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Thursday, February 03, 2011

Drive-thru etiquette

Working in fast food, I've discovered that a lot people don't have a clear understanding of good drive-thru etiquette. So, here are The Ten Commandments of Drive-Thru:

  1. Have your money ready when you get to the pay window. You ordered food, so surely you realize you have to pay for it.
  2. Don't argue with the order taker about prices. She/he has no control over that. Neither do the managers. Prices come from higher up in the corporation.
  3. Don't try to cut a deal. If it says "two for $X" that's what it is, and buying one doesn't make it half price. Also, if it's a certain sandwich that's on sale, don't try to add/subtract ingredients until you have another kind of sandwich. The on-sale sandwich comes as it is.
  4. Don't stop between the pay window and the food window to sort through your purse, or arrange your trash to accommodate the food you just purchased.
  5. Don't sit at the pay window or food window and chat with the person there about all manner of things. *There are other customers behind you who would like to get their food and go.
  6. Don't sit at the food window and start handing sandwiches and beverages out to everyone in the car. Pull forward to do that. (*See #5)
  7. Don't sit at the food window and sort through your food, opening every box and wrap, to make sure it's made right. Pull forward to do that. (*See #5)
  8. If asked to pull forward because all of your food isn't yet prepared, just do it. Getting hostile and refusing to pull up won't make your food cook faster, and you will get your food as soon as humanly possible. (*See #5)
  9. Don't throw wrongly made food at anyone working in the restaurant. Don't call people names. Don't curse. This is childish. Just ask for a replacement or refund.
  10. If it's frigid temperatures outside, be mindful of the fact that at either window, the crew person is getting hit full in the face with cold air. If it's raining out, turn off your wipers to keep from throwing cold rain on the person who's trying to receive your money or hand you your food.

Certainly, there are rare occasions when the person in drive-thru isn't doing their job. If that's so, tell a manager and let him/her address the problem. Food mistakes are just that -- mistakes. Allow the restaurant to correct them. Mere humans are doing the work.

Thank you.

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