Merchants of shame: Never eating here again.

[Jenny13]

   I cannot believe people have such nerve!!  I would have barked too.....

[Piratelvr1121]

I have one from last night.   As part of our vacation plans, we had decided we would get all you can eat crabs while we were camping since there was a place not too far from the park (camping at Assateague) so it wouldn't be a far drive.

Well we get there around 6 and they seat us saying "Just to let you know, we're out of coleslaw and baked potatoes." Well okay, we can live with that.  (As a note, many AYCE places that serve steamed crabs will often serve side items as part of the meal to help fill you up since you could be at the restaurant forever waiting to get full on the crabs themselves)

So we're seated and the waiter comes by saying "Oh by the way we're all out of crabs, but we do have all you can eat crab legs and steamed shrimp."  Since we came for steamed crabs and had been looking forward to that, we decided to go somewhere else and got up to leave.   As we left, my friend heard the hostess saying to the waiter "Well I told them we're out of coleslaw and potatoes!" and the waiter say "We're out of crabs, too!"

Now I don't fault the hostess or the waiter, but 1) It's a holiday weekend so you'd think they'd order more crabs in anticipation of people wanting to get one last feast in before the end of the season and 2) We felt bad for the hostess that no one had communicated to her that they were out of crabs so she could warn people before they were seated that they were out.  (And we did say we were there for crabs when we first arrived) 3) The marquee for the restaurant boasted "All You Can Eat steamed crabs!!"  If they run out they ought to do something with their sign to let people know!

But it turned out alright as we went to Waterman's instead and filled ourselves with crabs, hush puppies, fried chicken and fries till we were stuffed/tired.  It was great.  And they have a kid's crab feast if you don't want to get AYCE for the under 12 group.

[Optimoose Prime]

I worked at Burger King back in high school and we very seldom had any $10s.  ATMs here give out cash in $20 increments.

The worst place for messing up food here was Wendy's.  We used to joke that they would mess up water.  In the last year they've gotten so much better.  They must have a new manager or something.

The worst attitude I got was at the Burger King drive thru.  Girl handed me the food bag and said, "What are you waiting for?"  Really snotty like. "Umm, you forgot my drinks." 

"No, I didn't!" Same snotty tone.

"Yeah, you did.  I don't have them."  So she fills a couple cups and says, "Here!"  Like I was wasting her time wanting what I paid for.

[Harriet Jones]

There's an employee at a FF restaurant in town that just says "Have a day" when he hands you your food...

[ladycrim]

nderstand that you want your correct change back, and you should get it, but the way you do it is kind of demeaning.  If you said that to me I would not be thinking nice things in my head.  Telling them how much you've given them is just fine, but doing the math for them is a bit rude.  Trust them to do their jobs; only raise a stink if they don't.

No demeaning intended.  I really do want the $10 bill back.  Otherwise I'll get ones and fives which I seem to fritter away more easily.  It's a challenge to me to get the least number of paper and coins.  Never had anyone act offended.  They're usually grateful I don't take all their change.  Plus, I get to do mental math and always get the right amount of change.  The most important part however, is saying the amount I'm handing over.

Ah, I took it to me you were telling them how much change you were expecting back, not how you wanted it back.  I apologize.  I will suggest saying, "Could I have my change back as a ten, please?" so that you make it clear that you are not doing their math for them but instead want it returned a specific way.  I think that would help keep the demeaning tone (though not intended) out of the exchange.

Definitely no demeaning intended - I know there are plenty of smart people who work in fast food - but I do need to share this story:

I was at the drive-thru, and my order was something like $5.57.  I had a $10 bill and some change.  I handed the girl $10.57 so I could get an even $5 back.  She looked at me like I was nuts and said, "It's only $5.57."  "I know," I replied, "but this way you only have to give me a $5 bill in change."  She kept looking at me like this was the craziest thing she'd ever heard of.  "Try it, trust me," I finally said.  She did, and looked truly astonished when the register rang up an even $5 change.

