Getting Your Food Order Wrong
 

So you go into Burger Hut and ask for the number three. You get to the end of the line, people get their orders, and you get the number one and you stand there wondering how the hell the guy got 'one' and 'three' confused.

How do you handle messed up food orders? Do you yell at the guy to get your order changed? Do you timidly ask if there was a misunderstanding? Or do you say nothing and just think it's an oppotune culinary change of pace?

i usually stare at it looking confused and wondering if i'd ordered it while thinking of something else, before informing them politely that they'd mixed up my order.

whereas my cousin is completely different, i know she'd demand for the correct order AND try to get a refund and also demand to see the manager if it reaches that. but then she's a lawyer ^^;;

I'll just go back to the counter and ask why my food's taking so long and save the poor sod the embarassment of realising he's the one who fucked up.

When I was at Taco Bell last night, they forgot to give me sour cream, but I didn't realize it until I got home.

At least they didn't forget my Quesadillas though. I'd be pissed then.

Generally, I'm pretty sympathetic when they fuck up my order, but that's mostly because I don' like dealing with assholes when my employees fuck up other people's orders at my job. As long as I get what I want in the end without wasting much of my time, I'm generally cool.

Just tell them politely that you got the wrong order by mistake. I don't know why someone would get mad over such a small thing.

I'll usually be polite about it the first time, but if they continue to mess it up after that (which, I don't see how anyone can mess up an order more than once, yet it has happened to me plenty of times), I'll usually get a little angry.

I remember about a month ago me and my mom were at Burger King, and there was this retarded guy behind the counter. He had assured us that our order was right, but when we sat down to eat it we saw that he had given my mom fries when she had ordered onion rings, and he had given me the completely wrong burger. I point this out specifically because it really was a retarded guy behind the counter (he looked and talked like a retarded person), and by the way the other employees were talking, it seemed like this was common for him. I really don't see why they just don't fire him. It wouldn't really be discrimination, since he really can't do the job right.

Another thing about these things though, I can't believe that they have to throw the food out when they mess up an order. I don't know the number of times I've seen perfectly good food just thrown in the trash, all just because they messed up someone's order. I understand it's for health reasons or whatever, but couldn't they at least ask the person if they want the food anyway instead of just throwing it away? It could be a way of apologizing for making the mistake in the first place, and it wouldn't be just a waste of food.

I know from experience that it's very, very, very, VERY difficult to fire employees with mental disorders. Most people would rather deal with the few complaints they get rather than go through the long process of termination.

I love when peoples orders get fucked up. I work as a dishwasher in a resteraunt, and say someone didn't get the right steak, guess where it goes... to me :) No one gets pissed if you tell them your order is wrong

The worst is when a pizza delivery place gets your order wrong. See, I'm a vegetarian, and that's not for ethical reasons, or even health reasons. I really don't like the taste of meat, in general. When the pizza place accidentally send me a meat pizza, that's just no good to me at all. After so long not eating the stuff, I'd probably not keep it down even if I tried.

These days, I make the guy wait until I open the lid. They don't like that, but it's the only way to be sure, since I've had an accidental meat pizza delivered to me before. If I find out when the guy already left, that's me out of pocket, and with a pizza that I won't eat.

I'm a really picky eater so I ALWAY insist on them getting it right. In their defense, I usually have a laundry list of specials (I want the number 4 with no cheese, no mayo, extra ketchup, grilled onions and curly fries instead of normal fries). But because I'm such a picky eater, if they mess up one aspect of it, I insist they get it right. And then worry if they spit in my food.

I hate it the most when you order it to go, take it home and find out they got it wrong. Then you debate whether or not to drive the 5 miles back to the resturant or feed it to the dog and eat cup ramen for the night.

