TacoBell (Day of the living dead drive thru teller(S))
Aside from possible skimming, drive through amnesia, and general order fuck-ups Taco Bell is the pinnacle of customer service. There are two Taco Bells that I frequent; or used to frequent. I started using the Lindenhurst Taco Bell a long time ago. I have a wife and three kids so I order two combo meals and a sack of ten crunchy tacos every time. It's funny how the ammount keeps changing at the same location even though I order the same items every visit. Skimming? Well I'm not accusing but I wonder sometimes. I've lost about $20 every now and then. When I do my books, I notice that I loose that $20 about the time I visit that location. If it's double charging then it's just idiocy and nothing criminal. Most of the time the location was merely O.K. They'd make it a point to ask "What kind of sauce do you want.", then invariably fuck it up. "I'd like all hot sauce please." ...get home and there's one Hot and twenty Milds.
The reason for the Taco Bell post stems from an epic visit to the Lindenhurst location. I ordered my usual, two number six's both with Pepsi and Steak Chalupas plus a sack of ten crunchy tacos. A meal for a fat king. I get the question that I know they'll bone "What kind of sauce do you want?". I'm in my car being as polite as possible but in my head I know I won't get what I ask for so I just say "Hot". It doesn't matter. They ask me to pull ahead please.
The baby in the back seat of my car didn't appreciate it but I waited. and waited, and waited. The VERY car behind me got two huge sacks of food almost as soon as I pulled forward. They pretty much only sell tacos so I was thinking "WTF". Cars kept getting order after order with no delay. I wanted to go in and ask about my order but then I'd have to unstrap the baby from the carseat, hassle. I waited about 10 minutes before backing up parellel with the lady behind me.
Yelling (Politely raised voice) I asked the teller "Where's my stuff?". She looked like she swallowed a bad prune or something. Then ducked inside for a quick conference. I was so mad that people kept getting large orders with no delay that I pulled in front of the lady and waited for my food there. No more "Pulling ahead please" for me. They literally forgot about me. Someone came out with a few tacos and two small pizzas (it's a Pizza Hut Taco Bell combo store).
"Is this what you ordered?" "No, I ordered ...insert repeated order here..." The lady is honking. "Sir, can you move?" I ignore her. Dammit, It's my turn to get my stuff. Then the old guy in the pickup behind her gets out with cash in hand. He walks to the teller window and says something. She points my way.
"Sir, (he says) can you move forward?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm waiting for my stuff."
"Whats that have to do with me?" he says
(shouting praying for no fights)
"I'll tell you what it has to do with you. I'm in line before you. I didn't get my shit yet. You wait your turn. That's what it has to do with you."
He got back in his car; no fight! yay. One of the cooks came out with the food. They must've sent her because they were embarrassed or something. There was a lot of honking in line but it wasn't me honking. I was rude then but don't really care. "Gimme that!" "What took you so long." (she gives me that shrug that says "Sorry, I don't speak English") Then I drove off with a very pissed chic driving behind me.
When I drove away, I found my steak Chalupas were chicken Chalupas...
Taco Bell's Online Feedback
So I send the story to Taco Bell's online feedback. The online form asked how much was the total. Well THIS time it was $25.77 but the same thing seems to cost $22 something one day and $24 the next; same location. I didn't expect anything from them but was happy to see a letter.
Here's the message I sent to Taco Bell with their online complaint form:
I was asked to pull up and they forgot about me. Immediately, the car behind me received two large sacks of tacos. After 10 minutes, I backed up parallel with the other car and asked the window lady where my stuff is. Then I blocked the line refusing to move until they got my items. This of course pissed off the line but I was already there. They came out with 2 pizzas; wrong order. The people behind me were yelling at me but I already paid and didn't get my items until 15 minutes of waiting.... when driving off I discovered it was chicken not steak. The final straw. I'm never going to that location again. Time before they pointedly asked me WHAT KIND of sauce and I said HOT. I got home and all were MILD. That location needs some serious work.
I'm going elsewhere for my drive through period.
-Bill Napier
They sent me a coupon good for any item on their menu. Wow, it wasn't a check for $25.77? Bastards. Then I read the fine print. "Excludes Grande Meals & Combos". Basically saying... "Hey buddy, sorry for your rough time. I value you as a customer and you took time to complain to us so here's a dollar." Well FUCK YOU Taco Bell. I think I'll just take a few more of your dollars by telling my true and accurate story online. Bet you wish you just coughed up the price of my meal huh?
Aftershocks
Well, as much as I hate the experience the food is just damn good. I go to a closer one in Round Lake now that I moved. It's pretty much the next town over but so far so good. No problems yet. I got a survey card with phone number from them. I need to have my receipt handy and can win $1,000. They give that out each week so they say. I think it would be poetic justice if I won that money. I doubt it but will take the survey right after posting this. If karma agrees, then I'm going to get paid.
Edit: Awww I didn't win. Do we ever? I found another way to burn that shitty location in Lindenhurst. There was a way to leave feedback. This was the receipt for the Round Lake location; the good one (so far). Press 1 to leave a message for the employees or 2 for the manager. I sent it to the manager. "Hey I'm online taking the survey. This feedback is for you. I've had nothing but trouble at the Lindenhurst location. So far you guys are doing great. Keep it up." The towns are close together. Someone knows someone from each location.
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