Drive-throughs ~ Why don't I just give up

As Leo Getz from Lethal Weapon says: They always get you at the drive-through.  Ok he wasn't as PG when he said it. I am soo tired of it.
     Really how hard is it to get an order right?  It isn't as if you have unlimited choices when you order off a marquee and shout into a box!  Without fail I can guarantee you that my order is wrong 50% of the time.  The sad part is I order the same thing at every McDonald's so I can't blame it on a specific store.
    You would think I was ordering a burger cooked a special way or fries with no salt.  Nope it isn't anything that complicated.  The order that seems to completely baffle the employees is... UNSWEET TEA NO ICE.  That's it ~ a drink for heaven's sake.  Unlike my son who on occasion will ask them to make his Power-ade with half water, all they have to do for me is put the cup under the correct spout and pull. I can't blame the order taker because it shows on the screen when I confirm my order.
     I now have a ritual for making sure I get the right drink.  When I pull-up to the window I always smile and say hello.  As I am handed my drink I'll ask: That's UNSWEET right?  Now all I can think of is that there is a camera watching to see if they've made a mistake because no matter what they have put in my cup they always assure me that my order is correct.  Maybe they think that I'd prefer Sweet Tea if I'd just try it?  Well no matter what they say before I pull away I take a sip.  This of course means I have to open the straw first so precious seconds are ticking away.  Why they're surprised when I give them back the wrong Tea I just don't understand.  Usually they're very quick to blame the order taker even though they just told me it was Unsweet. Another quick response is that they gave me the wrong drink order ~ I really giggle at that one when there's no one behind me in the drive-through.
     Half the time it isn't just the drink they can't get right.  Not putting ice in a cup must send some kind of electrical shock through their system.  I can usually plan on my tea being nice and cool at room temperature, the worst that could happen is that I get (OH-NO) warm tea.... that works for me as well!!  Every now and then the window worker will tell me they just brewed the tea and asks would I like some ice.  On those rare occasions I call the store and compliment the employee; yeah I'm one of those people.  Now I get that there is no way for me to be able to tell if my Tea is Sweet or Unsweet but people come on~~~anyone and I do mean anyone who is able to hold their cup can tell if there is ice in their drink.
     Seriously I am not making this stuff up ~ Life is way too entertaining to need to do that.  Just today I went through and ordered a Happy Meal, one large UNSWEET TEA no ice and one Sweet no ice.  I'll deal with the Happy Meal issue in a minute.  I was talking with the guy as he handed me my food.  First drink handed over ice tinkling and I asked is this Sweet or Unsweet?  The look on his face said it all.  That's one Sweet the next one is Unsweet.  I can tell he's not thrilled as I start searching for the straws...BIG SURPRISE both were sweet.  Meg was OK with the ice in hers.  I hand him back mine and heard the usual excuses.  As I handed it back to him I ask him please remember no ice. I'm really hoping his inability to follow simple directions will have no bearing on his SAT scores.  I point out that he's handed me a drink with ice and his reply was "that's OK there's just a little".   At least this time it was Unsweet~ you know I checked it before I drove away.
     Onto the Happy Meal issue.  This is a pet peeve of mine and well while it may seem insignificant I think it is just plain rude and false advertisement.  My kids are way past the age of eating Happy Meals so if I am ordering one you can be sure it is because I WANT THE TOY!!  That's right the toy.  Currently McDonald's is advertising that with their Happy Meals you will get a toy from the new Christmas Movie Rise of the Guardians.  (Review on that tomorrow)  If you haven't seen any commercials, the elves are just adorable and I want the toy.  Now I understand that they run out of toys so I have no issue with that.  What bothers me is that they leave the signs up advertising the toys that are included in the Happy Meal.  Where's the truth in advertising?  Do they think a little girl is going to be happy with the left-over Power Ranger toy or a boy with a My Pretty Pony?   Where's the humanity????
If anyone wants the Power Ranger toy that came with my meal today let me know :(

You shouldn’t have to get mad to get what is fair

            I don’t back down.  If I think I am right I will go toe to toe with anyone.  Today the lucky person to feel my full wrath was the manager at The Orange Box Store *.

