#mood #arby's #grumpy
Generally this blog is focused on technology and hacking, so on and so forth. Within reason I'm a single person and can't regurgitate non-stop awesomeness all day every day. Instead we'll take a little detour to what I like to refer to as, the Arby's Chronicles.
Scene Thursday May 14th, 2015, Ryan and his wife were trying to decide on what to have for dinner, his wife says "whatever" and... Ryan is a man in love with Arby's. When the suggestion hit the table, his wife agree'd but secretly detested the idea, which she proclaimed in the parking lot of Arby's by stating "don't you remember last time we were here and that girl was just picking up food without gloves on and just cross contaminating everything?" Damn... I had forgot... its one time though right? It won't happen again, this time will be different, this time will be like the old Arby's, the good Arby's, the magical Arby's that I've learned to love. And despite the objection we still embarked on our mystical quest for epic food.
As we enter Arby's it seems desolate, 1 cashier, couple cooks, drive through lady, the standard you'd expect from any fast food joint. I already know what I want, a chicken bacon Swiss, a small mozzarella stick, and a large fry, no drink because I have bottled water. My wife wants a wrap of some sort, a large fry, and a small jamocha shake. Simple order, love the mozzarella sticks because they are ALWAYS fresh no matter what, I hate condiments but for some reason I love the tangy mustard. Everything we ordered looks great, our total comes to $19.99 which in all honesty was weird, but funny. What could go wrong?
We step to the side to the "waiting" area for our food, and we review our order, you know just to make sure everything was fine, and we noticed that my wife wasn't getting a wrap according to our receipt. Hmm not what was ordered, should be a quick adjustment right? My wife steps up to the counter to state her claim, tells the cashier and the response... less than expected. "You didn't tell me that, I put in what you told me."
Ha that's funny...wait he was serious... he stepped off after having a slight argument with my wife and goes to the cooks, tell them the corrected order, returns and says "is everything else fine with your order?" In a very smug tone, condescending because we lied or something... Look I'll be the first to say my wife was wrong when she was wrong... but she wasn't... she said wrap... I don't always listen but I clearly heard wrap... she always orders a wrap. I stood up for her and told the guy that was what she ordered, but everything else was fine. Maybe he's just having a bad day? Maybe this wasn't the first time he had been corrected today? I don't know. But hey it couldn't get any worse right?
After correcting his first mistake he goes to grab the jamocha shake for my wife, comes back, puts it down, this will be that little shining light that makes everything better right? She puts her straw in, takes a sip and puzzlement takes over her face. She hands the shake over to me and says "taste this", unto which I promptly took a sip... moved my tongue a bit to see if my mouth was lying, but it wasn't. I utter "this tastes like oranges and cream..." We didn't order an oranges and cream milkshake we ordered a jamocha shake... looks like we need another correction. As my wife was a little despondent from the first interaction I was in charge of interaction number two.
I approach the counter, place the shake on the counter, and hold my position, leaning forward as to make myself noticed. I lean in slightly further and the manager catches notice of me and comes over, asks whats wrong and politely explain. She then proceeds to snatch the shake off the counter, rip off the lid, and point at the shake and proclaim "this is a jamocha shake". Yes it was brown... but it tasted like orange... really how else is there to explain the problem. When I explained the situation to the best of my abilities, apparently she was already aware. Unto which she explained "our machine has one nuzzle but two flavors, both flavors come from the same nozzle so there is and always will be cross contamination of flavors," somewhat slams the milkshake in my hand and says "and there is nothing we can do about it." I stated that it wasn't what we ordered so she gave us a solution... "you can drink it until it becomes a jamocha shake, that's really all I can tell you."
There is nothing we can do about it? Just drink it until it changes? What the hell? Got our order wrong and got snippy with us... you made an excuse for a messed up shake... didn't offer to replace the shake... what the ever loving....
I look to my wife in complete and utter confusion, I know how I handle situations like this, I get rude... I will get rude if I have to be... but the all around air of what the eff is going on has me so baffled and befuddled I don't know what to do... maybe this was just two really bad situations rolled into one? It can't POSSIBLY get worse can it?
Our food comes out and as the cashier approaches the counter with our bags the manager begins to shout and holler at him. He places the food on the counter and begins to bicker back about giving us the wrong food. I stand frozen, not touching my food... what do I do? I have the wrong food? Do I have the right food? I don't want to leave with a salad or something... maybe they'll explain it? Or... instead just reach in my bag and start yelling at each other about how he made extra mozzarella sticks and was just going to give them to us. The manger took them away and told the employee that's not how to do things.... what? So we're just going to start yelling at each other in front of the customer?
