twenty two minutes for a fucking burrito?

The BBQ Pit
1

well, yes, I do in fact know that some people would pay quite a bit more for a burrito that fucks, but…

Ok, so my day started off shitty. A four hour mandatory in-service on Customer Service. Naturally, I left it more than a little cranky. Especially since it caused me to run late for my other standing appointment (giving an employment lecture at the county jail). Even more because it meant at best I’d have to do fast food and only a part of that, lunch (the inservice served some sugary rolls before 8 am, no break longer than 10 minutes until just before noon, I was supposed to be at the jail by 12:20, and it’s 20 minutes away, I’m usually at the jail for 2- 3 hours, so I really needed something more substantial than a tiny two bite sweet roll).

oh, what luck, there’s a Taco Bell across from the jail. The drive through is backed up quite a ways, so I elect to go in. Mistake number one. (though in my defense, I kept hearing Joe Pesci “they fuck you at the drive through”)

There’s a line, ok, I step in. and wait.

and wait.
Finally, it’s my turn at the register. I order one Spicey Chicken Burrito, that’s all please. Pay my bill and wait.

and wait.
long line of other folks waiting, but I’m trying to be patient. Some woman comes around, asks about her food, they look at her reciept, realize some one else has taken her food, immediately stop with what they were doing and remake her order.

Fine, I think, and continue to wait.
and wait.

The person in front of me gets her (large) order and I think “oh, good, finally, they’ll be making my burrito”.

I’m shocked as I see the woman making the orders grab up two taco shells, and proceed to fill 'em. I think to myself “well, maybe there’s some one further down the line making my poor little burrito”. She finishes that order (large) hands it out to the person who’d been behind me in line. I look around, there’s only two other people waiting. They don’t look familiar to me. I ask them “were you behind me?” “yes” was the answer.

I look and the woman is busy making more tacos.

I say in a voice loud enough for both the woman making the food and the cash register guy to hear (he was collecting trash from a bin in the customer area). “You’re making up orders for people who came in **after ** me. I want my money back”.

Cash register guy pulls up trash bag, and moseys on back behind the counter. I swear to all that’s holy, that I’ve never before seen some one ‘mosey’. This guy moseyed.

He says nothing to me as he passed by, but I thought, erroneously as it turned out, that he would immediately go to the register and give me my fucking $1.32 back. (yes, by that time, I’m sure, my money was indeed fucking, probably procreating, too).

But no, he turns the other direction and moseys all the way down to the back of the damn food prep area and carefully places the trash into the bin.

then turns back and moseys back down the food prep area and stops behind the woman making up the orders and whispers some things to her, while gesturing. Neither, again, say anything to me.

She continues working on the order and he proceeds to pick up small pieces of loose paper directly to her right, cleaning up a little area by the food prep.

I say, agagin "excuse me, but you don’t need to spend time talking to **anyone ** else, just refund my money and let me leave.

I mean, by this time, I’ve waited over 20 fucking minutes (yes, minutes, too, can be fucking and I’d damn rather be fucking for 20 minutes than be waiting for a sub standard fast food burrito 'cause that’s all I’ve got time for before I head off talking to 18 guys in jump suits about the advantages of working for a living), have given up on my food, am already angry. Your best bet at this point, from a ‘customer service’ standpoint is to acknowledge me, appologize profusely all the while in the process of opening the damned register and giving me my money back so I’ll leave your establishment.

But no. Cash register guy is still closely examining the straw wrapper that was left on the counter, while food prep woman is completing the order for the person who was two people behind me when I ordered my damned little burrito.

I say again, more forcefully “Now. I am already late for my appointment”

and they finally both come over to the register, open it and give me my refund.

Never once saying ‘we’re sorry for the wait’. Never once looking me in the eye. Never once.

and I’m the one that got sent to a four fucking hour (yes, hours, too, can fuck, and often are even better than fucking minutes) inservice on 'customer service???

(yes, I did contact Taco Bell Central and let them know. And yes, I did tell Taco Bell central that it was lunch hour, I overheard them say they were short staffed, etc but damn, there’s sit down restaurants to offer a ‘to your table in 30 minutes’ deal. and I can’t get one fucking burritto in 20+ minutes???)

