I am serving customers at our fast food place.

Customer: “One medium [meal combo] with an ice cream, please.”

I type in the order but then go check on the status of our ice cream/milkshake machine. It’s cliché, but it’s always breaking down. As luck would have it…

Me: *To my manager* “[Manager], the ice cream machine is…”

Manager: “No… don’t say it.”

Me: “…it’s…”

Manager: “Don’t tell me it’s broken again!“

Me: “Okay… I won’t tell you.”

I return to the customers.

Me: “I’m sorry, but—”

Suddenly, I am interrupted by some shouting from my manager at the back.

Manager: “Stupid… f******… ice cream… machine!”

Me: “Yeah, so I’m afraid ice creams and shakes are off the table.”

Manager: *Somehow even louder* “Why… you… never… work?!”

Me: “Can I offer you a free upgrade to a large for the inconvenience?

Now, pretty much all we can hear, along with some clanging noises as my manager hits the machine, is my manager shouting.

Manager: “My cheating—” *Clang!* “—useless ex-husband—” *Clang!* “—is more reliable—” *Clang!* “—than you!“

Customer: *Smiling nervously* “Just… change the ice cream to a donut. That’s fine!” 

Our manager took a “leave of absence” after that.

I’m sharing this story because it happened! It actually happened! A customer storms up to the counter with some food packaging, taking it out of a delivery-app third-party bag.

Customer: “I want a refund! This is not what I ordered! I had to drive all the way over here!”

The customer gets out a receipt for Arby’s. My eyes go wide, and I say to the customer:

Me: “Sir… this is a Wendy’s.”

The customer still complained, and the manager still gave him a free meal (spineless loser), but for a moment, I got to be a meme. Felt great.

I’ve been working in food service for about three months. About a month ago, I was introduced to a coworker who I thought was new. 

I recently had a shift with her, and the dreaded lunch rush was upon us. We are understaffed, and I was hit with five sandwich orders and two salad orders at the same time.

Me: “Hey, [Coworker], can you help me with these sandwiches?”

Coworker: “No, I don’t know how to make them.”

Me: “Oh, okay. Can you help with the salads, then?”

Coworker: “No, I don’t know how to make those, either.”

There was a menu board right next to us showing how to make the salads. I was getting a bit annoyed by then.

When [Coworker] left to go on break, I asked my other coworker how long she had been working with us, as she should really know how to do her job. It turned out that she’d been working there for a year before I came and knew how to make everything.

I don’t know why she lied to me.

I work fast food on a college campus, and we often get many late-night customers (students) who stand in line, order, and then:

Me: “That’s $5.65.”

The customer only then makes a slooooow attempt to dig their wallet out of the bottom of their backpack. They then start removing items from their backpack — equally slowly — but they also keep looking at me, as if checking for my reaction to their drawn-out attempt at paying.

Me: “If you like, I can suspend the order until you’ve found your wallet and serve the customers behind you.”

Customer: “No… it’s okay. I’m sure my wallet is in here somewhere.”

The customer then, somehow, resumes their search even more slowly! They still keep checking me for a reaction and I decide enough is enough and call them out on it.

Me: “Look, do you think if you take long enough, I’m going to give you the food for free?”

Customer: “Yeah… actually. Lol.”

Yes, he said, “lol”.

Me: “Not happening. Pay in the next ten seconds or I’m cancelling the order.”

Customer: “Lol… it was worth a try.”

Me: “No… it really wasn’t, and I won’t let you try again. Next time, I’m not taking your order unless I see your wallet in your hand.”

I never saw him again. I guess actually paying for food really wasn’t worth it. I was so happy when customer ordering upgraded to touch screens.

We have a sign up next to our menu at the drive-thru.

Sign: “Condiments available upon request.”

At least once a shift, I get a customer interaction that starts with me hearing over the headset:

Customer: “That’s disgusting! Why would a restaurant feel the need to give those out?!”

Me: “Hi, welcome to [Fast Food Place]. What can I get for—?”

Customer: “You’re disgusting! Why would [Fast Food Place] be encouraging—”

Me: “Oh, and condiments are available upon request. That’s condiments, like ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard.”

Customer: “…”

Me: “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that, ma’am.”

Customer: “…Cheeseburger meal with a Coke… please.”

Passenger: “Haha! You thought it said ‘condoms’!” 

Customer: “Shut up!“