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 I Just Want My Money Back, KFC!
Posted Tue July 17, 2007 12:00 pm, by TA L. written to Kentucky Fried Chicken
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In early May, I visited the drive thru of the local KFC so friends and I could have an easy meal at home. I hadn't been to a KFC in years. As I pulled up to the speaker, I could hear activity on the other end. I sat there for an unusually long amount of time. Finally, I said, "Hello?" No response. I decided to go elsewhere but finally a voice said, "Hello?" I placed my order (or tried to). A variety bucket with the sides of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
The ordering process also took an unusually long time and there was no response after my order was taken. Again, I said, "Hello?" I heard the microphone come on and someone in the distance saying, "Just have her pull around." Thinking maybe it was a new trainee, I didn't think much of it and pulled to the window. Several people were behind the counter rushing around but seemingly doing nothing despite there being few customers (this was not a high volume time of day - it was after 7pm). No one greeted me. I continued to wait. Finally, a young woman came to the counter and told me my amount, managing to call me "hon" several times in the process. I paid and waited. And waited. And waited. I waited so long that I ended up having to turn my car off (by this point, over fifteen minutes had passed since I'd first pulled up to the speaker). Five minutes later, the young woman came back and handed my food to me, told me to wait, and then put something else in the bag. No apology or explanation for the wait.
When I arrived home, I found that the order was wrong. There were items in the variety bucket I hadn't ordered (including what looked like cremated chicken strips), cole slaw instead of macaroni and cheese, and biscuits that were stale.
I called the restaurant and asked to speak to a manager. Whomever answered the phone put it down. There, I waited again. A young girl got on and actually told me that they didn't know where the manager is and that they couldn't find her. I told the girl I'd had a really bad experience and I was going to have to call a corporate number. Happily, she said, "Okay!" That was that. Upon futher inspection of the food, we decided not to eat it and ordered pizza instead.
I called the (so-called) customer satisfaction line for KFC (1-800-225-5532) and a representive apologized and took down my information. I explained to her that at this point I didn't want a coupon for replacement food, nor did I want to speak to anyone at that particular location. I merely wanted my money back. She assured me that would be no problem.
About two weeks later, I received a call from a local Caller ID number I didn't recognize with a woman stating that she was calling to discuss my experience at her location. Having no idea who this was (she left no name) or what this was about (she didn't bother to say), I chalked it up to a wrong number. The same number appeared a few times in the same week and no message was left.
A few weeks after that, I received an envelope in the mail, with no return address. Inside the envelope was a letter signed by the same name on my Caller ID, with a home-made (inkjet and apparently cut with dull scissors) coupon enclosed for a small replacement meal. What struck me is that this is specifically what I said I DIDN'T want in that original call to corporate (not to mention that they were attempting to replace a $21 meal with something of much less value).
I called the 800 number back. Again, I explained my situation (they also had a copy of my original complaint on their computers), was reassured the matter would be taken care of and the matter sent to upper management. A few weeks went by and this same local woman was then calling me from her residence asking me to call her back to discuss my experience and how she can assure me that I'll have a better experience next time (???????). First, WHY am I calling a KFC employee at home, and secondly, I DID NOT want to discuss how to make my experience "better". I merely wanted a REFUND. By this time, it was June.
A few more weeks went by. No refund. I called the "customer satisfaction" number AGAIN. I even asked to speak to a supervisor (who, at best, was flippant and seemed to shrug off my complaint). When I told him it didn't seem like he cared, he began to argue. I explained to him that NO customer should have to go through ALL of this just to get money back from a bad experience. I also explained the damage I was inadverdently causing by telling everyone about this experience (although in the time since my visit, I've had several people tell me they stopped eating there long ago for various reasons). When he told me I needed to contact the local manager and maybe go back to the restaurant and get my money (and that essentially he could do nothing for me), I just about hit the roof and asked him if speaking to him had been a waste of time. He acted surprised that I was annoyed. I kept repeating to him over and over, "I - JUST -WANT - MY - $21 - back!!!!" He said fine, and actually ended the call.
It's now July 17th. No refund. No word from KFC. I made my fourth phone call to them today (again, the 800 number) and was AGAIN told they'd forward my complaint to upper management (the same thing I was told before). Apparenlty this is how they hope that complaints will go away by themselves. I was repeatedly told, "I do apologize for your bad experience" (as if read from a script).
I told the rep that "forwarding my complaint to upper management" has done nothing for me and that I needed a corporate address and name to send a registered letter of complaint to. This didn't seem to phase him at all, and in fact, he couldn't find a contact name or address. When I mentioned that I also needed to follow up with a BBB complaint, the rep said, "Okay" almost as if he were bored with speaking to me. We ended the call again, with a KFC employee acting indifferent and with me upset. I just filed a BBB complaint online.
I would like my $21.79 back. I don't want to visit the store. I don't want to talk to the manager to give her tips on how she can best enhance the KFC experience. I don't want replacement food after seeing what they serve. I'm so sorry I visited that restaurant in the first place. All I want is a check for $21.79.
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If you did not take the food back, you could have easily have eaten
the food, complained it was bad and claimed you threw it out and asked
for a refund, that is why you should have went to the restaurant with
your proof.
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by Peregrina Posted Wed July 18, 2007 @ 10:11 PM
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Next time, be an adult about it and go back to the store with the
chicken and get a refund. All the kids may laugh and make fun of you,
but just remember, sticks and stone may break your bones, but twenty
bucks will buy you dinner.
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by Rhet Canter Posted Wed July 18, 2007 @ 6:32 PM
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Is not highly skilled or trained employees. Most of them are
teenagers, thinking about what to do after work since it's summer.
