Your Demands Are Not As Impactful As Your Driving
Our fast-food drive-thru lane has two windows, one for collecting and the other to hand out food. They also have two bright yellow poles on either side, so it’s not hard to miss. At least I didn’t think they were hard to miss. The past week or so, I’ve had an increase in people driving past this window and to the food one. This causes issues, especially in rushes, but yesterday it caused an issue I had yet to experience.
I wasn’t working drive thru, but I had a clear line of sight of the second window. I was slicing tomatoes when I heard a loud honk. I immediately drop my tomatoes and look at the window. Normally, if a customer honks, they’re mad. Someone forgot something, or their food was made wrong. As the manager, I have to go play peacekeeper. I make eye contact with the woman sitting there, who has a deer in the headlights look, and she peels away.
Definitely confused. Someone doesn’t honk for no reason, and I know my crew hadn’t talked to her since I’d been the closest staff member anyway.
I dip into the front. I’m trying to find someone to tell me what happened. All three of my front people are crowded around the first window. I look at them and say:
Me: “Uh, what happened with that lady?”
As if they were waiting to present to me this glorious scene, they all immediately scuttle behind me. A hilarious sight as I’m the smallest person on staff.
I don’t need an explanation at this point. A truck sat in my window; the front was an absolute mess. I honestly wouldn’t have trusted it to turn on myself. My crew was whispering behind me about how mad the driver was going to be. He was getting out, and I was being pushed towards him. I brace myself.
He takes a second to look at it, then looks at me and chuckles:
Truck Driver: “That was crazy!”
I relax a little bit and smile:
Me: “Did she back into you?”
Truck Driver: “Yeah! I guess she missed the window and didn’t see me.”
This causes both of us to laugh. His truck is huge. It was a pickup but lifted and definitely a bit bulkier than what I normally see (I’m not a car person, so that’s the best description you’ll get). Its engine was also so loud that he actually had to turn it off before he even stepped out, so we could hear him talk. She was also in a little bug. There’s no way she could have missed him!
At this point, I switch back into manager mode. I ask him if he’d like us to speak with his insurance company, would he like me to keep his info in case she comes back later, or at least let me give you a discount? He said no to everything I offered.
Truck Driver: “Honestly, I can’t even tell where she hit me! This thing has had so many accidents, I only use it for work. Good thing I’m on my break!”
That’s a relief to hear. Though he insisted on paying for all his food, I “accidentally” forgot his fries were smalls, uh oh, made them a large and they’re already in the bag. For health reasons, I can’t take them back out. You enjoy!
I wish this were where the story ended.
The next day, I’m in the office doing manager stuff when there’s a knock on my door. I look up. I’ve worked with my crew long enough to know when someone just met a customer who is gonna be trouble.
Coworker: “[My Name], this lady up at my window—”
I’m already up and walking to the front. I didn’t hear what the lady’s issue was, but I already know it’s gonna be something stupid and annoying.
I look out the window and think, “Huh, that woman looks familiar… Wait, I recognize that blue bug. Uh oh.”
I open the window:
Me: “Hey, what seems to be the issue here?”
Customer: “I came through here yesterday.”
Me: “Okay.”
Customer: “I ordered, but I never got my food. I want it now.”
Me: “That’s strange. Do you have a receipt?”
Customer: “No, but I know I paid!”
She definitely didn’t pay. Only managers can delete orders, which I had to do when she drove away.
Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t help you without a receipt.”
Customer: “But I already ordered my food yesterday, and I paid!! I want it now!”
I’d been here for about eight hours straight at this point. The nice professional facade was starting to crack.
Me: “Ma’am, if what you’re saying is true, you would have gotten your food yesterday.”
Customer: “Well, I didn’t! Either give me my food or a refund!”
Me: “I can’t do that, ma’am.”
Customer: “If you don’t give me my food right now, I’ll call your corporate office and have you fired!”
Oh no, how scary. I’m the only person they’ve found who’s willing to get up early enough to open their store, so these threats don’t even bother me. They do make me lose all respect for the customer, though. I take a breath and put on my best grin. I look her in the eyes and say:
Me: “Please do. I’d love a reason to show them our security footage from yesterday. We had an accident happen, and the guy wouldn’t let me call the cops, but if corporate saw, they’d have no choice. I just feel so terrible that that happened.”
Her face whitened. I continued to grin. She started to sputter, and suddenly I became concerned, maintaining eye contact the whole time:
Me: “Now that I mention it, the other vehicle was a blue buggy, just like yours. Oh, I hope the cops don’t get confused and think it was you. That would be terrible…”
I kept the look on my face, and we stared at each other in silence until she drove away.
