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Original Message
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My order:
Bacon & Cheese Whataburger - Buns extra toasted - Up-size the fry and drink to a large - & A fried apple pie.
First, I go to fill up my drink. Attempt to put a large lid on the cup. Lid is too big. I return the cup for a large cup.
Second, I get my bag. Fries are a medium. No apple pie. Now, considering I had just returned my cup for a large cup you would think they would know to put a large fry in the bag as well.
Manager replaces the fries and gets the apple pie. I get my bag and head out to go home.
I get home and sit down to enjoy my meal. Open my burger wrapper. Surprise, surprise. The buns aren't extra toasted.
I decide to give Whataburger a ring.
Person picks up the phone:
"Yeah, this is Kim can I help you?"
"Yes, I'd like to talk to a manger, Kim."
"This is Kim, can I help you?"
"So, you're a manager, Kim?"
"Yes, can I help you?"
"You're also the one that took my order, correct? Bacon & Cheese Whataburger, Buns Extra Toasted.."
*Interrupts*
"I recognize your voice. Yes, I remember, I said, can I help you?"
"Well, Kim, it appears the buns were not extra toasted. I'd like to find out how you can compensate me."
*Kim to person that made the burger, loud in the receiver*
"That bacon and cheese, did you toast the buns on it???"
(Lady in background: "Yeah!")
"My employee said that she toasted the buns, Sir, I can't do anything."
"So, now you're saying I'm a liar?"
"Well, you can bring your burger back and I'll remake it for you."
"Okay, Kim, I just walked up there to get dinner, walked back to eat, now I'm going to do that. I'm going to walk back up there and bring my burger, since you want to insist I'm lying to you."
"Okay, do that."
*Kim hangs up the phone*
I walk back up to Whataburger.
Get there. Kim is wiping and dusting off the tables, sweeping the dining area. Stand at counter. No customers in the store. No customers in line. I open my burger, place it on the counter and stand there patiently. Other employees look at me, I wink and gesture for them to stay back. They wait and continue their other duties.
10 seconds. 15 seconds. 30 seconds. 57 seconds later..
Kim returns.
"Can I help you?"
"You're kidding me right?"
*Kim stares blankly. Looks down at burger.*
"Oh yeah.."
*Kim to employee in the back*
"I need you to remake this bacon & cheese!"
(Employee in the back: "Okay!")
*I interject*
"..With the buns extra toasted."
*Kim stares blankly*
"Buns extra toasted please!"
*Kim walks off*
I stand there patiently at the counter.
Kim returns.
"They're making your order it'll be right out."
"I can see that. Thank you."
Kim walks off. I continue standing at the counter, patiently, no customers have walked in yet. Kim returns. Gets the burger from the employee in the back. Messai, another employee manning the fry counter, is putting in a fresh batch of fries. Kim turns to me.
"They're making some fresh fries. Just give me a minute."
"Again, I can see that, Kim."
"Well, I need you to have a seat."
"And I need you to act more professionally and learn how to treat your customers with a little more decency and respect. I'm fine standing. There's no other customers. I can wait. It's not bothering me any."
"I'm sorry, Sir, I'm having your order remade like you requested."
"Again, I can see that. Let me ask you, Kim, how long have you been a manager?"
"At this store? About two months."
"And at the other store you were at previously?"
"Uhh..two years."
"So two years and two months worth of managerial experience with Whataburger and you're still prone to making this many mistakes taking an order?"
"Sir, we all make mistakes. I'm not perfect. Just like you're not perfect."
*I interject*
"I know that and never claimed to be perfect. As a customer I expect my order to be perfect but like at any fast food chain I'm going to hope for the best but expect the worst."
"Well, what do you mean by 'this many mistakes?' what mistakes have I made?"
"Do you really need to me to list them?"
"Yes, tell me."
"First of all, I walk in here and stand in line to place my order and you give me a dumbfounded look and say, 'Can I help you?'"
*Kim mad now*
"Sir, I said I was sorry about your meal. They're remaking it. Have a good night."
"I'm having a great night. But you're not sorry. Don't patronize me."
*Kim, looking stunned, stammers, doesn't respond*
Kim walks off, clearly agitated now. Messai and several other employees in the back smile, laughing to themselves, I wink and they laugh more. Kim returns. Kim turns to Messai.
"The trash cans in the back are getting too full, I need you to go take them out."
"Okay. I'll do that right away, not a problem."
Kim walks over to refill the paper cups behind the counter. I smile and chuckle to myself, looking to Messai.
"She's got time to walk around, wipe tables and sweep but can't take out a trash can that's getting too full."
*Messai smirks, smiling to himself*
"I apologize. Can I get you an extra apple pie or more fries, Sir?"
"Actually, sure, that sounds great. I appreciate that."
*Kim interrupts: "NO! He's fine.*
*I interject*
"No, Kim, I'm not fine."
Kim, flustered now, grabs the bag with the burger, apple pie and fries and hands it to me.
"They remade your order. What else do you want me to do?"
"I'd like you to pull up a blank receipt and write your name and store ID number, please."
*Kim, confused look, gets receipt paper and pulls out a pen. Writes her name and the store phone number*
"I said the store ID number, Kim, not the phone number. I have that already, I called you remember?"
