McRant

The BBQ Pit
#41

I’m more puzzled by the automated upselling that goes on at my local Taco Bell:

::pulls into drive-thru::

<Don Pardo voice> “HELLO!! Would you like to try one of our Fiesta Steak Burritos??”

"Uh, no, I’ll have <blah blah>

<completely different, faint voice> “OK, so that’s <blah blah>. Please pull around.”

?? What is the point of playing a voice recording of some smooth mouthpiece asking me if I’d like to try something new? If I said yes, would the automated voice continue? “GREAT!!! Please pull around for your delicious Fiesta Steak Burrito!!!”

Does that approach actually work on anyone? “Gee - he sounds so enthusiastic and professional! I’d love to buy a Fiesta Steak Burrito from him!” And what happens when they’re crushed by the sight of the non-automated guy handing them their food? “Hey! Where’s that smooth-talker that took my burrito order?!”

#42

The evidence continues to grow that Cecil has not yet begun to plumb the depths of ignorance on this planet. Fortunately, with folks like you around to perpetuate stupidity, he’s got a long career ahead of him.

#43

Oh, I forgot to add that you fit very nicely into the last of your three categories. Please do us - and any future possible progeny - a huge favor and don’t procreate, 'kay?

#44

Sure, Chefguy, complain about the ignorance of my post but don’t bother to actually try to respond to its points. That makes Cecil proud. :rolleyes:

UnuMondo

#45

I’ll respond to your points while I wait for you to respond to my request for a cite.

Ever hear of just taking a walk? More healthy than the walk and the fatty meal.

And I walk to my crack dealer, does that make me healthy? (Yes, I’m kidding)

That’s what it is. Just as a room with a shitter is a bathroom, a powder room, and a restroom.

Yup, that’s on topic.

At least its an origional insult… kinda.

#46

I haven’t heard anyone out there claiming that Fast Food Nation is factually inaccurate, but I know that most conservative and libertarian takes on it I’ve read disagree greatly with the author’s conclusions and proposed remedies :

http://reason.com/0111/cr.gf.chewing.shtml

http://www.nationalreview.com/weekend/books/books-kern012701.shtml

#47

Who the hell cares if Unu eats at MickyD’s 3 meals a day, 7 days a week? Is it hurting you?

Sheesh. Buncha nosey nellies in here.

#48

I hated upselling, but was pressured to do it when I worked in food service (at Subway, to be precise.) Seriously, if a customer doesn’t ask for a cookie or chips, he probably doesn’t want them. Badgering him about it probably won’t change that, and if he does cave in then at what cost? I always thought it equivalent to harassing the customer, and at the least somewhat rude. So I never did it when the manager wasn’t around.

Anyways, for my money, McDonald’s is cheap, easy, and tasty, a solid alternative to preparing something at home. I don’t know how to cook anyway, so really it’s McDonald’s or yet another batch of Mac&Cheese, Hamburger Helper, frozen pizza, or whatever I can do with the George Foreman Grill. That $1 menu, right there for me 24/7, that’s pretty nice.

#49

I doubt if anyone would care if he hadn’t announced that anyone who’s not a professional chef and cooks is a loser.

#50

People were giving him shit before he made that comment. See Techchick68’s post. Rather confrontational, with no provacation. Went downhill from there.

#51

Where did I say that? I specifically mentioned cooking as a hobby. If people actually like to cook, good for them. I’m just not in that group.

UnuMondo

#52

He was not the one to start this little shitstorm. Techchick was. She just couldn’t resist telling him that he doesn’t “know how to shop or to cook.” (Personally, I’d like to know where she gets English muffins, eggs, cheese, and ham, all for 50 cents, since it would be about double that even at the discount market around here, but that’s a whole other issue.) She could have made the point that there are cheap fast meals to make at home without sounding condescending and confrontational about the choices he makes, but instead chose to go with the cheap insult.

