Shop assistants who don't bl**dy listen

geerex

Two of my favourite examples:

(McDonalds) "I'll have a plain quarter pounder with cheese please."
"Do you want cheese on it?"

(Upper Crust) "A cheese and ham baguette, toasted please".
" Would you like it toasted?"

Aarrgh.

Do they just disengage their brain?

What's your favourite ?

Pennywise

Not just shop assistants. It seems everyone is at it.

Last week I went for a regular check-up and the GP clearly wasn't listening to a word I said. She went through the checklist on the computer, ticking yes or no, to whether I smoke, how much I drink etc. She ticked the "never" box to alcohol as I've always been teetotal. Just seconds later, she started going on about reducing my alcohol intake! Doh!

People just go into "auto" mode rather than actually listening and engaging with you.

kipperman

Buy a pint of milk at garage, present to cashier.
"Just this", with an emphasis on the just, I say.
"Any fuel then?" comes the reply.

Sigh....

JReacher1

I don't think the McDonald's question is unreasonable. You specifically say "with cheese" when you order it! Asking a clarifying question over whether you want cheese or not on it seems sensible.

You could have meant you didn't want sauce or onion on it.

geerex

JReacher1 wrote: »

I don't think the McDonald's question is unreasonable. You specifically say "with cheese" when you order it! Asking a clarifying question over whether you want cheese or not on it seems sensible.

You could have meant you didn't want sauce or onion on it.

I know this may be beyond your comprehension, but I'll try to break it down into more manageable chunks:

Plain=no sauce/extraneous crap.
Quarter pounder = pre cooked weight of burger
With cheese = including cheese

It's implied that the burger comes in a bun.

I'm not sure why you find this difficult to understand. Do you work in McDonald's?

skivenov

geerex wrote: »

Do they just disengage their brain?

To be fair, I always used to. If I let my brain work when I'm on a till I get bored, depressed and make mistakes. Brain off, autopilot on, no problems.

JReacher1

geerex wrote: »

I know this may be beyond your comprehension, but I'll try to break it down into more manageable chunks:

Plain=no sauce/extraneous crap.
Quarter pounder = pre cooked weight of burger
With cheese = including cheese

It's implied that the burger comes in a bun.

I'm not sure why you find this difficult to understand. Do you work in McDonald's?

So you do want cheese on your quarter pounder with cheese?

Why don't you just say a quarter pounder without any sauce or onion on it. Plain does imply nothing on it at all.

It seems like you deliberately give vague ordering instructions so you can complain.

Very strange behaviour.

geerex

JReacher1 wrote: »

So you do want cheese on your quarter pounder with cheese?

Why don't you just say a quarter pounder without any sauce or onion on it. Plain does imply nothing on it at all.

It seems like you deliberately give vague ordering instructions so you can complain.

Very strange behaviour.

It's quicker to say for a start.

Plus, its the accepted lingua franca for McDonalds ordering. Indeed, "plain quarter cheese" is all the workers need to communicate this particular item.

The vent is about those who DON'T listen. Those who do have no problem processing my order as asked.

daytona0

geerex wrote: »

I know this may be beyond your comprehension, but I'll try to break it down into more manageable chunks:

Plain=no sauce/extraneous crap.
Quarter pounder = pre cooked weight of burger
With cheese = including cheese

It's implied that the burger comes in a bun.

I'm not sure why you find this difficult to understand. Do you work in McDonald's?

I know this may be beyond your comprehension, but talk to the employee/other people like that and you might find a bit of extra 'juice' in your burger. I have witnessed this first hand (I haven't done it), but it is admittedly relatively rare.


Just curious, though, but if you'd have asked for just a "plain quarter pounder" would you expect it to come without cheese? I would! Maybe the employee wanted to double check just in case they misheard the first time round, especially if either you placed more stress on the "plain quarter pounder" part as opposed to the "with cheese" part OR if they were in auto pilot after a long day of serving customers. That's not a criminal offence. Don't forget the obvious fact that McD DO employ younger people who are lacking a bit in customer service skills (something you seem to readily acknowledge, see next point!).

Finally, what s the deal with your last sentence on the above quotation?! You are asking a rhetorical question RE working in McD, implying that working there is such a bad thing. Yet you've gone there to eat, you've insulted their employees, and you've expected a top class service. How can you expect such a good service on the one hand and on the other hand use it as a derogatory term?

antrobus

JReacher1 wrote: »

So you do want cheese on your quarter pounder with cheese?

Why don't you just say a quarter pounder without any sauce or onion on it. Plain does imply nothing on it at all.

It seems like you deliberately give vague ordering instructions so you can complain.

Very strange behaviour.

I tend to agree.:)

McDonalds offer a product known as a 'Quarter Pounder with Cheese'. They do not, it seems, offer an alternative known as a 'Quarter Pounder' that does not have cheese. Therefore it would be quite within the realms of possibility that someone would request a plain 'Quarter Pounder with Cheese' and mean one that came without cheese.

I know this, because I have a son who likes a Quarter Pounder but does not like cheese. So when he says he wants a plain one, he means he doesn't want cheese, but is happy with everything else. I find it pays to make it very clear what specific items you don't want on your burger in any McDonalds.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Food/beef.html

Other burger restaurants are available.

JReacher1

geerex wrote: »

It's quicker to say for a start.

Plus, its the accepted lingua franca for McDonalds ordering. Indeed, "plain quarter cheese" is all the workers need to communicate this particular item.

The vent is about those who DON'T listen. Those who do have no problem processing my order as asked.

I'm still not sure if you want cheese on this burger or not!

"Quarter pounder with cheese" is the product name. If you want the burger to bespoke specifications I think you need to be more specific than just say plain quarter pounder with cheese. It's not obvious whether you want cheese or not. Therefore it seems reasonable for them to ask a follow up clarifying question.