If you're gonna order for someone else, don't be a douche about it please!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I understand that customers may come in and order food for someone else who isn't present, but for the love of God:

figure out what he or she wants before you get here!

This has happened nearly 10 times this week alone: A customer comes in on their cell phone, talking to whoever they are ordering food for and attempting to relay that information to me. As a result of, I had the following screwups on such orders:

- Customer on the other end of the phone decided they wanted a different bread...JUST before I put the bread in the toaster.

- Due to a miscommunication from the relaying customer, a sandwich that shouldn't have been toasted was.

- Person on the phone arguing with the other person on the call about what he or she wanted on the sandwich. Lady, if they tell you they want something, they probably want it. If you want to argue with them fine, but please step out of line to do it and come back when you get it straight.

- Person who, once we got to the end, remembered they had two more sandwiches to order (arrrgh! )

- The person on the other end of the phone could not decide whether they wanted chips or cookies with a meal, holding up three other people in line.

- A back and forth conversation from hell. Customer who was on the other end of the phone wanted chicken, so I explain to the relayer we have four different kinds of chicken, which would he like? Relayer explains all four types of chicken to guy on call and he decides. Repeat with types of cheese, types of peppers and types of sauces. I actually took a break for a couple of minutes after that order I was so aggravated by it.

It didn't used to be this way. At one glorious time we had a sign up telling customers to get off the phone while they were at the counter, but our dear Owner made us take it down because he thought it might drive away business.

I don't meant to sound like an old fart (heck I'm not even 30 yet) but it bothers me that people are so damned inconsiderate about cell phones. I AM respectful with mine but that puts me in a small minority near as I can tell. A lot of folks seem to think there's an unwritten rule in society that states: In general, cell phones are ok to use anywhere, anytime in any situation.

Sorry folks, that is NOT the case!

[MallDrone]

Put the sign back up - the majority of your customers will thank you. It's experiences like being stuck in line behind your cell phone customers that end up driving people away (at least, that's what I'd tell the people in charge - I have no proof to back my claims up).

[barainga]

Heaven forbid they get a pen and paper and write down the order before they leave so that they know damn well they get what they want.

[blas]

I don't even know what it is about sandwich shops that make people so stupid.

[aurelemsrealm]

Heaven forbid they get a pen and paper and write down the order before they leave so that they know damn well they get what they want.

This is what I do when I run errands for anyone else. I insist that they take a moment or two to write down exactly what they want. If they can't bother to effectively communicate their request to me, I doubt I can bother with trying to figure it out on my own. I have to make reminder lists for myself just to keep my own thoughts straight. I'm not even going to attempt to try to figure out what someone else wants. In short, if you want my help, then make it easy for me to help you.

I don't even know what it is about <<insert customer service establishment of choice>> that make people so stupid.

Blas, I agree with you. However, I would also be inclined to expand on this point.

Menu:
1. sandwich shops
2. convenience stores
3. other fast food restaurants
4. grocery stores
5. discount stores
6. other customer service establishments

Anyway, you get the idea....

[Treasure]

Heaven forbid they get a pen and paper and write down the order before they leave so that they know damn well they get what they want.

QFT!
this is what i do for the people in my office - everybody writes down what they want, the add this, sub that's and none of those etc

I have handed the order(s) to the person at the register and they go "oh ok"

[Catwoman2965]

I feel your pain. ANd I somehow always manage to get BEHIND that person in line. Bonus points if i'm trying to grab something quick before heading to job #2!

[TheTigress]

Don't even get me started on the text message orders.....

[MoonCat]

I've seen places with signs like this. There used to be a tiny little deli here that served fresh sandwiches. The owner had a big sign up saying NO CELL PHONES. If you came in talking on a phone, he would either ignore you or tell you to get out. It didn't hurt his business one bit. He eventually decided to retire and close the shop. It was a sad day in the neighborhood

[Racket_Man]

Blas, I agree with you. However, I would also be inclined to expand on this point.

Menu:
1. sandwich shops
2. convenience stores
3. other fast food restaurants
3a. any food establishment that takes orders over the phone (for carryout or delivery)
4. grocery stores
5. discount stores
6. other customer service establishments

Anyway, you get the idea....

my addition in bold

here is the scene:

it is late on a Friday night. you are all pretty mellowly stoned (on whatever substance(s) of your choice). HMMMMMM MEGA MUCHINES!!!!!!! HUNGRY STONERS MUST PHONE IN PIZZA ORDER. but what to order. ahhhhh who cares. let's just call and decide later.