Most of the managers are young too, first time in management, so
proper protocol on call backs might just be lacking the finese you
were looking for. What bugs me about your very LOOONG letter is that
you're making a huge deal out of $21 bucks and a bucket of chicken.
It's not like you had a ruined meal at the 5 star restaurant across
town for the first time and want restitution. If it doesn't bother
you, then why are you so stuck on it? Don't you have better things to
focus on in your life? It's kind of like divorce. Although you don't
want to ever face your ex again, you have to in order for the
proceedings to continue so you can actually get the divorce granted.
So if it means you had to drive back to the store to get your $21
bucks that means so much to you, you should have done it.
This letter gets no mercy from me. You are as much to blame for the
situation as the employees who are doing what they were trained to do.
Maybe not with the high level finese that would please you, but they
did attempt to rectify the situation on their end. You just didn't
want to play it out on your end, so how is that their problem? You
don't control and run the world. Most places won't just send you
money to take care of the problem. They'd be out of business if they
did that for everyone who wasn't "happy". You get coupons hon! Plain
and simple. I hope you liked your pizza better that night instead of
your chicken, or is that letter coming sometime next week!
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by Melissa O Posted Wed July 18, 2007 @ 2:32 PM
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I have to say I disagree with the response that it was the OP's
responsibility to call the manager back. Professional courtesy would
have been to say "this is Jane Doe from KFC." If she had identified
herself and then left a message she might have had her call returned.
And it is incredibly rude to continue calling a number and not leaving
a message. I wouldn't have returned the call at that point either. I
also think that they need to send her the silly check. At this point
it's a matter of them following through with what they told her. I
would not be satisfied with a coupon either. I think you are doing
the right thing by following up on this. However, if they don't
respond to this letter with a check then you probably should just let
it go. Maybe send a copy of this letter to the manager at the KFC you
encountered? Good luck!
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Me, too
by Venice Wed July 18, 2007 @ 4:25 PM
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by Mel2007 Posted Wed July 18, 2007 @ 12:39 PM
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First always check your order before leaving. I have learned this
lesson the hard way.
Second once you knew who was calling you why didnt you call them back?
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by Lia Posted Wed July 18, 2007 @ 12:18 PM
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The only one to blame is yourself for allowing this go get as far out
of hand as it did.
How? By assuming that the person calling from their home was calling a
wrong number. You could have at least called back and tried to find
out what it was about. Since you didn't, the matter was dropped.
You admitted yourself this happened twice, and yet, you didn't bother
to consider that this might have been the manager trying to get the
problem solved.
And you even got a coupon! Good heavens, this company has tried to
help and yet you insist they've done nothing, and you don't want to at
least meet them halfway to solve it.
Face it, you learned a $22 lesson on how NOT to get a resolution to a
problem.
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by Gino Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 11:13 PM
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I really don't see why you're expecting a company to bend over
backward when you screen any attempt they make, on the local level and
at the corporate level, to at least "pick put the phone" and "listen"
instead of copping an attitude.
I know, it's the priciple, and not the money at this point. But why a)
waste perfectly good food because you failed to check your order
before leaving? and b)insist there's only ONE resolution to the entire
matter.
I'd have more sympathy if you had the decency to not screen your
calls. Would you try again after three attempts? Of course you would
at LEAST offer something in the hopes that they contact you again
directly so they can right their wrong. Is it really worth pursuing
for them after being snubbed before?
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cremated
by donno Wed July 18, 2007 @ 2:52 PM
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by donno Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 10:38 PM
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Caller ID is one of the worst things to happen to this country, IMHO.
And I used to work at a division of Lucent that made the chips to
decode the phone number... With no-call lists, they should just stop
building CID phones.
The local people tried to call you three times, and you screened your
calls and didn't call them back. On the first call they mentioned
"your experience at their location" yet you didn't put two and two
together. They were nice enough to follow up with a coupon in the
mail, even though you didn't bother to answer your phone or call them
back. That is a shame. You screwed yourself. And now you are
running to the BBB.
Reading between the lines, I see a lot of attitude in your letter. I
imagine the CSR's who have been trying to help you have experienced
the same.
After all this conversation and time, you are looking to recover your
$21.79. My first advice is answer your phone. CSR's responding to
BBB complaints use the phone in my experience.
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by S. Brown Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 7:56 PM
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You did not check your order before leaving the drive thru.
You did not return to the store to have them correct your order.
You made the decision to throw the food away and order pizza.
You made the decision that you will not deal with local management,
will not accept a coupon and will only be satisfied with a check for
$21.79.
Unfortunately, you don't get to call all the shots and after two
months I think it's time to give it up.
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o wow
by Angelic Princess:) Wed July 18, 2007 @ 2:20 PM
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by JME Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 7:24 PM
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Perhaps their resolution process involves you speaking to the
local manager in order to receive your refund. Can't you simply pick
up the phone when she calls or call her back? I don't understand you
avoiding her calls now that you know who it is. She is trying
repeatedly to reach you. LET HER SPEAK TO YOU!
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by Angelic Princess:) Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 6:48 PM
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Thanks to this letter.. I had Boston Market tonight!
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by JohnWalters Posted Tue July 17, 2007 @ 5:16 PM
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lol, this lady needs 20 dollars bad!!!!
Here's how it read to me:
I NEED TO TALK TO UR SUPERVISOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO WHEN I WENT TO KFC
AND DID NOT GET ENOUGH CHICKENS. I KNOW I ALREADY GOT COUPONS BUT I
WANT 20 DOLLAZ. DO NOT MAKE ME COME TO THE STORE TO GET IT, EMAIL IT
TO ME AT PLANETFEEDBACK, TIA.
Actually I think this is the legendary Manda:
www.smaug.org.uk/manda.html
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LMAO
by Angelic Princess:) Thu July 19, 2007 @ 9:27 AM
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SHARED LETTERS 
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