[Yvaine]

nderstand that you want your correct change back, and you should get it, but the way you do it is kind of demeaning.  If you said that to me I would not be thinking nice things in my head.  Telling them how much you've given them is just fine, but doing the math for them is a bit rude.  Trust them to do their jobs; only raise a stink if they don't.

No demeaning intended.  I really do want the $10 bill back.  Otherwise I'll get ones and fives which I seem to fritter away more easily.  It's a challenge to me to get the least number of paper and coins.  Never had anyone act offended.  They're usually grateful I don't take all their change.  Plus, I get to do mental math and always get the right amount of change.  The most important part however, is saying the amount I'm handing over.

Ah, I took it to me you were telling them how much change you were expecting back, not how you wanted it back.  I apologize.  I will suggest saying, "Could I have my change back as a ten, please?" so that you make it clear that you are not doing their math for them but instead want it returned a specific way.  I think that would help keep the demeaning tone (though not intended) out of the exchange.

Definitely no demeaning intended - I know there are plenty of smart people who work in fast food - but I do need to share this story:

I was at the drive-thru, and my order was something like $5.57.  I had a $10 bill and some change.  I handed the girl $10.57 so I could get an even $5 back.  She looked at me like I was nuts and said, "It's only $5.57."  "I know," I replied, "but this way you only have to give me a $5 bill in change."  She kept looking at me like this was the craziest thing she'd ever heard of.  "Try it, trust me," I finally said.  She did, and looked truly astonished when the register rang up an even $5 change.

I'll admit, sometimes when I worked fast food my brain would just switch into autopilot, and explanations of change would just boggle me even if they wouldn't in "real life." Especially when we had someone who was a real wizard about it--they'd pay with what seemed like a totally random amount and then magically it would work out to a round amount!

[Elfmama]

Definitely no demeaning intended - I know there are plenty of smart people who work in fast food - but I do need to share this story:

I was at the drive-thru, and my order was something like $5.57.  I had a $10 bill and some change.  I handed the girl $10.57 so I could get an even $5 back.  She looked at me like I was nuts and said, "It's only $5.57."  "I know," I replied, "but this way you only have to give me a $5 bill in change."  She kept looking at me like this was the craziest thing she'd ever heard of.  "Try it, trust me," I finally said.  She did, and looked truly astonished when the register rang up an even $5 change.

It blows their mind even more if you give them change, but it doesn't make an even amount.

I ordered something at a FF place that came out to $3.03.  I handed the counter kid $5.10.  (I had the dime, but no pennies.)  He looked at the money very puzzled, held up the dime, and said "What do I do with this?"  I just could not get through to him that I'd rather have $2.07 back in change than $1.97.  The manager had to come and complete the sale.

[Diane AKA Traska]

Would it be mean of me to pay for a $5.82 bill with $20.23?  Yeah, I thought so.

But then, I know someone who once paid for a pizza delivery with pennies.  Loose ones.  Counted 'em out right in front of the guy.  Then gave the guy 300 pennies as a tip...

[VorFemme]

Twenty years ago (or so) we were still living in San Angelo and I went shopping for a half slip to wear with a skirt (I forget if it was wool & itchy or a little too sheer without the slip on - just remember that I needed the half slip).

I went to pay for it and told the not over 24 year old cashier (university in town - whether she was a student or not, she was YOUNG but out of high school) that I had the change after giving her a twenty............she kept trying to give me the change from the twenty while I'm telling her that I told her NOT to press the "total recieved" as I was getting out my change (had to reach over & grab a five year old - so maybe it was 22 years ago)..............

She couldn't LOOK at the amount due from me or the amount of change due from the twenty to realize that the coins in one hand added to the coins & bills in the other would be $10.  Just could not do it.............until an older (older than me THEN) cashier came over, looked at it, and told her to put the change away after counting it "to make sure it's a dollar" and then give me all bills instead of a handful of change. 

I'm afraid that both of us rolled our eyes a bit and made a comment about calculators ruining the ability to do simple math mentally............but the situation has only gotten worse in the last twenty-odd years..................because now the cell phones have calculators in them.