Hapless CSR answers the phone and asks what you woul like. ***** que 5 minutes of broken decision making, yelling, loud music, 15 loud conversations in the background, CSRs ear getting perferated by yelling and screaming of multiple orders, 3 people trying to order for the group or in-DUH-vidually, order changing several times due to the fact no one can remember what they said 30 seconds ago, order changing several times cause HEY WE'RE stoned. *****que CSR beating themselves about the head with a pizza box just to stun thier brain cells and get rid of the massive induced headache ******

NOW take away the stoneyness of the customer AND you STILL get the same thing.

[mharbourgirl]

my addition in bold

here is the scene:

it is late on a Friday night. you are all pretty mellowly stoned (on whatever substance(s) of your choice)adolescent boys aged 13-16. HMMMMMM MEGA MUNCHIES!!!!!!! HUNGRY STONERSteenagers MUST PHONE IN PIZZA ORDER. but what to order. ahhhhh who cares. let's just call and decide later.

Hapless CSR answers the phone and asks what you woul like. ***** que 5 minutes of broken decision making, yelling, loud music, 15 loud conversations in the background, CSRs ear getting perferated by yelling and screaming of multiple orders, 3 people trying to order for the group or in-DUH-vidually, order changing several times due to the fact no one can remember what they said 30 seconds ago, order changing several times cause HEY WE'RE stonedboys. *****que CSR beating themselves about the head with a pizza box just to stun thier brain cells and get rid of the massive induced headache ******

This was growing up with two younger brothers who were within 2 years of each other. Stoners got NOTHING on the eating machines that adolescent boys become. And the fact that their brains are just starting to grow the bit that makes intelligent decisions means that coherency goes RIGHT out the window.

[ExRetailDrone]

it is late on a Friday night. you are all pretty mellowly stoned (on whatever substance(s) of your choice). HMMMMMM MEGA MUCHINES!!!!!!! HUNGRY STONERS MUST PHONE IN PIZZA ORDER. but what to order. ahhhhh who cares. let's just call and decide later.

Back in my partying days, we would still figure out what we wanted before hand and write it down since it was likely we'd forget between dialing the phone number and the CSR on the other end picking up But again, I tend to think of it from the other side of the phone and try my hardest not to do something that would aggravate me. Sadly most people do not do this.

I just don't understand placing orders for other people and not having it written down. At one of my jobs, my co-workers and I will sometimes grab things for each other when one of us is out running to the bank or whatever. We will always write down what we want for the person going out. It helps out everyone and only takes about an extra minute of time; and the time it saves is HUGE. *shakes fist at inconsiderate asshats*

[Jester]

- Person who, once we got to the end, remembered they had two more sandwiches to order (arrrgh! )

Back in line then, I say! Behind all the other people who have been patiently and politely waiting.

There are ways around most of this douchebaggery. Such as:

Heaven forbid they get a pen and paper and write down the order before they leave so that they know damn well they get what they want.

Or you can do what my roommate and I do: if he wants me to pick him up a sub, he texts me exactly what he wants. I order from that text, precisely what it says. If something is wrong with the sub, it's his own damn fault. This would work in reverse, too, except he rarely tells me when he's going to the sub shop....and I have wheels and he doesn't. (Which is why I don't mind the imbalance.)

I don't even know what it is about sandwich shops that make people so stupid.

Sandwich shops don't make people stupid. People just ARE stupid. And when they are stupid, they are stupid at sandwich shops, driving in traffic, at schools, at parks, in bars, in restaurants, in pizza joints, at beaches, at resorts, at pools, at sporting events, in camps, in airplanes, at airports, online, on the phone, in dance clubs, in bed, at the theater, in the subway, on the buses, in parking garages, on tours, in the movies, at pawn shops, at grocery stores, on boats, on the docks, on the ski slopes, on the water, at amusement parks, in life, in procreation, and in death.

It ain't sandwich shops making people stupid. It's stupid people making people stupid.

[Brojekk]

That manager that made you take the sign down in the OP. One of two things should happen.

1) He should be fired immediatly.
2) He should be instantly demoted to "new hire" and start at the bottom all over again.
Either of those would be acceptable to me

[Racket_Man]

This was growing up with two younger brothers who were within 2 years of each other. Stoners got NOTHING on the eating machines that adolescent boys become. And the fact that their brains are just starting to grow the bit that makes intelligent decisions means that coherency goes RIGHT out the window.

yeah I forgot about that group, HOWEVER add stoneness into the mix (as is somewhat common in my area sometimes hard to ignore the smell of a particular natual 5 pointed leaf substance) and yes all bets go out the window. garbage disposals have nothing on stoned teenagers.