you need to calm down. I ordered the wrong thing by accident, too, but I’m not acting like a child about it. If you ordered wrong and told her it was right when she repeated your order, it’s your own fault. Buy the nuggets if you want, but don’t make them give you free food over your own mistake.”

Lady #2: “And you’d better hurry if you’re in such a rush.”

Customer #1: “Fine! Do you sell the nuggets by themselves?”

(We do, and I ring up his order. He leaves in a huff after getting his nuggets.)

Lady #1: “You weren’t kidding about people mixing those combos up, honey!”