*Kim writes down the store ID number*
I look at the paper. Just says "Kim".
"I'm going to need your last name on there as well, Kim."
*shows me her name tag. it says Kim.*
"I said I'm going to need your last name on there as well, Kim."
"It's '******'."
"Ma'am, write your last name on the receipt, please."
*She writes her last name*
"What else?!"
"Well, I'd like you to write down what I ordered. That was a number 5, buns extra toasted, whatasized fry and a drink and an apple pie."
*Kim writes down the information, looking up at me..*
"Why?"
"This is my receipt for when I come back tomorrow for dinner."
*Kim, shakes her head, frustrated and mad now.*
"Whatever you say, baby."
"Don't call me baby."
"Okay, baby, sorry."
"Did you not just hear me?"
"No, what did you say?"
*I shake my head*
"Just put todays date and time on that receipt. It's September 2nd, 9:01pm"
*Kim writes the date. Hands me the receipt.*
*I set it down, sliding it back to her*
"Sign it, please"
*Kim signs it*
"Thank you."
I get my bag. Peel back the burger wrapper. Buns toasted. Put back in the bag and walk home.
Upon returning home, I sit down, ready to enjoy my meal. Feeling satisfied. I take a bite of my burger.
"You've got to be kidding me?"
No bacon. On a bacon & cheese Whataburger. I don't call. I put the burger back in the bag. Walk back up to Whataburger.
I get to Whataburger. Kim is in the back. I walk up to the counter, pull burger out of the bag. I set burger on the counter. Calmly open it. Messai walks up.
*Messai looks at burger*
*Messai shakes his head like AWWW SHIZ!*
"I AM SO SORRY SIR!"
"Nahh, don't apologize. It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, bro!"
*Messai starts to get the burger*
*I stop him*
Kim approaches. Cautiously. Nervously.
"Can I help you?", she says, to my astonishment. Not seeing the burger that lay before her. She pauses. Glances at the burger. Looks at me. I raise my eyebrows. Smile. Laugh to myself. She takes the burger and walks away.
"And I'm going to go ahead and eat that one here. You know, to make sure you get it right this time."
I wink.
Messai laughs. Other employees watching in the back laugh. Smile.
Store loves me.
BIG SMILE ON MY FACE.
I go sit down. Order number 90.
9 symbolizing completeness. A closing of a cycle. An ending.
In retrospect I see that was rather appropriate.
Messai comes walking over to the table. Begins wiping the table down even though it's already clean.
"Hey Bro, it's okay! My tables clean! Thank you though!"
"I know, Sir! But still! Nobody likes eating at a dirty table!", he says as he finishes wiping it down.
"MESSAI GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!!", Kim yells from behind the counter.
I look startled.
Messai looks startled.
Messai timidly approaches Kim. She pulls him around the corner.
"Don't talk to him! Don't help him! Stay over here on THIS side of the store and away from him!"
I jump up from the table.
This is the first time I felt I was really going to lose my temper and go off on somebody.
Employees in the back see me head for the counter.
"Can I help you, baby?"
"That's the third time I've asked you not to call me baby. Now, listen, I want you to tell me what just happened!"
"Uhh..what do you mean what just happened?"
"UHH..I have ears! I'm not deaf. And you're not exactly the most soft spoken of the Whataburger crew here tonight."
Employees in the back laugh.
"What do you mean you have ears? What did you hear?"
"I heard you reprimand your employee for doing his job and displaying REAL QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. Why? Because he was helping me?"
"Sir, that's between me and Messai and that's none of your concern."
"Ma'am, that is my concern, why would you reprimand an employee for helping me? And then tell him NOT to help me? Really?"
THE SHOCKER.
THE GRAND FINALE.
THE CLIMAX.
"I'm getting the phone."
Kim gets the cordless phone off the counter. My heart races. My pulse quickens. I realize what she's doing. Messai realizes what she's doing. The employees in the back realize what she's doing. Kim takes the phone with her to the back of the store.
"Did she really just call the cops?"
Employees look stunned.
Saddened.
Ashamed.
My beautifully made burger, with it's buns toasted to a perfection and it's juicy strips of bacon and melted cheese and my hot fries all fresh and golden and jumping out of the box to greet me and my delicious sweet hot apple pie in it's little sleeve just dying from the anticipation of getting to be my tasty dessert.
I look down for a moment. I calculate the time it would take for Messai to put the food in the bag. I panic. Then I realize "Oh yeah, I have this receipt! IN WRITING! SIGNED!"
"Keep the food, bro! You have a good night!"
Messai laughs, "You too, bro! Be careful! Come back and see us when the heat go away!"
I laugh. "Will do, bro! Definitely! Ya'll have a good night!"
All the employees, in unison, "You too!! Bye!!"
Yes, you might say I should have waited for the cops to get there.
But I'd say PFFFFFT are you crazy?! Knowing it would be my word against hers. She calls in a report about a belligerent customer. No telling what she could've said when she called them. It would've been my word against theirs. I wasn't going to back down. One of us would've been leaving that store in handcuffs for sure and I highly doubt they would've taken Kim so you better believe I dipped out of there in a flash.
I didn't get my Whataburger.
But what I got was more delicious, more fulfilling, more satisfying than anything.
A story.
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