Excuse me...

[mapsedge]

Excuse me, Taco Bell-drive-through-order-taker-person.

There seems to be this new policy handed down from The Suits at your corporate headquarters. Since it appears to be company wide, this rant is really for them, not for you, but since they in their wisdom are far removed from the goings-on in the real world and you're right there in my way, you get to hear it. Maybe you can pass it along.

What's with this new policy of greeting customers in the drive-thru with "How are you", instead of "May I help you?". I've encountered this at several restaurants, and I find it extremely off-putting.

1. It's insincere. I don't believe for one minute the stranger on the other end of the speaker (that's you, Taco Bell-drive-through-order-taker-person) cares what kind of day I'm having.
   
   
2. If I'm not having a good day, having to answer that question according to the social norms of "I'm fine, thanks" bugs the hell out of me.
   
   *click* Hi, how are you?
   
   (pause) Completely fucked up and ready to carve your upper thighs with a gas powered string trimmer. Can I have a taco, now?
   
   *click*
   
   *click* Would you like a caramel apple empanada with that?
   
   See how awkward that could get?
   
   
3. It breaks from the standard convention of telling me that the server is ready to take my order, and leaves me wondering, "Is he ready? Or is he just asking to stall me while he digs out the instruction manual for the cash register?"
   
   

Now, I know this isn't your fault. You've got someone in charge who wears $3000 Italian silk suits and tasseled loafers who hasn't eaten fast food in decades and couldn't use the drive-thru in any case because his limosine won't fit around the curves. It's okay.

Don't try to be friends with me. Just give me good food and good service, and I'll keep coming back.

I'll make you this promise. Please don't take it personally.

From this day forward, I promise to ignore the question. I will not respond until someone with his fingers on the ordering terminal selection keys says, "May I take your order?"

Oh, and your website sucks.*

* Their "contact us" form requires your name, phone number, mailing address, email address, the restaurant id, street address and phone number of the specific restaurant (like a customer would know that shit), and limits the length of your comments to 250 words.

Comments

[grizesme.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!! Finally someone else who gets just as irritated at that "How are you?" They started doing that early in 2005 while my mother was in the hospital right before she passed away.. at a time when I was anything but fine. I really wanted to say.. well my sister just died, my mother is dying, we are on the verge of bankruptcy.. not fine at all "How are you?"
It has been a major pet peeve of mine for quite awhile now. I have started going to Taco Bueno just so I don't have to listen to it!

[billthetailor.livejournal.com]

One could wish for other options, but in the Kansas City market Taco "Hi, how are you?" Bell is the only option for fast pseudo-Mexican.