One of the biggest dying arts in America is customer service, or quality customer service I should say. The Sunday paper is full of job adds for Customer Service Reps, the “service” industry is growing, and yet finding a human who really wants to offer any kind of help or service is a challenge on any given day. I’ll be identyifing some of the offenders in this section. Hopefully, occasionally, I’ll be surprised with excellent customer service and be able to blog about that, too.
I’ve had a yucky cold this weekend. On Friday night, I felt terrible and just went to bed early. On Saturday morning, I wanted to spend some time with the kids to make up for crashing on our evening together. They adore grocery shopping. Not too sure about why, but they do. I invited any kids that wantedto go to get their clothes on for grocery shopping trip. It was 9:45 am. While they were getting ready, I searched through the mess I currently call a study (study in disorganization would be more appropriate) for some McDonald’s gift cards I knew we had. I found 3 and checked the balances on line. We had $12. As usual, money is tight this month. I also found a school coupon for buy one b-fast sandwich get one free. Okay – we were on! Hurry – mom has a surprise. I knew McD’s stopped serving breakfast at 10:30 am, or at least they did on weekdays. So, I rushed the 3 kids that had decided to go with me. The 12 year old opted for sleeping in. If Harper had been any slower, he would have been backwards. He wanted to wear sandals in the 26 degree weather. After a little battle about that and a bigger one finding hats/gloves/scarves, etc. , we departed at approx 10:15 am.
I’m sure that McDonalds in the title here will make some wonder. Did I really expect to get awesome service at McD’s? Was I looking for the experience of a lifetime at a place that has a $1 menu? Definitely not, but I was expecting to receive a fast-food quality breakfast, eat it with my 3 charming morning pals in a fast-food environment, and start off our Saturday morning on a decent note.
McD’s was crowded. From the hustle I saw people moving in, I was able to confirm that breakfast did, in fact, end at 10:30. This was far from relaxing, but okay, it was a “fast-food” breakfast. And, it was the only place I had gift cards for, so it was essentially a free breakfast while the wallet was empty.
Keely took the boys to a booth and removed all the hats, gloves, etc, while I went to order. We had decided what we wanted on the way over so we wouldn’t waste any time. I was in line at 10:22. Whew! A sigh of relief that we had made it. Plus, there was only one couple in front of me in line. A manager type person (one wearing the different manager-type shirt) was the cashier on my side. She took the couple’s order promptly and then began filling it. She was slow. It took her several minutes to decide she would need to move them over to the side and take more orders. About one minute prior to that time, the other cashier announced in a loud, shouting voice that it was “switchover to lunch time.” I didn’t worry. I figured that she meant that would be starting the switchover procedure. Little did I know.
It was like something out of the movies when the illegal gambling is taking place and there’s a raid. She yelled a few things to the front staff, spoke in Spanish to the back staff, turned a wheel on the menu changing the whole board to lunch, gave the man at the counter two creams for his coffee while the chilled bins at the drink counter were emptied, and presto! – there was no longer any sign of breakfast. It was 10:26. Just then, my manager/cashier decides she will move the nice customer to the side and take more orders.
I handed her my coupon and said, “I’m trying real hard to get some breakfast here.”
“I’m sorry, we are serving lunch. May I take your order?” She still has her hand on the tray of the customers now standing beside me. It’s nearly full of breakfast items.
“I’ve been standing in this line waiting on breakfast. It’s not 10:30 yet.”
“I know. I’m sorry. We have to get ready for lunch.”
Now, I’m ticked. So are the other folks behind me. We’ve been waiting in line for breakfast, at breakfast time, and won’t get breakfast. It’s not 10:30 yet and there’s no breakfast.
“Okay, what do you have left?” This is their standard procedure. They won’t take breakfast orders, but they will sell what they have left to you.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? What’s all that food?” I point to the stack of breakfast sandwiches coming from the back.
“Believe it or not, that’s food for orders. We have nothing left.”
“But it’s not 10:30 yet and I’ve been in line since well before 10:30″
“I know and I am sorry. We are supposed to be stocked until 10:30, but she turned it a little early today.”
“Why would she turn it early when we are all in line for breakfast?”
“I’m not sure, but what can I get for you?”
“NOTHING! There’s nothing you can get me, as you been very clear that you have NOTHING left from the breakfast menu. It’s now 10:29 am and I came here with 3 children all bundled up and expecting breakfast and since you don’t have any more breakfast, there’s not one thing you can get for me. ”
I go deliver the news to the 3 cuties awaiting hotcakes and syrup. We were the first family in line denied breakfast, so the entire restaurant is full of pancake eating little brats all around us. Try explaining that to the 3 year old. Then, try convincing everyone we really don’t need breakfast anyway, since we don’t have any gift cards for anywhere else and now no one else is serving breakfast either! Had I known McD’s would leave me breakfastless, I could have used that time in line to go one or two stores down to Wendy’s or Burger King who WAS actually serving b-fast until 10:30, not just advertising it. Okay, maybe we’ll hit Waffle House (b-fast served 24-7). Helpful mom that has breakfast for her whole family tells me; “there’s a line out the door there, that’s why we came here.” Thank you, thank you for that helpful piece info, now go back to enjoying your hotcakes, okay?
We put all the cold weather gear on and leave McD’s. Judging from the rush of other folks out the door as well, there were a lot of people wanting breakfast. So what sense does it make to switchover early when you have a line full of people wanting breakfast? Still haven’t figured that one out.
In a moment of true revelation, I remembered that Dunkin’ Doughnuts not only takes checks, but that they do also have some breakfast sandwiches. We headed there and had a delightful breakfast. My Dunkin is run by a wonderful middle Eastern family. We have trouble understanding each other sometimes, but even with a language barrier, they ALWAYS have great service. They recognize us and most of them live in the apartments just across the street. They truly have a community feel. Makes me wonder why it was I went to McD’s anyway…oh yeah, those gift cards.
I’m sure no one will head to McD’s for their top-notch award-winning service or their world-renowned gourmet food, but think twice before you even head there for your hopefully warm; frozen, re-frozen, and deep-fried, served without a smile or even a common courtesy meal. It might be switchover time and you might leave without even that.
In case you’re local here in Knoxville, this would be the McD’s on Cedar Bluff, which I could not recommend for even a crappy breakfast, since I got no breakfast. The Dunkin is also on Cedar Bluff and they are open 24 hours with a full menu and a polite staff. Please help keep them in business – we need to preserve all the customer service we can before it is truly extinct.