[kkl123]

I'm afraid that both of us rolled our eyes a bit and made a comment about calculators ruining the ability to do simple math mentally............but the situation has only gotten worse in the last twenty-odd years..................because now the cell phones have calculators in them.

Slight threadjack... did you ever read Isaac Asimov's short story, A Feeling of Power?
http://downlode.org/Etext/power.html

DH worked for Burger King a few glaciations ago -- designed their first custom point of sales systems for them.  That's when the found out they had to put a picture of a chicken on the key for a chicken sandwich, etc. 

Me, I was trained in the days when you counted change out like "your bill was $5.97, and 3 [cents] make 6, and 7, 8, 9, 10 [dollars], and thank you for shopping here!".  Occasionally I fill in for people at sewing shows, and I still count change that way, and I get the oddest looks.  I get even odder looks if I tell them the total before I ring the purchase.

[Elfmama]

I'm afraid that both of us rolled our eyes a bit and made a comment about calculators ruining the ability to do simple math mentally............but the situation has only gotten worse in the last twenty-odd years..................because now the cell phones have calculators in them.

Slight threadjack... did you ever read Isaac Asimov's short story, A Feeling of Power?
http://downlode.org/Etext/power.html

Oh, yes!  I especially enjoyed this line: "After all, computers have not always existed. The cavemen with their triremes, stone axes, and railroads had no computers."

But if you read between the lines, you can tell that instead of getting smaller and smaller, Asimov's computers kept getting bigger and bigger!    "A ship that can navigate space without a computer on board can be constructed in one fifth the time and at one tenth the expense of a computer-laden ship."

DH worked for Burger King a few glaciations ago -- designed their first custom point of sales systems for them.  That's when the found out they had to put a picture of a chicken on the key for a chicken sandwich, etc. 

Me, I was trained in the days when you counted change out like "your bill was $5.97, and 3 [cents] make 6, and 7, 8, 9, 10 [dollars], and thank you for shopping here!".  Occasionally I fill in for people at sewing shows, and I still count change that way, and I get the oddest looks.  I get even odder looks if I tell them the total before I ring the purchase.

Me too.  But I think the picture of the chicken, hamburger, or whatever, is necessary because of illiteracy rather than innumeracy.

[Mental Magpie]

I'm afraid that both of us rolled our eyes a bit and made a comment about calculators ruining the ability to do simple math mentally............but the situation has only gotten worse in the last twenty-odd years..................because now the cell phones have calculators in them.

Slight threadjack... did you ever read Isaac Asimov's short story, A Feeling of Power?
http://downlode.org/Etext/power.html

DH worked for Burger King a few glaciations ago -- designed their first custom point of sales systems for them.  That's when the found out they had to put a picture of a chicken on the key for a chicken sandwich, etc. 

Me, I was trained in the days when you counted change out like "your bill was $5.97, and 3 [cents] make 6, and 7, 8, 9, 10 [dollars], and thank you for shopping here!".  Occasionally I fill in for people at sewing shows, and I still count change that way, and I get the oddest looks.  I get even odder looks if I tell them the total before I ring the purchase.

I'm 23 and that's how I count back change.  It makes it so even people that are bad at quick math in their heads can follow along.  I also count it out that way so I can make sure I am giving correct change...because I'm one of those people that is bad at quick math in my head. (I think it's because I'm a visual leaner...let me write it down and I can do amazing things with math.)

[pierrotlunaire0]

I work at the DMV, and what I have started seeing this last year is that teen first time drivers often have no idea how to sign their name. 

[Twik]

I work at the DMV, and what I have started seeing this last year is that teen first time drivers often have no idea how to sign their name.

 

[Diane AKA Traska]

I work at the DMV, and what I have started seeing this last year is that teen first time drivers often have no idea how to sign their name.

 

It's an increasingly digital world, and honestly, cursive writing was never that good for a lot of us.  I know mine looks like a drunken ant got dipped in ink.