Worst customer service I ever seen

United States
January 9, 2010 11:38am CST
The other day, I was on McDonald's drive through with my girlfriend, I only order a a drink, and she ordered crispy chicken sandwich. After we get by the window, the lady who handed the order to us was wrong after we open it. So, we go back and tell her about it. She seems unhappy, and mumbling with her mouth. I told her what is wrong, that is not my problem, you made that mistake, not mine. I just want that crispy chicken sandwich, and I have my receipt here, would you like to take a look at it? I meant it is no big deal if you made a mistake, I would forgive you. But don't give me that face, it seems like I try to frame her.
4 people like this
21 responses
@warvial (1146)
• Singapore
10 Jan 10
Yes, I don't understand how can customer service drop to such a low level. No offense to those in the customer service line but I really felt that ever since don't know when, although many said that customer service is improving, but I don't see that. Often, it's the other way round where I played the role of a polite customer and the service personnel gave me a very bad service and yet I have to pay for their no service.
@sikat101 (149)
• Philippines
10 Jan 10
Me, too. I can't take it when I am polite and nice and I still get bad service especially when I patiently waited in line and I get a smirk.
• Philippines
9 Jan 10
It has happened to me many times before. It's so irritating for me because the cashier/crew is the one who had made a mistake still he's the one mumbling. In the first place it's their job so why so much hate. It just irritates me whenever that happens.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
12 Jan 10
Hi louierrific, It usually is not the cashier nor the person that is handing the food threw the drive-thru that is to blame for these kind of mistakes. It is usually the people in the kitchen that mess up the order. It is the girl in the window that actually is probably doing her job and taking crap for everyone elses mistakes. I agree that it not good for her to show her attitude in front of the customers but I'm just saying that the rolled eyes and frustration are probably really meant for the people that are making the mistakes that are getting her the complaints and it must just suck being blamed over and over for someone elses mistakes. It's got to be tough.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
9 Jan 10
Yes, she should have just taken the order back apologized for the mistake and fixed it with a smile. That is the correct way to handle things. She was probably just in a bad mood over something else or she was having a bad day, and might have actually been mad at herself or one of her co-workers for making mistakes that day, but still she should have never let you the customer see her bad side like that.
• United States
9 Jan 10
I would forgive her anyway, since I got my order right at the end. I won't make such as big scene and call her manager out. It is okay with me now.
@BinaryKat (735)
• United States
9 Jan 10
Oh yeah I had that problem in a McDonald's before. I just wish sometimes they would just fess up and say you right I should have made sure I had your order right. One time my cousin and I got McDonalds, and the grape pop in the soda machine had ran out so we told them. We waited several minutes and no one came to put more in the machine, so we ended up filling it up with lemonade.
• United States
9 Jan 10
I guess we won't expect any positive result from McDonald's employee training program to help out the customer service better. Since it is a low paying job, and a fast food chain. We only expect our order is right, that is all.
@maezee (41997)
• United States
9 Jan 10
I've had that happen to me before too. It seems like a lot of fast food workers seem.. disgruntled to be doing what they're doing. But hey! That's not our fault, is it? If anything as customers, they should be courteous like their company wants them to. If you still have your receipt, it usually shows a teller number or cashier number/name, and you could write to the store or call them and speak to a manager - and express your feelings about this. I love doing this! I do this all the time. Companies always want to improve their customer service and hate to see that anyone's found a flaw in it. You should definitely complain.
• United States
9 Jan 10
I would like to do that, to file a complaint; on the second thought, I might put that particular person in jobless list, and I really can't do such thing like that. Maybe she needs some source of income for her family. So, I just let it go, as long as she correct that mistake.
1 person likes this
@danitykane (3183)
• Philippines
9 Jan 10
hi king! I also had several experiences with bad customer service. I sometimes think that why some of them are in that line of job, if their temper and assistance are very poor. I worked as a frontliner before and never treated any customer poorly. I just hate it when a customer representative have attitude and unfriendly.
• United States
10 Jan 10
lack of training and discipline, that is the major problem. Just think about it, there were many competition out there. I don't have to go to McDonlad. I could go to Wendy's, or Burger King. Should I only visit McDonald, spend my money like that, and deserve an attitude?
• United States
10 Jan 10
a lot of fast food workers are like that. on the one hand,i feel sorry for them if they hate their job-but on the other,i want what i paid for. i went to a mc'd one time with a friend,and they left out the hamburger pattie altogether from the food.he thought the kids in the back were playing a joke as they might well of been.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
12 Jan 10
Hi Kingparker, Not to take the girls side at all because regardless of the reason, she should not be making faces. I have a daughter that works in fast food. When she works the window handing out food then the orders that are wrong are usually not her fault. The mistake sometimes lies with the person that is at the first window that is taking the orders. More often than not, it is the fault of the person that is in the kitchen making up the sandwhiches. She may have made the face because she gets the disgruntled customers and gets blamed for something that is more than likely not her fault.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
20 Mar 11
Hi. kingparker. That is a shame. When someone knows that they have done something wrong, their attitude then becomes stinky. This woman was just mad, because they know that they have a made a mistake when they gave you the wrong order. You are not the only person that has taken back the wrong order before. I have been in the car with my husband and kids when he has taken back every wrong order. Sometimes, I will plead with him not to, but he still does. He feels that if he has paid for his order, then he should be given the correct order. McDonald's has mixed up our order so many of times before. And, they have because they are rushing and trying to get so many other orders out of the way. Her attitude was uncalled for. That is how the workers are. They get upset when they know that they have messed up. Well then, she will just have to brush it off and do better next time, slowly though!