To end the nightmare my wife takes another gulp of her shake, and puts it down on the counter to say "this tastes like shit, I'm sorry I can't drink this Ryan if you want it you can have it, the flavors are mixing and its disgusting." Our oh so pleasant cashier then takes it, goes around the corner, dumps it out and begins to complain about us as the manager once again starts yelling at the employee. Telling him that's not how a business is run, that's not what he's supposed to do, its not proper protocol, and just a slew of total bull crap. And to retort the employee starts complaining about us, stating he could be making $1,000 a day doing something else but that he needed to keep his job. I guess parole or something? I don't know. To reply the manager said it was better he dealt with us than her, because... she knows she would handle it much worse. I'm still in earshot people... I'm waiting for my shake... I can hear every single solitary word spoken about how I'm a horrible person and how I'm ruining their day. Lovely.
Does It Get Better?
The above story was paraphrased and sent to Arby's corporate explaining my complete disgust, dissatisfaction, anger, and disgruntled feelings about ever shopping at Arby's again. Stating I'll never step foot in their facilities again, the worst experience of my life in terms of food services. BUT it seems Arby's takes it customers words to heart, Arby's is a business and not a daycare, they don't care about what happens to their employee's they care about their customers, lets explain a small saga of what happened when they got my hate mail. Because to be honest, I was beyond shocked with the proceeding outcomes.
Friday night my phone rings, a call from Georgia... if my trolling nature wasn't apparent with my Microsoft Resolution thread, I answer all calls. If its a scammer I like to have fun, so lets see who it is. I answer and get a polite individual from... Arby's corporate stating they were completely horrified as to how I and my wife were both treated at that Arby's and how it's not a reflection of their values. Wow.... they read what I had to say and took it into perspective... she continued on asking me to tell the story again so she can hear it first hand, and I did without falter. She apologized non-stop for the treatment and as a way to show their appreciation offered two free meal vouchers... well that's a turn of events. Sure I'll take 'em but I don't think I'll go to the Arby's where my back has a target. All is well and good I'm getting two free meals, I'll take it.
Saturday night my phone rings again, from my general area, once again I answer all phone calls because... I want to have fun, or win something so it seems. This time... district manager for Arby's, he had received my hate mail via forwarding from their corporate office. And he started by apologizing, pretty much the same spiel that I got from corporate, but with a managerial twist of course. Apologizing constantly for the horrible treatment, how it doesn't reflect the companies values. He asks me to explain everything like I did for corporate, and without fault I explained everything. He offered two free meals, his business card, and possibly a care package. This is awesome I now have both corporate and the district manager on speed dial for every time something goes wrong. Can this get any better?
Sunday night my phone rings again, a whole new number, who is calling me this time? So it seems its the franchise owner. This time everything was a bit different, he asks me everything and explained that the employees said they gave us a new milkshake, and I once again defended what I had said, and detested the treatment. He knew we had spoken with district, he knew we had spoken with the district manager, but he wanted to reach out to us as one more entity to perfect our situation. He told me that me being a guest far outweighed his employees, his employees are supposed to make us comfortable, make us want to come back, make everything perfect, and if they can't do that he loses money and he'd rather I come back, than them. That is truly a welcoming feeling that my business is that well respected, I was flattered and this was awesome. He gave me his personal phone number and told me he wanted me to come back, as his personal guest, and to give my name to the cashier and the next meal for my wife and I would be completely free and on him.
Despite the horrible treatment and what I could only really classify as an atrocity of customer care and completely and utterly revolting experience all the way around, has turned into one of the greatest experiences I have had in a while. To have an owner, a district manager, and corporate all come praying I return is awesome. Sure some of it may have been the corporate mumbo jumbo of a pre-configured approach to making me feel better. But it worked, I will be going back to Arby's, and they have 3 chances to make sure I stay a customer for life, if not... I have the cell phone numbers of the owner and the district manager who both requested I call them if I EVER have another problem in any of their stores. Good job Arby's you won me back, but lets hope it lasts.
Don't forget to click that +1 button and share this post, and tell me what you thought about this in the comments below. And as always, be safe my goblins.
I approach the counter, place the shake on the counter, and hold my position, leaning forward as to make myself noticed. I lean in slightly further and the manager catches notice of me and comes over, asks whats wrong and politely explain. She then proceeds to snatch the shake off the counter, rip off the lid, and point at the shake and proclaim "this is a jamocha shake". Yes it was brown... but it tasted like orange... really how else is there to explain the problem. When I explained the situation to the best of my abilities, apparently she was already aware. Unto which she explained "our machine has one nuzzle but two flavors, both flavors come from the same nozzle so there is and always will be cross contamination of flavors," somewhat slams the milkshake in my hand and says "and there is nothing we can do about it." I stated that it wasn't what we ordered so she gave us a solution... "you can drink it until it becomes a jamocha shake, that's really all I can tell you."
