VERY FURIOUS CUSTOMER AND BAD EXPERIENCE WITH EMPLOYEE!!!!!!!!

I think a lot of people are way too quick to make excuses for bad
customer service. I may be reading too much into what she wrote here,
but the exclamation point that she used when describing the cashier's
response indicates to me that the tone and inflection that the cashier
used was offensive. I don't care how busy you are, there is never a
reason to "snap" at a customer. My wife is a general manager at a fast
food establishment and the phone rings quite often. Often times it is
with people who want to place large orders. Sometimes these orders are
not large by the restaurant's standards, but in the customer's eye it
is. It is a disservice to the restaurant to walk in and place a very
large order because that instantly puts the entire operation behind,
which in turn causes other paying customers to have to wait longer in
line. Nevertheless the calls are taken in a courteous fashion, and if
it is necessary to put the caller on hold it is done in a courteous
fashion. The manager is normally available to field calls. If this
same situation had happened at the restaurant in which my wife works,
and a complaint was made, the owner of the restaurant would insist on
a minimum of a write up for the cashier....if he didn't insist on
outright firing her. If my wife didn't offer an apology....and yes,
along with some free food (compensation), she would not have a job
anymore either. The only reason these employees can still get away
with poor attitudes and poor customer service is because we as a whole
tend to roll over and take it.

Compensation??? Like a popeye's gift card???? Silly

First of all, please do not yell. No one will take you serious if you
do. Especially the company you are complaining about.

Now, here is the thing... You called a fast food restaurant asked them
to cook a bunch of food for you and asked if you could come pick it
up?

Why? They have a drive through you know. Try driving up to the drive
through placing your order and then waiting at the window. They will
make it and you wont even have to get out of your car.

You will get no compensation because they offer a drive through, you
should have used that. You will get no apology because they did
nothing wrong.

You deserve no compensation because there is nothing to compensate you
for. If you are unhappy with Popeyes then perhaps you should try
another restaurant.

Being "very furious" about this seems unwarranted to me. Life is too
short to get hung up on not getting the fried chicken you want the
moment you want it. Annoyed or irritated I get, but "very furious"
seems like overkill to me.

I'm sorry for your experience, but the cashier had "paying" customers
in front of her. Cash in hand! If you placed the order, had them
prepare it, then not arrive for the pickup to pay for the order, well
she has to answer for that. By the way, what do you consider a large
order. That's subjective.

I see a lot of people assuming that a chicken place wouldn't do call
ahead orders. This person never states how large the order is, just
that it's large. My parents do this a couple of times a year with KFC
for reunions. They order somewhere between 75 & 150 pieces of chicken
a couple of days in advance. This gives the store ample time to make
sure they make accommodations for the large order.

Now, in the case we're talking about it sounds as if the employee was
swamped and had no way of filling the order right then. I can
completely understand this and think that it's reasonable that letter
writer was turned away. I also would not have blamed the store if
they had asked for a deposit or prepayment for a call ahead order.
However, I do not understand why everyone assumes that a restaurant,
even a fast food restaurant, would not accept call ahead orders. It's
one thing if you are ordering a 2 piece chicken dinner, it's totally
another to order several pieces of chicken that may take a while to
prepare. Calling ahead not only allows the cooks to prepare the food
without you breathing down their necks, but they also don't have to
worry about the other people standing in line behind you waiting for
their order.

So, you've "dined" at this location before and never had a bad
experience and now, because you received an honest "no" when a cashier
was truly swamped and could not take a phone order you are all up in
arms and "will never go there again" (unless I get compensation). I
find that remarkable.

I think this cashier was between a rock and a hard place. She could
take your large order and anger those standing and waiting or say no
to you and do her best to help the customers who were already waiting.
I think she made the right decision.

BTW, if you have a large order to call in, you may want to do it
before the prime lunch rush starts. We have a number of delis and
pizza places near work (a prime business corridor) and all their menus
ask that you call in lunch orders no later than 11:30 AM.

You aren't entitled to either - compensation or an apology.

Popeye's is fast food and there is not a single fast food restaurant I
know of that will take a take-out order over the phone.

Arby's, Wendy's, KFC, McD's, Burger King and Taco Bell do not take
take-out orders over the phone. Why would Popeye's be any different?

Next time, just go to the restaurant, place your order and wait for
it. Bring a book or something to read if you don't want to be bored.

that is completely false.

When I was in High School I worked summers at Long John Silvers.
There was a very large manufacturing plant about a quarter mile down
the road. About once a month a large group of guys from the plant
would get together and order from us for Lunch. Because the group was
so big (sometimes up to 50 people) and they were planning on ordering
during the lunch rush, they would always call their orders in early so
we could prepare it for when they got there to pick it up. It made it
5000x easier on us and it saved them time. It was a win win for
everyone. We made sure we had enough food for their orders and the
other customers that came in.

There's a LOT of reasons why she has the right to tell you "no".



1) When you ring up food at these places you have to pay when you
order. That's how the machines are set up. I don't know of ANY fast
food place that takes phone-orders, except Subway.


2) They were busy. The customers IN LINE are there first. They
shouldn't have to have their orders shoved back just because someone
called in.

Would YOU be happy if someone on the phone got their giant order put
in front of yours? Or would you yell at the cashier for it?



3) It's not rude to say no. Seriously. It's not rude. You may be
upset that you didn't get what you wanted but there's nothing wrong
with that.




I don't see how compensation is required.

Of course they aren't going to take a phone order from you. They have
a drive thru. Taking orders over the phone for a place like Popeyes
isn't a good idea because what happens if you don't come to pick it
up?

It never before crossed my mind to call ahead when going to a fast
food restaurant. Do they typically accept telephone orders? I can see
them doing it as a courtesy when they are slow, but if she is the only
person there and she declined, I don't see that as a huge deal.

You don't deserve compensation. What on earth should you be
compensated for? She did the right thing and gave priority to the
people who were there!

I see nothing wrong with her response. Customers who are phsyically at
the location take priority over those on the phone. I could imagine
others getting very upset with the cashier telling them to wait while
she was on the phone.

I work alone in a convenience store, i have answered the phone "Thank
you for calling ___ _____ can you hold please?" youd be surprised how
many people say "NO!" When i try to help these people and others walk
in, i hear them muttering about me being on the phone.

I completely sympathize with the cashier, you are not owed an apology
or compensation.

Michelle R.,

From my perspective by stating NO she was telling you that they were
too busy to accommodate the business they already had and was doing
you a favor.

I'm hard pressed to think that compensation is warranted.

BillR.