I just say tell them my order is wrong. No need to get upset :)
We all make mistakes once in a while.

should call them back and complain then, my sister did that once when they gave her BBQ sauce with the potato wedges instead of sour cream and chive like she had asked and stated about 3 times when ordering over the phone. so this poor guy had to come round again to deliver a little pot of sour cream and chive sauce XD

I'd usually go back and tell them they got it wrong. Even if it's take out, my parents make me verify that everything is correct before we leave. If it's a simple mistake like forgetting the bacon on my "Big Bacon Classic" at Wendy's, then i'd just give it back, they'd toss the bacon on, i'd leave happy. But if the order itself is completely wrong, then maybe i'd have a hissy fit about it. They were the one's taking my order, they should've been listening. And usually I say things very clearly and try not to be such an ass while ordering. I don't want to be one of those people who people bitch about on message boards. <_<

Other than that, it would be an honest mistake and I wouldn't get too mad about it. Everyone makes mistakes, so why worry about it?

I usually calmly tell them that it's not what I order. I had this almost happen to me last Sunday. The waitress came around with food that didn't look anything like what we ordered. Luckily she asked if we order it before setting it down.

I never get mad but I definitely let them know. My thing is, I really try not to be too picky, and if it's something I can take off myself (tomatoes, for example) I won't order it special. But I HATE mayonnaise. The only time I get mad is when I check my burger and you can tell that there used to be mayo on it, but some numbskull tried to wipe it off, hoping I wouldn't notice.

Nice try, dipshit.

My family will usually have patience with wrong orders.
Except at Hardees(Carl Jr.s to you southerners).

I swear, those places are required to hire the dregs of human existance...
ANY Hardees I've eaten at, they usually screw up at least part of the order.

Not to mention the time it took well over 45 min. to get our order way back when they had that stint of selling chicken(like KFC chicken) because of various screw ups on their end...

EDIT:
Oh yea. And it's AMAZING how a place can give you the wrong drink AND take 5 min to get your order when you're the ONLY one in the drive through. lol

I guess, but I'm usually with someone else who would have eaten a vegetable pizza but will always eat meat.. :)

At that point, I'm not really in the mood for pizza, myself.

I usually try to be polite, go back and calmly tell them that my food has been taking a rather long time or that they got it wrong. I find the more polite you are, the more free stuff they'll give you because they fucked up.

I used to work at Hardees. Thanks a bunch : D

The problem with Hardees isn't in the people working there. About 90% of the time, orders are wrong because of the customer or problems in communication. Often times people would drive up in monstrous diesel trucks and not turn their engine off. The drive through microphone can't block out the sound of an engine that loud.

The order screens were always fucked up. At McDonalds, there's a simple screen that lets you press buttons to take off or add on certain topping. At Hardees, the touch screens constantly froze up, and adding or subtracting toppings required going through 4 or 5 different menus. No matter how small the order, I always repeated it back to them before they paid. It never failed that at least once a day, I'd have someone come back up and say, "ma'am, I didn't want mayo on this." etc.

Just a tip if you want your orders to be correct more often: Order slowly. Most cashiers can get one person's order, but if you're ordering for 3 or 4 different people and each order has a different soda, sandwhich, topping, etc., make sure you leave some time for the cashier to get it all down.

Also, the name doesn't nessicarily change according the region. The Hardees I worked at was in Arkansas and there are still plenty in Texas.

I mentioned Carl Jr. because, on another forum, I brought up the name "Hardees" and everyone was all "Huh? What's that?"

I can forgive if the order is complicated and all, but you gotta admit that it's pretty sad they can screw up "1 large Coke" for "1 large Dr. Pepper"...

It's not sad--it's understandable. I've actually done that before. The manager was bitching at me and a cooking timer was going off at the same time. The customer tapped on the glass, showed me the reciept, and I fixed it.

The over looked part of fast food is that there're multiple things going on other than your order, even when it doesn't seem that busy. It's not always stupid kids sitting around waiting for an order to fuck up.

I simply point out their error without getting angry about it. I've had to work in a retail environment before, so I understand that sometimes the cashier makes mistakes. Rather than make the situation tense by acting hostile, I usually stay calm.

