Mc Donalds, Burger King, et al Never ending "Accidental" shorting of orders, mostly at the drive through Ft. Myers, Florida
We have ALL been there; we go to the drive thru, order the meal and a few miles down the road find out that we've been shorted...YET AGAIN.
It's NEVER a case where we find an extra bag of fries, or a burger, or even 11 or 12 McNuggets, it's ALWAYS a short benefiting them. How is it they ALWAYS have "Accidents" that favor them?
At 67, and with 5 children, I've probably had a few thousand dollars worth of "Accidents" attributable to these restaurants, and they ALL do the same exact thing. How does that happen?
How hard would it be for these people to put in a computer system that cross-checks that an order has been completed as paid for? A simple check mark system would do. But no, year after year and decade after decade they look at you with a Cheshire cat smile and blame it on their ignorant help who "Made a mistake". If you b***h, you somehow become the jerk.
I guess if I owned a restaurant, or any business that could short a few million people a day for a buck or so, I would not want to put in a control system on my registers either. We're talking pure profit here!
So what's the answer? I think we need to start filing formal complaints of theft with the local police departments. The cops are going to balk, but that is simply too bad for them. If we walk into a store and steal something, we get charged with shoplifting. If we are charged for something they do not give us, they are stealing from us. It being a "Random accident" is now tens of millions of dollars long gone.
Absent that, we need to DEMAND that if we are shorted in an order, they are compelled to give us a cash rebate of an amount of money (That will deter future "Accidents") PER ITEM that was purloined.
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Jeff
Ames,Iowa,
USA
Seriously?
#8Consumer Comment
Fri, November 18, 2011
I very rarely ever see my food messed up or let alone something missing when I go into a fast food place or even a drive-thru. If you think this is some sort of global conspiracy than you are sadly mistaken.
Yes check your bag to see what you have, or go inside. It's really not that hard. I pull up and double check my order before I leave the parking lot. If something is missing, I walk back inside for it. However I've done that once in thirteen years.
Roger
North Vernon,Indiana,
USA
Pure Genius
#8Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 18, 2011
Yes, I think they do need to be held accountable. You know, it is true that the mistake is always in their favor. I think they do know what they're doing. How else could you explain that we never find extras in our bags? It shouldn't be our responsibility to check our orders, or spend the time doing it, or delaying the people behind us. People that work as bank tellers don't make much more money than fast food workers. Yet they somehow manage to get the transactions accurate. We probably won't be able to file police reports over a low-value item such as a sandwich, but we could pass state laws requiring fast food restaurants to post signs in the drive-thru that read something like this:
CHECK ORDER BEFORE LEAVING DRIVE-THRU. VERIFY ALL ITEMS ORDERED ARE INCLUDED IN BAG.
One or two of us checking our bags isn't going to change fast-food. But when it becomes law that that sign be posted, and every customer lingers to check those bags, and then confronts the workers for shorting them, I bet fast-food will stop making those mistakes when they see the servetime for cars in the drivethru skyrockets. They could do it perfectly if they wanted to, it's just in their financial best interest to steal from you.
Jes0125
Salem,New Hampshire,
U.S.A.
Three Notes
#8General Comment
Thu, April 21, 2011
1) Check your order before driving away if you have to use the drive-thru.
2) I find on the occasions when something is messed up that it is an item substituted for an item I ordered or the wrong grill order rather than something missing.
3) I ordered a hamburger and a small coke and got a hamburger, large fries and a medium coke so I guess that blows your theory about the mistakes always benefiting the restaurant.
You know, I don't come on here very often but when I do (for entertainment rather than to file a report or look up a business I am thinking of using) I always go to the FAST FOOD section. Sure there may be one or two legitimate complaints but for the most part anyone who comlains about a fast food place is CRAAAAAAZY! (And I find that highly entertaining!!)
So, thank you for your contribution to my amusement.
mr. rik
miami,Florida,
USA
I rarely if ever pay for a drive thru order
#8Consumer Suggestion
Sun, April 17, 2011
There are really several creative ways of doing this. Since I use these often I will I wont elaborate yet. But with a little thinking you will find its very easy!
Edgeman
Chico,California,
U.S.A.
The best way to handle this...
#8Consumer Comment
Sat, April 16, 2011
When the employee hands you the bag(s) of food, take about ten or fifteen seconds to go through them and verify that the items you paid for are in the bag. Fast food restaurants are not usually too picky about who they hire and many employees are not known for their attention to detail. It's best to check your bag right away so that you can ask the employee to give you what you paid for.
Ramjet
Somewhere,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Check before leaving
#8Consumer Comment
Sat, April 16, 2011
First of all I'm 68 and I don't think I've spent thousands of dollars at a fast food drive up in my whole life but that's just me.
Also, I have never had an order shorted.
I can think of 3 solutions.
1. Go inside to get the order, it's easier to check. If you've lost thousands, that would be worth the extra time.
2. Make a quick check at the window before you leave. It wouldn't take very long to give it a quick look.
3. Don't go to them any more.
You're right that the police are not going to give a d**n if you're missing a chicken tender. I want them doing something more productive.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Wow...
#8Consumer Comment
Sat, April 16, 2011
I've probably had a few thousand dollars worth of "Accidents" attributable to these restaurants,
- I don't think I have spent "a few thousands dollars" at all of the Fast Food resturants combined and when I do getting an order wrong is actually a rarity. For you to have a few thousand dollars worth of "missing" food at a fast food resturant you are definatly a frequent customer. I am figuring you must weigh in the neighboorhood of 400-500lbs with all of that healthy food that they are known to serve. Perhaps that is why you always use the drive-thru because you couldn't fit through their doors.
How about this. Why don't YOU actually check the order before you leave the window, if it holds up the car behind you another 30 seconds too bad. Or better yet why don't you stop going there.
Honestly if you walked into a police station and tried to file a police report for theft on this I wouldn't blame them if they arrested you for filing a false police report.