Fast food ordering lingo

[susnfx]

BTW I think your grouchiness started when you got rid of that cool avatar.

You know, I sort of regret that. I was having a very bad time a month or two ago and decided I didn't want anything to do with this board any more. But rather than go through the ordeal of asking Dale to do whatever he does when you can't ever post again, I just erased all my personal info, deleted my avatar, and decided not to post again--sort of kicking myself off the board. So much for that, huh?

Susan

[dubhlinn]

On this side of the Pond, the phrase in general usage would be "Can I have.." or "Could I have.."

I have never heard anybody over here saying "Can I get...".

Just thought I'd mention that in passing.

That's all folks.

Slan,
D.

[Wanderer]

I voted "other"

How I answer largely depends on what lead-in the drive-through worker has given me.

If they ask "How can I help you today?" I usually start with "I'd like" or "I would like".

If they ask "Can I help you today?" The answer to their question is "Yes.." followed by what I would like.

If I'm not sure they carry something I'm looking for, or I have a special order I would like fulfulled, I ask "Can I get..." followed by the special request.

I never, ever, say "Let me have..." or "Give me...". I always say "please" and "thank you". I have chided my roommate before for not saying please and thank you or making eye contact with drive-through employees.

A typical order might go like this.
---------------------------------------------
Thank you for choosing Jack-in-the-Box. Can I take your order?
Yes, I would like a number five, with a diet coke, please.
Would you like the small, medium, or large sized coke and fries?
The small size, please, and can I get onion rings instead of fries?
You sure can. Your total is <whatever>. Please pull around to the window
Thank you very much
-----------------------------------------------

Often times, I get a genuine "you're very welcome" in response. If I'm asked if I want ketchup, the response is "please" not "yeah". If I am unable to understand the drive through because of a bad speaker, I say "I beg your pardon?" or sometimes just "Pardon?" and if necessary, followed by "I'm sorry, but I cannot understand you". This is probably the most socially akward time for me at a drive through, because this can be taken as a criticism of the attendant, not the speaker, and such is not generally my intent.

Having worked that kind of job as a teen, I know that one customer's demeanor can make the difference between a good day on the job and a sucky one.

Some places around here, like Jack n the Box and Taco Bell, have pre-recorded greeters. In these instances, I used to say "no thank you" to the recording trying to sell me somthing, but then I realized that the social niceties didn't apply to the machine making person-talking noises, but rather, to the drive-through attendant. After much thought, I realize that in that situation, the first thing they hear you say is "No" without having said a word to you first, which has to be disenheartening in an already soul-draining job. So now, I ignore the recordings and just start by saying "I would like.."

This has gotten akward-feeling when the person taking my order happened to be the same as the person making the recording.

[Cynth]

For some reason the drive through makes me nervous I don't know why. I think sometimes the microphones don't work too well and then there you are out there hollering and saying "What?"---I don't know. But when I order inside I think I always start out with "Could I get....?". I hadn't been to a fast food place for a really long time until recently when one day I was just starving and needed something to eat immediately. I went to McDonald's and got a couple of those little hamburgers they have and a small order of fries. They tasted so good to me! I like those little burgers because they just have catchup, pickles and onions I guess on them. Not all that other stuff. They are kind of squishy, but I like that part of them too.

Cynth, you're my hero.

As for myself, I normally say, "Let me get..." and then whatever I want. I voted for "I'd like..." in the poll.

Well, better to be known for my excellent taste in food than for nothing!

(Which brings me to another irritant--the grocery store check-out clerk who asks me, "Did you find everything?" I'm always tempted to say, "If I didn't find something, I would have asked someone. I wouldn't wait until I got into the check-out line to ask you and then hold up the line while someone goes to get it for me." But then I'm getting old and grouchy.)

I know what you mean about this one. The one thing that keeps me from rolling my eyeballs and sighing loudly is that I think, because it seems like every checker in a store will either say it or not say it, the person has been told to ask this and he or she will get in trouble for not saying it. I think the person asking it probably hates it even more than we do . I would like to grab a few managers around the neck, though, and ask them what they could possibly be thinking. It is so bizarre to make checkers ask the same weird question of every customer.

[Denny]

I would like to grab a few managers around the neck, though, and ask them what they could possibly be thinking. It is so bizarre to make checkers ask the same weird question of every customer.

they are following orders from corprate

[fearfaoin]

With the pre-recorded promotions of certain tiems, we have to endure the "Would you like to try our Super combo mega sandwich platter meal today?"
So I've found myself starting with 'No thanks..." like I have to be polite to a recorded message.