@nitu1952 (286)
• India
10 Jan 10
customer service is one of the really wonderful way to solve various problems and also they provide various types of a particular thing. in some fields customer service is really very vworst. one's problem is not solved inspite of our various efforts.
• United States
12 Jan 10
It is sad when you get that kind of reaction. We all know it is easy to make a mistake and it is always best to just smile, say you are sorry and fix the problem for the customer. Although you never really know what is going on with another person, perhaps they we having a real bad day, or a customer before you was real rude to them, or they are struggling with some big issue. I have worked in fast food before and it was honestly one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. None of this is an excuse to give bad customer service but I find it is easier to deal with people like that if I imagine that they are just having a rough time. I have even said to people before who were rude "You must be having a rough day." and it is amazing how many times they tell you of something they are dealing with. I have worked customer service for years and while there is never an excuse for being rude to a customer, I remember when my mom was sick and dying of cancer, it was some days real hard to be nice. I hope next time you find a nicer person behind the counter. Have a great day!
• United States
9 Jan 10
This happens all the time my good lad, what you see here is a classic case of an employee who hates their life and their job.
• United States
9 Jan 10
I guess so, that grimace and that attitude won't lead her anywhere. Even she becoems a high - salary sales personnel in a skyhigh building. Without a good personality, and good training, she simply piss all the customers off.
@myzire72 (1154)
• Singapore
12 Jan 10
Right, I agree that this kind of customer service sucks, and makes you promise to yourself that you will never ever want to step back in again. In fact, not only in the fast-food chains, any kind of industries where there is direct contact with customers, scenarios like this tend to happen, just to play fair to McDonald's. On the other hand, this incident clearly shows us how important the role of service workers can be. The order-taking lady may be a low-ranking staff in McDonald's, however, how she treats the customers could easily be generalized to how all McDonald's staff treat their customers. For cases like this, I will normally speak with the manager and let him get me what I want. As for that offending staff, it's up to him to decide what to do.
• United States
22 Apr 11
In my opinion, good customer service comes from how a person was raised as a child. If you were allowed to talk to your parents and others in any kind of way, you are not faded when a customer is upset with your attitude toward them. Also, it is always good to treat others how you want to be treated.
• Malaysia
10 Jan 10
I agree with you. It only irritates us more if the person who is obviously wrong makes a face of disgust or mumbles something instead of apologizing for the mistake. I hate that when it happens and I don't like to scold and complain, but if it really serious, I would surely say something that is not nice!
@Tallygirl09 (1380)
• United States
10 Jan 10
I can understand how you felt as it's happened to us too. It's like we are bothering them by asking for what we supposed to get the first time. And it's sad that so many times, they don't realize that they are making their own lives worse with that attitude. Because she made a sour face, you were not happy but didn't curse her out or anything, how many others might have? I know I'd find it hard to do that job, on your feet all day for little pay and little respect. Also, sometimes the person at the window isn't the one who put the order together so she might not be the one who made the mistake. But you are right, a quick sorry about that, let's fix it would have made everything better all the way round. I've come to realize that some people are just sour in general from morn to night, always negative and I avoid them but they are out there. Think you might have met one of em. And the bottom line is the customer is always right and I'm sure McDonald's teaches that.
@machizmo (279)
• United States
10 Jan 10
Alot of people in those kinds of jobs are not enjoying them. If someone does not care or enjoy their job, their worth ethic will be very small. I have had them give me all kinds of wrong orders. I try to deal with it in the best way I can without making the worker feel horrible.
@asfiona (174)
• India
10 Jan 10
McDonalds is always crowdy so may be staff were really gets tired and showing the face like that. Its not suppose to react like that. Its thier part of a job whether they are tired or not they have to give good service for customer. They should understand thier limit, should be always alert in thier mind that they are meant to give a good serve.
• Philippines
10 Jan 10
This happens all the time really.. This happens to me many time. But they can't get out of my anger. i mean, I am a customer. I have all the rights. Those making faces and mumbling of words are a big no no. i don't know what attitude some of the people has that they tend to reciprocate the anger of others towards them if they made a mistake. I think it is how they cover up their shame and faults.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
10 Jan 10
That is common nowadays. I had once worked at a fast-food restaurant here in the Philippines (the main competitor of McDonald's in our country) as part-time job, and during my less-than-a-month stay there, I noticed that most of my coworkers really had that mumbling-behind-your-back attitude, which I found absolutely rude. I always felt sad for the customer. Since I was only new there I would always make mistakes as crew and would feel sorry for them. I hated to see them waiting, because, I, too, am a customer and I know how it feels to be given the wrong orders or to be kept waiting in line. I couldn't take the job, the environment, my coworkers, and the management so I resigned. Fast-food restaurants are not the best working places in this planet. Sometimes they just can't help but be that way because of the stressful nature of their job.