     Last Spring we went through a fruit tree phase.   We bought 6 different varities of trees.   We’ve been fertilizing and just generally loving them for the past year.   All but one of our fruit trees have been doing really well.   This one tree finally lost its fight with the last dry spell we had.  But I wasn’t too disappointed as we bought the tree at The Orange Box Store .  Like Lowes, The Orange Box Store offers a one year guarantee on their plants.  With that in mind we leave the store tags on the trees in case something happens.  (Can you see where this is going?)

     In the past I have had to return plants.  I’ve never had an issue.  Return the plant in its pot with tags and you get a replacement, no questions asked.  Having decided to return my dead tree I called over to The Orange Box Store and spoke with the garden manager.  Told him my tree was dead and it still had all of it’s The Orange Box Store  tags on it.  I explained I no longer have the receipt and that I didn’t want a refund just a replacement.  He said no problem, bring the tree in and we’ll swap it out.  I should have gotten his name.

            Today we dug the tree up and headed to The Orange Box Store to get a new tree.  I really have to wonder- do the put the most clueless person at the returns desk?  Seriously if they don’t have any authority whatsoever don’t put them there!!  We explain to the girl (in her tight leopard top-can’t make these things up) about the tree and our conversation with the manager.  Sorry you need a receipt.  Again tell her what the garden manager says, she repeats all this (in a “TONE”) to another girl in customer service who repeats the store motto ~ no receipt no return.  Honestly who keeps their plant receipts for a year?  Never mind the fact that today’s receipts are not printed in ink like the good old days but are actually printed on thermal paper and even with the safest storing methods fade over time.  “No sorry you need a receipt, how do we know you bought that plant a year ago?” 

            Obviously she thought her stern tone would be enough to scare me away.  I replied with one of my favorite lines ~ can I please speak with the store manager?  She calls the store manager, tells her the situation and turns to me and says, the store manager said you need the receipt.  UMMM NO I asked to speak to the store manager can you have her come here.  

            The store manager comes up front and before I can say anything tells me that a receipt is required to return anything to the store.  (Oh yeah this is going to be fun) I explain my conversation with the garden manager.  I also tell her how I have returned plants to Lowes, which is literally right next door, without any problem whatsoever.  This doesn’t seem to faze her one bit.  She stands her ground repeating that she’s sorry but a receipt is necessary.  After five minutes this was getting old.  Feeling like we were losing the battle I start to leave and let her know that this is not done.  I tell her I plan on contacting not only the area manager but the corporate headquarters telling them how this store seems more concerned about paperwork then their customers.  Before we leave I turn one last time to tell her that I am going to write a blazing blog post regarding how this store treats their customers.

-and then-

Mam!?!  Mam!?!  I want you to know that this one time I will exchange your plant.  But please know that in the future if you need to return a plant you will have to have your receipt.  You can go to the back and pick a tree to replace this one with.

Now why did it take me threatening to write a blog for me to get a replacement tree???   Let’s face it when something is returned it goes against the vendor not the store (my husband used to work at Lowe’s so I know how this works).    UGGH SO FRUSTRATING!  Imagine how many people just give up.  I hate that stores and corporations have gotten so big that customer service, real customer service barely exists anymore.  Oh forgot to tell you the tree in question cost a whopping $19.95, imagine if it had been one of the $59.95 trees!

My orchard now is the proud home of a Cherry Tree!!

***So I ran this post by my husband as he was there with me.  He pointed out how I threatened to write a blog and got a new tree yet here I am writing a blog.  He felt it would only be fair if I took the name of the store out, The Orange Box Store was our compromise.  Also in all fairness I did not mention which one it is as there are 4 in our area.