There is nothing we can do about it? Just drink it until it changes? What the hell? Got our order wrong and got snippy with us... you made an excuse for a messed up shake... didn't offer to replace the shake... what the ever loving....
I look to my wife in complete and utter confusion, I know how I handle situations like this, I get rude... I will get rude if I have to be... but the all around air of what the eff is going on has me so baffled and befuddled I don't know what to do... maybe this was just two really bad situations rolled into one? It can't POSSIBLY get worse can it?
Our food comes out and as the cashier approaches the counter with our bags the manager begins to shout and holler at him. He places the food on the counter and begins to bicker back about giving us the wrong food. I stand frozen, not touching my food... what do I do? I have the wrong food? Do I have the right food? I don't want to leave with a salad or something... maybe they'll explain it? Or... instead just reach in my bag and start yelling at each other about how he made extra mozzarella sticks and was just going to give them to us. The manger took them away and told the employee that's not how to do things.... what? So we're just going to start yelling at each other in front of the customer?
To end the nightmare my wife takes another gulp of her shake, and puts it down on the counter to say "this tastes like shit, I'm sorry I can't drink this Ryan if you want it you can have it, the flavors are mixing and its disgusting." Our oh so pleasant cashier then takes it, goes around the corner, dumps it out and begins to complain about us as the manager once again starts yelling at the employee. Telling him that's not how a business is run, that's not what he's supposed to do, its not proper protocol, and just a slew of total bull crap. And to retort the employee starts complaining about us, stating he could be making $1,000 a day doing something else but that he needed to keep his job. I guess parole or something? I don't know. To reply the manager said it was better he dealt with us than her, because... she knows she would handle it much worse. I'm still in earshot people... I'm waiting for my shake... I can hear every single solitary word spoken about how I'm a horrible person and how I'm ruining their day. Lovely.
Does It Get Better?
The above story was paraphrased and sent to Arby's corporate explaining my complete disgust, dissatisfaction, anger, and disgruntled feelings about ever shopping at Arby's again. Stating I'll never step foot in their facilities again, the worst experience of my life in terms of food services. BUT it seems Arby's takes it customers words to heart, Arby's is a business and not a daycare, they don't care about what happens to their employee's they care about their customers, lets explain a small saga of what happened when they got my hate mail. Because to be honest, I was beyond shocked with the proceeding outcomes.Friday night my phone rings, a call from Georgia... if my trolling nature wasn't apparent with my Microsoft Resolution thread, I answer all calls. If its a scammer I like to have fun, so lets see who it is. I answer and get a polite individual from... Arby's corporate stating they were completely horrified as to how I and my wife were both treated at that Arby's and how it's not a reflection of their values. Wow.... they read what I had to say and took it into perspective... she continued on asking me to tell the story again so she can hear it first hand, and I did without falter. She apologized non-stop for the treatment and as a way to show their appreciation offered two free meal vouchers... well that's a turn of events. Sure I'll take 'em but I don't think I'll go to the Arby's where my back has a target. All is well and good I'm getting two free meals, I'll take it.
Saturday night my phone rings again, from my general area, once again I answer all phone calls because... I want to have fun, or win something so it seems. This time... district manager for Arby's, he had received my hate mail via forwarding from their corporate office. And he started by apologizing, pretty much the same spiel that I got from corporate, but with a managerial twist of course. Apologizing constantly for the horrible treatment, how it doesn't reflect the companies values. He asks me to explain everything like I did for corporate, and without fault I explained everything. He offered two free meals, his business card, and possibly a care package. This is awesome I now have both corporate and the district manager on speed dial for every time something goes wrong. Can this get any better?
Sunday night my phone rings again, a whole new number, who is calling me this time? So it seems its the franchise owner. This time everything was a bit different, he asks me everything and explained that the employees said they gave us a new milkshake, and I once again defended what I had said, and detested the treatment. He knew we had spoken with district, he knew we had spoken with the district manager, but he wanted to reach out to us as one more entity to perfect our situation. He told me that me being a guest far outweighed his employees, his employees are supposed to make us comfortable, make us want to come back, make everything perfect, and if they can't do that he loses money and he'd rather I come back, than them. That is truly a welcoming feeling that my business is that well respected, I was flattered and this was awesome. He gave me his personal phone number and told me he wanted me to come back, as his personal guest, and to give my name to the cashier and the next meal for my wife and I would be completely free and on him.
Don't forget to click that +1 button and share this post, and tell me what you thought about this in the comments below. And as always, be safe my goblins.
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