I think Carl Jr.'s is a West Coast thing, not a southern one.

You know what though? Part of the deal about working in the fast food industry is that the statement you made isn't true. Getting an order wrong is always your fault. Even when it isn't. If you don't accept that, then your customer will go elsewhere. I'm never rude about orders that got screwed up, but the first time a cashier tells me that it was my own fault is the last. I'll insist on seeing his manager, and I won't ever return to that place again.

I never get angry with a cashier in any establishment for making a mistake, but I expect to be treated with courtesy as long as I treat them in the same way. It's the same in retail. I have dealt with the most egregious assholes across the counter in a retail store, but I would never stoop to their level. Even if they decide to actually be rude to me, then it's my job to be nice to them. The only time that changes is if they break the rules by being violent, or personally abusive.

Soluzar, we finally agree on something! I have worked in a restaurant, too, and I can tell you that at the place I worked, the old-fashioned rule that "the customer is always right" still stood. If an employee didn't like that policy, they'd be shown the door in a hurry.

I think everyone should work either a food-service or retail job at least once in their lives, because after I had to kiss ass to every customer walking through the doors for a few months, it made me tend to appreciate that same politeness from others that bit more. I've never exactly been an asshole to people who were serving me, but I tend to be that bit more pleasant these days, because I've been there, and done that.

This has only happened to me a few times. Usually I order something off the dollar menu, and once I get called up, they give me an all-out meal. Most of the time I'll correct their mistake. However, at a certain McDonalds (in the Chicago Field Museum), I ordered two cheeseburgers off the dollar menu and ended up getting a chicken sandwich meal. I took it because everything there was over-priced (stand-alone burgers are $4 and up).

I'd ring up in that situation. Infact, I did just that a few years ago. My brother & I were home alone for the evening and ordered some pizzas, but when the guy brought them they weren't ours. He had already driven off so we called the place up and explained it. 30 mins later the guy comes back, gives us our pizzas and apologises for the mix up, then just stands there for a second - assumedly waiting for the return of the other pizzas. Well we had no intention of doing that so said goodnight and closed the door.

Speaking of pizza, places that don't actually do what you ask for piss me right off. If I ask for bits of chicken or extra cheese or whatever, just put it on and add a dollar to the price, simple. Don't act like you understand, and even repeat it over the phone, but not do it.


Edit: Forgot I'm not in the sewers, hah.

You know what else? I never said that I treated customers as if they were wrong. When they were, I never told myself they were right--no reason to lie to yourself. I just sucked it up and fixed their order. Big difference between lying and losing a bit of pride.

I gained a some understanding after working in fast food conditions. I'm more polite with cashiers/waiters/waitresses, but I also don't have a problem admiting that I was wrong when placing an order.

When I go out to eat Ive actually gotten to the point that I dont have a prefrence. So when orders get mixed up, I just eat what they bring. Unless its something completely off the wall.

Of course the ticket better match the meal. Im not paying for something I didnt get.

I'm not a picky eater, though I recently gave up meat. And I don't eat enough as it is to be picky so any food is fine with me regardless if it's right or wrong. I haven't gone out to get fastfood in awhile, with the exception of carne-asada-less fries every now and then.

However, I went to a cafe to study and ordered an iced french roast coffee thing. They gave it to me hot but I didn't mind. The girl eventually came up to me and asked if I ordered it iced. I said yes, she fixed it, that was that.

I'd never get angry over something like that.

I have no tolerance whatsoever for peeps getting my order wrong. That is just unacceptably bad service. I cannot even tell you how much it pisses me off to see pickles on my burger when I specifically said "No pickles!", or no BBQ sauce in my bag when the person themselves ASKED me if I wanted sauce. I won't purposefully by mean or rude to the worker that failed at theri job, but that won't stop me from hurriedly walking into the store to get my actual order.

It's like what Ug lee says in the Salute your Shorts opening song: "Get it right or pay the price!"

