Up-Charged With Anger

I work in a popular and busy fast food restaurant next to an outlet mall during the summer so I can pay for college. I often work overnight where it’s just me and a manager to run the drive-thru and grill. When people scheduled for the morning shift call out, I stay until lunch. After several days in a row of this, I am exhausted and have had enough of customers being rude to me. I have had three people drive off because they didn’t like the pricing of their items.

I’m taking orders, and one elderly couple pulls up to the speaker. I greet them in my fake customer service voice.

Me: “Thank you for choosing [Fast Food Place]. How may I help you today?”

Customer: “What is included in your breakfast combos?”

Me: “You get the sandwich you choose, a hash brown, and either a soda or coffee.”

Customer: “Can we get orange juice?”

Me: “Yes, but this store considers it a premium item, so there will be an upcharge.”

This store has a lot of upcharges, and it ticks people off, but we are not a franchise store, so the owners can set the prices to whatever they want.

Customer: “Okay. Can we order two [breakfast combos] with orange juices?”

Me: “Of course! Just remember, there’s an upcharge for the orange juice.”

Customer: “Could we get medium-sized drinks?”

Me: “Absolutely! Your total will be [price].”

Customer: “What? Why is it so expensive? Your board says that combos are [different price]!”

Me: “I understand that it’s confusing. The price on the board shows the price of the sandwich, hash brown, and either a coffee or soda. There is an upcharge for drinks like frappes, smoothies, and orange juice. Because you ordered a medium size, this also increased the price. Plus, there are taxes.”

Customer: “But your board says [price]!”

I explain it again but slower.

Customer: “If the board says it’s [price], it should be [price]!”

Me: “I’m sorry the price is higher than expected, but the prices are set by the owner of the store and cannot be changed.”

Customer: “You’re being very rude! Why is the total not the price on the board?”

I explain again and they drive off. Because their order was over a certain price, I have to get a manager to cancel it before I can take any more orders.

Manager: “This is the fourth one that’s driven off this morning! What’s going on with you?”

Me: “Can’t do anything when the customers don’t like the prices.”