Jess (duckay) wrote in bad_service,
Jess
duckay
bad_service

It's probably a bit petty to complain about this, but it was certainly teeth-grindingly bad service, if not horrifyingly bad.

I got called into work today at the last minute (note; I'm from Australia so 'today' is Friday the 28th, not Thanksgiving, if that matters), and on my way there I thought I'd grab something that I could eat on my way. I went through the drive-thru at the local McDonalds and ordered a large cappucino and a sweet chilli wrap.

Everything seemed fine at the speaker box, but when I got to the first window (where you pay) I realised that I was being charged for the wrong menu item; before I paid, I mentioned this and sorted it out, before driving down to the second window (where you get the food). So far, minor problem, but nothing particularly bad.

I checked the time on my phone when I pulled up to the second window, because I was on my way to work and judging how long I had. There's no one at the second window, though. There's clearly people in the front of the store getting orders together and so on, but no one at window. Okay, that happens. So I wait.

After a little while, I get a bit impatient, so I check the time again. Two minutes have passed. That's not very long, sure, but it's a long time to sit at a drive-thru window with no one so much as greeting you, even if your order is taking a while to get together.

Some more time passes, and still no one comes to the window or greets me or anything. Finally, someone comes up and says, "Would you like to go to waiting bay?"

No greeting, nothing. I'm a bit miffed at that, but I nod and pull around to waiting bay. When I get there, I check the time again. It's been four minutes since I pulled up at the window. With the obsession about drive-thru times being as short as possible, four minutes at the window without being greeted (and with at least one another car behind me, who was probably getting very impatient) or served is quite a long time.

I don't know how long it was, but I sat and waited in waiting bay until someone came out with my food and drink (normal protocol is to give the drink at the window even if you send the car to waiting bay, but okay, maybe there was a problem with the coffee machine as well?).

The food is fine, but the cappucino is a small instead of a large. I know I paid for a large, because I double-checked my order at the first window.

I tell the girl that I ordered a large, not a small, and although I'm really kind of impatient, I'm trying to be as nice as possible about it, and she replies, "Oh, did you want a large?"

I can't quite get across how her tone came across, but it was really strange. "Yes," I confirmed, "that's what I ordered and paid for."

She took the small back and came out soon after with the large, without another word.

I wasn't entirely sure what to think about that, but the whole scenario just put me in a bit of a bad mood and I ended up being later than expected to work (luckily, the manager didn't mind so much, as he understood that I couldn't guarantee a starting time, being called in at the last minute).

I'm probably over-reacting a bit to it, but the whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way.
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