I have to wait through the order taker's promo question, but
I've never experienced a pre-recorded message before...

Increasingly frequently, the car in front of me has ordered in Spanish,
and the order taker forgets that she is still in Spanish-mode. At these
times, I get to hear the promo greeting in Espanol. When this happens,
I say (Peggy Hill style): "NOO-may-roe QUAH-troe pore FAY-vore-ay."
I love doing that. They always have to suppress a giggle.

[emmline]

(Which brings me to another irritant--the grocery store check-out clerk who asks me, "Did you find everything?"

I get that everywhere. Not just grocery stores. It's just the catch-phrase du decade. I remember when "have a nice day" was relatively new, and suddenly clerks everywhere began to repeat it de rigeur.
"Did you find everything you were looking for?" makes no sense to me at all either. Often the answer is "no." But I too assume they really don't want a run down of how poorly stocked they were any more than someone who casually says "how are you?" wants to hear a health update. It is as obviously canned and paint-by-number as the overly chummy spiels telemarketers launch into in an attempt to shame you into cooperation.

[gonzo914]

The answer to "Did you find everything you were looking for?" is "If I say I didn't, are you going to do something about it?" Then make them. Do something about it, that is.

The one that irritates me the most is when I cannot find an item and go to an employee and say something like "I cannot find Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili," and get a response like "Did you check on the shelf?"

"No, I just came straight to you in hopes you would do all my shopping for me."

Here's your sign.

And I heard Richard Wright last night say

I took a bottle of soda up to the register and sat it on the counter, and the clerk said "Will that be all?'" So I said, "No, I want to buy this."

[Jack]

It would be good for all of us to simply remember always to be kinder to the people who work cash registers, fast food microphones, and similar jobs. They work harder than most of us have to, and I daresay they make much less money. To be ridiculed for asking the questions they're taught to ask accomplishes absolutely nothing. Kindness is the word of the day and it travels much farther (in both directions) than condescension.

[susnfx]

One evening I was checking out at the grocery store and a young woman was bagging the groceries for me. The store manager came up to her and started to harangue her loudly about something she'd done (or not done) earlier. He did this in front of customers and other employees. After the young woman walked away, I said to him, "Don't ever correct your employees in front of customers and other employees. It's humiliating and degrading." He responded, "Well, that'll make it more likely she'll remember next time." I said, "It's no wonder you can't keep help here if you manage them like that."

Although I do have a tendency to be a little grumpy with sales clerks and fast food workers, I'm working on doing better and not being such a grouchy old broad.

Susan

[I.D.10-t]

Although I do have a tendency to be a little grumpy with sales clerks and fast food workers, I'm working on doing better and not being such a grouchy old broad.

Susan

Here, have a fuzzy bunny.

I know I cannot be grumpy around a fuzzy bunny.

[djm]

Mmmmm! Fuzzy bunnies! They blows up real good!


djm

[Flyingcursor]

One evening I was checking out at the grocery store and a young woman was bagging the groceries for me. The store manager came up to her and started to harangue her loudly about something she'd done (or not done) earlier. He did this in front of customers and other employees. After the young woman walked away, I said to him, "Don't ever correct your employees in front of customers and other employees. It's humiliating and degrading." He responded, "Well, that'll make it more likely she'll remember next time." I said, "It's no wonder you can't keep help here if you manage them like that."

I ran into a situation like that once at a Burger King. The manager yelled at this girl right in front of everyone. She was crying!! I flipped my lid and made all kinds of threatening motions. This set off the rest of the people waiting in line, who'd witnessed the outrage, and before long the poor douchenozzle was on the receiving end of a lot of abuse. Burger King lost a few sales that day. I don't know if the girl ever quit or not.
[/quote]

Although I do have a tendency to be a little grumpy with sales clerks and fast food workers, I'm working on doing better and not being such a grouchy old broad.
Susan

Just remember; they too will be grouchy old broads someday.

You better watch it. If you keep up this "grouchy old broad" stuff we'll have to activate the Chiff and Fipple Emergency squad. We love you here. You're not going down on our shift baby!!!

[emmline]

And I heard Richard Wright last night say

I took a bottle of soda up to the register and sat it on the counter, and the clerk said "Will that be all?'" So I said, "No, I want to buy this."

[Nanohedron]

At drive-thrus, if I say, "...and a milk," the order-taker invariably replies, "Did you say a Coke?". For some reason there's no confusion if I say, "...and a milk, please." I have no idea.