Wednesday, August 06, 2003
SPENDING #3 ("I prefer to eat at places where they cook your food after you order it." - Calvin Trillin)
I had lunch at Arby's last week. It didn't go very well. There were two people in front of me, so I had quite a wait. Finally I got to order.
Me: I'll have a regular roast beef and small fries."
Sullen Eastern European Cashier: "We don't have small fries. Only regular and large."
Me: "Regular fries."
SEEC: "Regular fries or curly fries?"
Me: "Regular, regular fries."
SEEC: "Do you want cheese on that roast beef?"
Me: "No."
SEEG: Is this for here or to go?"
Me: "Here."
SEEC: That's $6.77
Me: "That can't be. It should be about $4.00."
SEEC: "That's $6.77"
Me: "The roast beef is $2.59. The fries are $1.29. That can't be $6.77."
SEEC stares into space. Says nothing.
It's a Mexican stand-off. I'd like to stand there as long as possible, but I'm in a screaming hurry or I wouldn't have come there in the first place, so I blink.
Me: "Can you get the manager?"
SEEC rolls her eyes, shrugs. Slumps over to the manager.
Me: "My total isn't right. I ordered a regular roast beef and small fries. That total can't be right."
Manager: "Is what?"
Me: "Is wrong!"
Manager: "You have order?"
Me: "One regular roast beef. One regular fries."
Manager: "Is $4.01"
SEEC reappears with her hand out, but before I have a chance to pay the guy behind me leans over and addresses her:
GBM: "Is there a good place to get pizza around here?"
SEEC rolls her eyes, shrugs. Slumps over to the manager.
Manager come over, GBM repeats the question. Manager brightens.
Manager: "Is right there, across the lot. Is good."
Three of the four people in line behind me turn and walk out. I pay. My food eventually shows up. I know it's mine because SEEC drops it on the counter and walks back to the register without making eye contact.
Me: "This was for here, not to go."
SEEC rolls her eyes shrugs.
I took my bag and slink and to the far corner, trying to get the gunfighter's seat. However, this Arby's had a strange configuration. It was a shotgun shack set-up and instead of the door I found myself facing a big poster of the talking Oven Mitt.
---- From Arby's Oven Mitt advertising campaign: "In November, Arby's said it would make across- the- board changes.... from restaurant image to technology, with the goal of enhancing customer experience. ...the company said most of the new technologies would provide faster service.... The company said the only process it won't work to quicken is the three hours it takes to roast its beef." ------
(The South Florida Business Journal 2/24/2003)
The fries were stone cold, the roast beef slightly less so, with the mealy consistency of wet cardboard (I won't say, "but not the taste," that would be a cheap shot.) The roll was hard on the outside edge, as in stale, not crispy. The middle was mushier than the roast beef.
I had lunch at Arby's last week. It didn't go very well. There were two people in front of me, so I had quite a wait. Finally I got to order.
Me: I'll have a regular roast beef and small fries."
Sullen Eastern European Cashier: "We don't have small fries. Only regular and large."
Me: "Regular fries."
SEEC: "Regular fries or curly fries?"
Me: "Regular, regular fries."
SEEC: "Do you want cheese on that roast beef?"
Me: "No."
SEEG: Is this for here or to go?"
Me: "Here."
SEEC: That's $6.77
Me: "That can't be. It should be about $4.00."
SEEC: "That's $6.77"
Me: "The roast beef is $2.59. The fries are $1.29. That can't be $6.77."
SEEC stares into space. Says nothing.
It's a Mexican stand-off. I'd like to stand there as long as possible, but I'm in a screaming hurry or I wouldn't have come there in the first place, so I blink.
Me: "Can you get the manager?"
SEEC rolls her eyes, shrugs. Slumps over to the manager.
Me: "My total isn't right. I ordered a regular roast beef and small fries. That total can't be right."
Manager: "Is what?"
Me: "Is wrong!"
Manager: "You have order?"
Me: "One regular roast beef. One regular fries."
Manager: "Is $4.01"
SEEC reappears with her hand out, but before I have a chance to pay the guy behind me leans over and addresses her:
GBM: "Is there a good place to get pizza around here?"
SEEC rolls her eyes, shrugs. Slumps over to the manager.
Manager come over, GBM repeats the question. Manager brightens.
Manager: "Is right there, across the lot. Is good."
Three of the four people in line behind me turn and walk out. I pay. My food eventually shows up. I know it's mine because SEEC drops it on the counter and walks back to the register without making eye contact.
Me: "This was for here, not to go."
SEEC rolls her eyes shrugs.
I took my bag and slink and to the far corner, trying to get the gunfighter's seat. However, this Arby's had a strange configuration. It was a shotgun shack set-up and instead of the door I found myself facing a big poster of the talking Oven Mitt.
---- From Arby's Oven Mitt advertising campaign: "In November, Arby's said it would make across- the- board changes.... from restaurant image to technology, with the goal of enhancing customer experience. ...the company said most of the new technologies would provide faster service.... The company said the only process it won't work to quicken is the three hours it takes to roast its beef." ------
(The South Florida Business Journal 2/24/2003)
The fries were stone cold, the roast beef slightly less so, with the mealy consistency of wet cardboard (I won't say, "but not the taste," that would be a cheap shot.) The roll was hard on the outside edge, as in stale, not crispy. The middle was mushier than the roast beef.
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