I'm a bit worse then PiccoloNamek, as I like my bugers plain: meaning Cheese, Meat, and buns... so when I see ketcup or pickles on there I get mad. I will always go back up and request a plain version, looks of the order people be dammed. I occasionally like Mayo on it, but very little, and they always put on too much. I wish there was a make your own burger place... as in you put on the condiments yourselves.

If its a sit down resturant, I'll just simply have them get the right order.

Ooh, I like my burgers plain too!
Sometimes people get confused, and think "so no cheese on that cheeseburger?" or they think plain = all the toppings.

I don't get mad, but 90% of all the orders that were wrong occured at the one McDonald's I frequented, and it was always around midnight.

For order mistakes, I'll usually come back to the cashier to point out the error, and I've had no trouble with this.

But when the cashier doesn't get the price right in the first place, I definitely feel like fucking capping him in the mouth. Such a thing happened about a week ago in Checkers. They has some ads for some specials, and, as I always do, I precalculated the price, to be about $10.50. They charged $13 at the order speaker prompt thing, so I figured I'd ask what's up at the pick-up window. Well, all I got there was just a stupid fucking nigger (excuse my redundancy), so my friend and I just decided to cancel the order and go to the Checkers that's run by beaners (who work hard, yo, and are better at math). There, we got the correct price and even faster and more friendly service. And we had our death-promoting Checkers. yum.

I guess I should have clarified that I usually only get upset about getting the wrong order when the damned order ticket itself says the correect thing.
Or when ordering from a Hardees 'cause my whole family has ALWAYS had trouble at ANY Hardees. lol

If it is a sit-and-eat place and there is something big wrong (like a completely different dish) I will politey let them know...

something minor like adding something I did not ask for... i would not care.

Every fast food place I go into --literally EVERY-- screws it up when I say the words, "Sprite, no ice." How hard is it to see or realize that I'm too poor to be trifling with frozen water? I can't be expected to afford that! Or when my cousin says, "no ketchup," they still screw up...

I rememeber my friend Sanders ordering "fresh smoked salmon" and getting a shredded salmon served to him...

Okay. I understand this place isn't called the "Kitchen" anymore, but anybody who likes fresh smoked salmon knows that shredded salmon is salmon that was mechanically separated by machines. Anybody who will say 'but what if the chef just prepared it that way?' is a moron, or has not physically seen the difference for their own eyes, and probably has never enjoyed a fresh smoked salmon.

Now that was half of what bothered me. The other half is the fact the waiter insisted it was fresh salmon, and was getting agitated over the fact Sanders rejected it. Sanders is a gruff individual to begin with, so he didn't back down. Instead, he ordered an angus burger, paid his tab, and dropped the burger on the floor. I laughed so hard. I usually would be against the waste of food, but considering how unprofessional the waiter was, it was justified.

edit: Sanders dropped the burger on the floor intentionally for anybody who didn't pick up on that.

L...O...L, simply put, Fatt

I find that the more someone screws up on an order, the greater the chances of getting something extra out of it in hopes of making you "forget" it ever happened (like a free cookie, or in one case at Pizza Hut, a free order of cinnamon sticks.) Just about every time I have been given the wrong thing at a restauraunt, they are happy to recitify the situation. Be it a pacekt of honey sauce (which almost always happens at Wendy's), or leaving out an order of fries. Truthfully, if there was ever a time that I was met with undue hostility when requesting they re-check the order, I would have a little chat with the manager, as I am only asking to get what I paid for.

So, instead of fixing the good yourself, you'd rather feed it to your dog? Thank God your ridiculous "picky eating," doesn't affect my wallet. I'd slap you silly.

Myself, I always insist they get the order right. If it's something minor, like they forgot to hold the onions, I can do humanity a service by not throwing away perfectly good food, and STRAIN myself to take them off. That's a very difficult thing for people to do nowadays, apparently.

If it's something huge, however, like say I order fifteen cheeseburgers, and they only give me ten, I'm going to storm in there and raise hell, because that's just not even reasonable.