Unu responded with the point that he considers cooking to be a less efficient use of his time than, say, studying. He elaborates that there is almost always something better to do with one’s time than to cook, unless you happen to enjoy cooking, get paid to cook, or have absolutely nothing else to do. And then the Cooking Police had to start in about how very wrong he is, and how he’s just a loser going around insulting people, blah blah blah, bullshit bullshit bullshit.

So you’re wrong on two counts, I’m afraid. He clearly included people who cook just because they like it on the non-loser list, and it seems pretty obvious that some people cared before he ever made the post you’re referring to.

#53

Thanks for the support CrazyCatLady. I really don’t understand the invective that liking McDonald’s raises among some people. Outside of the Board I’ve noticed that people who can be perfectly fine with smoking or relatively hard drinking will violently yell at me if they know my eating habits because “McDonald’s is an evil organisation that destroys one’s health”.

I don’t judge other people for their tastes, and in fact envy people who can get by perfectly fine on healthy things like fruits and vegetables and fish, which seem pretty bland to me. So, I don’t really get why I get bashed for my eating preferences.

UnuMondo

#54

Hey!

I defended you before crazycatlady, dammit!

Where’s my love?

:wink:

#55

Lezlers, I love you even if Unu doesn’t.

As for why people get so whipped up about McDonald’s, I think it’s the huge corporation thing, myself. People react differently to them than to any of the other big fast-food places, just like they get far more whipped up about Walmart than any of the other huge chains of discount stores that sell everthing under the sun like say, Kmart or Meijers. When pressed for what makes this one company substantially different from the others in its class, these folks are often at a loss. It just is, you see.

Ridiculous, yes, but people often are.

If you’re like me and can make a list of 40 things you’d rather do than cook, and that list includes other household chores, you might want to try my solution. Find someone who cooks to marry. And I mean COOKS. You’ll have to do most of the cleanup afterwards, but it’s beyond worth it.

#56

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d be compatible with someone who prefers cooking to intellectual pursuits. That’s just me. In any event, I don’t think any home-cooked meal can compare to the goodness of a McChicken and McDonald’s fries. That’s just me.

UnuMondo

#57

Back when I was in school, 4-8 years ago, I worked at Mickey D’s. It wasn’t that bad, considering. When I worked the counter or drive-thru, we really didn’t get any hard and fast rules for “upsizing”. I was also an assistant manager my last couple of years, and never caught any flack.

If a customer said, “I would like…blah…, that’s all” then I wouldn’t upsize, period. The customer was confident in what they wanted, and I wasn’t going to convince them otherwise and potentially annoy them.

If we were having a promotion, and/or the customer sounded a little confused trying to place their order, I would by all means make some suggestions or “upsizing” pitches. However, I wouldn’t push it, I personally wanted them to enjoy the experience (whatever that’s worth). Hell, I can’t tell you how many times I would restructure an order to match up the value meals, even if they only wanted say 3 sandwiches, a couple of fries, and some drinks, saving them several dollars, and mention that to them, that it would be cheaper to do it “this” way.

Even now, when I go to a fast-food joint, I don’t have an intimate knowledge of the menus, especially with the speed they seem to switch today, so if the counter employee makes a suggestion, I will at least consider it.

#58

Mondo, Don’t just say “They hate me for what I eat”.

Techchick may have jabbed at you, but you soon let off on everyone in the thread. The loser comment was a bit rough and there really wasn’t a need for

Nobody said “You, UnuMondo!! Yeah, you! I hereby state that you shall never enter another McDonalds, for if you do you will have severely insulted me!”

Its a debate on taste, some people are saying they mind McDonalds, some are saying they don’t care. Now stop acting as if the other side just tossed your #3 value meal.

#59

Argh. I should preview. After that first quote please insert “I know many very intelligent cooks.”

Back to your regularly scheduled thread.

#60

clayton_e, would you just shut the fuck up already? So the guy doesn’t like to cook? Oh my god-neither do I!

If that’s a crime, then jail me.