2

I think that after 10 minutes the term “fast food” no longer applies. That sucks, but what do you really expect from employees in such a demoralizing industry?

3

one spicey chicken burrito.

in less than twenty two minutes.

4

Good rant, though I’m not sure whether it was food that you needed or sex.

5

That sucks, wring. Me, I had a tasty, spicy, gigantic burrito for lunch from the local burrito stand; even though the restaurant was full, I got it in less than five minutes.

Taco Bell tears up my guts.
Daniel

6

I love Taco Bell.

But that spicy chicken burrito sucks ass. And not in a good way.

7

If I could get a decent burrito here, I’d wait an hour for it. I’d wait a week, in fact, if it wasn’t for the fact the beans would go mouldy by then.

But yeah, I can see how waiting 22 minutes at Taco Bell would suck.

8

Report their poor performance to headquarters. Be sure to specify the exact location, date and time. You’ll probably receive some nice discount coupons in the mail and that site’s crew will get their clock cleaned by a district manager. I bet there won’t be too many 20+ minute burritos after that.

9

Ha ha ha. Sure there won’t. Suuuure there won’t.

10

I have never had to wait 20 minutes at any Taco Bell in my entire life. I’d think that even a few slow service complaints would begin to erode any merit pay increases for the squad leaders at that site. It’s also a good way not to get promoted.

11

Then they either

A. Work harder, build a stronger staff, spend the time and effort to train and motivate that staff, KEEP that staff, and improve the level of service

B. Get frustrated, get angry, quit/get fired and be replaced by the next one.
I’ve never waited 20 minutes either (HAVE had my order fucked up, HAVE been told they have no meat left, HAVE been given half of my order and told to have a nice day, repeatedly), but do I believe it’s because customer complaints motivate Taco Bell staff to perform?

12

I once went to a Taco Bell and they were out of…wait for it…

Taco Shells.

Huh. Kinda like McDonalds being out of hamburger buns.

13

:D:D:D

Enjoy,
Steven

14

Ya lay down with dogs, you’re gonna spend a lot of time waiting and being frustrated.

I bet this isn’t the only time something like that has happened to you?

Do what I try to do. Don’t set foot in convenience stores or fast food places. All it takes is a little planning and you eliminate so much irritation and stress.

Those non-change-making, don’t know a fucking thing about anything in the store, give-a-fuck less about you or your food people really were pissing me off til I realized that I could do without them - now about the only time I pull into a convenience store lot is for gas and I pay at the pump with my card.

As for fast food - I suspect I am better off without it.

This may not have self-actualized me, but I sure feel better. Now if I could just get on my own streets and away from all those drivers on public streets - well I’d be all set.

15

First job I ever had, aside from mowing lawns and babysitting and doing chores around the parental manse, was at Taco Bell. Boy howdy have standards slipped.

I got fired for not being fast enough. The standards of the time were:

• You jot down the order as the customer orders, on the wipeable entry thingie (this was WAY before computerized)…
• You repeat back the order while punching in the prices on the cash register (which was also not computerized) and you’d damn well better have the final price including tax ready by the time you finish reciting, e.g., “That was two tacos and a combo burrito with green sauce hold the onions, a tostada an enchirito a small doctor pepper and a medium pepsi four dollars and twenty seven cents please step around YES (to the next person) may I help you?”
• If you are on steam line, you damn well better have the entire order done and ready to hand to the person before the order after next is taken because the wipeable entry thingie only has room for three orders and the oldest is going to get wiped off as soon as you call it out “done”. In fact, you’re supposed to be making it in the time that the cash reg person is repeating the order back and making change. This is rush hour.

And it was uphill from the parking lot that I had to walk every morning to get in the doors, I’m telling you…

16

Thank you for sharing, AHunter3. Due to modernization, that “wipeable thingie” is now much more a part of the customer’s own post process activities.

17

Y’know Wring, there’s a silver lining. You really are better off without that burrito.

18

hawhawhaw!

19

One thing that I have noticed in all my years of fattening up at the trough is that most fast food joints tend to rush for the drive through-car orders and take their sweet time for walk-ins.

Does any place have such a policy of priority for cars, or is this just a perception I have.

20

Oakland Taco Bells, until recently, were particularly bad.

I once ordered a chicken burrito and was told they were out of tortillas, chicken and rice.