Am I really an asshole?

[Fish]

[hijack]I was working as a Wendy’s manager when they were phasing the salad bars and Super Bars out of the stores. They were removed because the profit margin on such things is pretty miniscule, considering the amount of stuff on a salad bar that gets thrown away every day (or every two days). Some stuff just went bad and looked unattractive after a short time, so out it went: diced eggs, wedged tomatoes, sliced green peppers, and so on. Also, there were several products whose profits depended strongly on the weather in California or Peru or wherever in the hell stuff came from.

Not only that, but such things required an extra full-time employee on every shift merely to keep all of the products looking pretty and the ice level up to health code. Very expensive things to run, really.[/hijack]

[The_Asbestos_Mango]

Fish, do you think that this would make something like a Works Bar untenable? I’m thinking that because the amount of each veggie being smaller, there would be less stuff out there to go bad, you wouln’t have a lot of things like the shredded carrots, cheese, broccoli, chopped eggs, etc. that would come with a full-scale salad bar, the cost-benefit ratio of the Works Bar would be more favorable. It would probably be lower maintainance, too. Instead of a full-scale salad bar to maintain, probably someone could just run out from the kitchen with a new tub of onions when it ran out.

[Dung_Beetle]

@Amberlei

For an example of assholeish behavior, how’s this? I was once at a McDonald’s with an acquaintance. He ordered a chicken sandwich, and when we got to the table and he opened his sandwich, he immediately stood up, yelled “Fuck this! I want to see a manager here now!” and proceeded to make quite the scene. One of the counter workers came over to see if she could help, and he started yelling at the poor girl, insisting that she send a manager to see him NOW. The manager did come, took my acquaintance into the back, and when they both emerged, my acquaintance had 5 vouchers for a free sandwich and another sandwich with two pieces of chicken. The reason he felt justified in making such a scene? One piece of chicken didn’t completely cover the bun.

You, on the other hand, had a perfectly legitimate right have the staff rectify their error. As long as you were polite and didn’t cause a scene, then you did absolutely nothing wrong.

Wow. Does your friend have any idea how much of other people’s boogers and spit he has consumed as a penalty for acting like that in a restaurant?

Re the OP: Not an asshole.

[Ludovic]

I’ve used the “only” and “just” phrases, and believe it or not, they do not work as well at limiting upselling as asking for a sternly-worded sandwich. However, places that contiually try to upsell do lose points when I decide where to go, it’s not a dealbreaker but it can make the difference.

[kittenblue]

@The Asbestos Mango

Fish, do you think that this would make something like a Works Bar untenable? I’m thinking that because the amount of each veggie being smaller, there would be less stuff out there to go bad, you wouln’t have a lot of things like the shredded carrots, cheese, broccoli, chopped eggs, etc. that would come with a full-scale salad bar, the cost-benefit ratio of the Works Bar would be more favorable. It would probably be lower maintainance, too. Instead of a full-scale salad bar to maintain, probably someone could just run out from the kitchen with a new tub of onions when it ran out.

Fuddrucker’s has a Works Bar. It’s fine for a sit-down type place, but explain how you think this would work at a drive-thru? Or even inside a Burger King at peak times when there are lines of people everywhere?

[Peter_Morris]

@Q.E.D.

Actually, no you don’t. Some places will not serve you eggs which aren’t fully cooked, for example, because the law (right or wrong) says they cannot. So, in that case, you would not have a right to get the eggs sunny side up that you ordered. In point of fact, the restaurant can serve you the food any way that they wish, within the limits of the law. Of course, if you don’t like it, you can vote with your dollar and go elsewhere, and you do have the right to do that.

I’m sure this is wrong - at least under British law, and I’d guess that US law is similar.

The burger bar is not under any obligation to accept your order - but if they decide to accept it, that is a binding contract that they are obliged to honour. They can’t give you something different and charge you for it.

[AussieSilverback]

@jastu

I always have a special order when I go to any fast food place. I’ve often had to return orders because they have put mayo on the burger after I have expressly requested no mayo. Fast food restaurant or no you have a right to get what you ordered and paid for.

On the other hand though I knew someone who found fault with every meal he ordered in fast food or take away establishments, and complained aggressively until he was given a voucher for a free meal. Eventually every place within cooee knew of him and this scam and refused to give any more free meals. No you are not an asshole.

Serial complainers need to watch out. It’s not at all uncommon for their replacement order to come complete with complimentary spit. I’ve spoken to quite a few people who worked in restaurants, and they all have tales to tell about how they ‘got even’ with an over critical customer.

[The_Asbestos_Mango]

@kittenblue

Fuddrucker’s has a Works Bar. It’s fine for a sit-down type place, but explain how you think this would work at a drive-thru? Or even inside a Burger King at peak times when there are lines of people everywhere?

Well, in a drive-thru, I guess the guys in the “kitchen” would have to handle it. But even at peak times, a two-sided works bar with just a few items, or maybe two of them (I envision something considerably smaller than a salad bar) forming a couple of islands where a salad bar would be if the place had a salad bar could probably accomodate the rush crowd. We’re talking putting fixin’s on a burger here, not constructing the Taj Mahal.