A common subject - Complaining

Greetings Readers

I did something that took about an hour’s thinking and now what’s been done cannot be undone.

Flashback – In the past two years with blogging and many, many years before blogging I have told many stories involving my experiences with different fast food joints and some restaurants.

Stories. That’s what they are. Most of the time they are bad experiences. Bad meaning – bad service and not the food. The stories are born from my visits. I never go looking for a story at any visit to a place where they sell/serve prepared food.

I realize that I must not be a prick, but you readers must also understand that I am much more than just the next customer that you serve in the establishment that you are employed with. I understand that you were most likely trained how to work at the place you are employed at. You are trained to ask/act when the first customer comes into the establishment.

As an unwritten rule we customers are to listen to what the employee was trained to do when greeting customers the first time. I do not disagree with that unwritten rule.

Now, here is where you, the readers, may disagree. When I order something from the menu I have the option to add or delete or even change what I want on the order.

For example – If I want to order a number 5, but I want to substitute the fries for some other item on the menu, then I should been able to so without prejudice. If I order a Hamburger and I want it cooked medium well – then do it and do not tell me that, what is most likely printed on the menu that, eating meat not fully cook could lead to food poisoning. I know how to read the menu.

Using that same example if you ask me what I want on that Hamburger? I will reply, “I only want lettuce, pickles, and mustard (or spicy mustard as long as it is not Dijon). Do not ask me if I want cheese on that Hamburger when I said clearly “I only want…” Depending on how my service has been to this point I respond / not respond to your question about whether or not I want cheese on my Hamburger.

I could give you the silent stare. I could respond, “Did I ask for cheese?” And there are a few more examples, but I better not give you readers any more examples.

I do know that some of you restaurant and fast food employees are required to ask and perhaps up sale an order, but when I say only – that means only. Don’t ask for anything more when me, the customer, says only.

With that being said. I often only need a main meal and perhaps a side item. Most of the time I already have a drink. So when I order, for example, a hamburger and fries do not ask the question – do you want a combo? Or tell me that I will be saving some money if I order the combo. That may be the case, but if I wanted a combo meal then I would have ordered a combo meal. I can add numbers – fuck me, they call Stephen Hawkins Jr. Ha ha- kidding, but as that phrase goes it does not take a rocket scientist to do this sort of math.

When any employee at a fast food / restaurants asks me a question on what I want. Let me answer and do not interrupt me with another question before I even finish your first question.

Again, those are experiences, which are later turned into stories. Sure, I get pissed when I get deviated from my MO for ordering food. Yet, the only one that gets involved is the employee that is serving/waitressing me.

I am not looking for free food, gift certificates or a free dessert. I want to be treated just above the average customer. I have been told that I was an ass, a dick, a S.O.B. etc. for what I may telling any of my friends of some of my “bad” experiences. Yet, I believe in that “the customer is always right” rule. I do not take advantage of that rule, but sure as shit I will try and adhere to that rule.

Current Day – I was sort of inspired by that wrestler who would not accept the bronze medal. I did mention that it must have taken some big cojones to do that. Inspired? I know that I could not do something like that right now, but I wanted to do something that may be like that or a step in that direction in my opinion.

With a recent fast food / restaurant experience that I did share with you readers, I decided to go to the establishment’s website and send an email of what I told to you readers. Again, this was brought on by what that wrestler did last week. Prior to seeing that I never did tell anyone more than the server who served me at the establishment they worked at. There was no reason to tell anyone else. In my mind, I now have some larger cojones, but not even close to Abe’s cojones for dropping that Bronze medal.

So, last week I sent an email and copied and pasted what I told you readers prior to this post. I gave them my first name and personal email address and even gave them the store I had the experience at. Now I am just waiting for an email response, if any. Readers, this was the first time ever that I decided to send/write on an experience from a restaurant / fast food experience.

I am not looking for inconvenience sympathy, but I am expecting some sort of reply to my email. I am curious. Though ever since sending that email I can see many scenarios on the opposite end of the email I sent. Such as… “Yo Jim, check out this email from Colorado.” Or “hey I think we have letter of the month from Colorado.” Or “What does the person want?” I left nothing out nor omitted what I told you readers in the past post I did post.

So I clicked the send button and now nothing can be undone.

P.S. Readers – what I have just posted is nothing new that I have not posted before. I have explained / detailed from my point of view many times. I have admitted my mood at certain times. I have admitted I was wrong at times. I have admitted that I took the low road as oppose to the high road. Yet, I have never been one sided and indicated that it was the entire restaurant / fast food establishment’s fault.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete