Drive-Thru Bitch

[Android Kaeli]

I don't remember if I ever posted this story but it happened when I worked at Taco Hell a number of years ago. Some of the details may be fuzzy as it WAS years ago, yet I remember most of it.

Another bit of background: I may have mentioned it here and there but I am deaf in one of my ears and have been since a very young age. Sometimes it's hard to understand me because of this and sometimes I have trouble hearing people but the majority of people DO understand me.



I worked at Taco Hell when I was still in high school, it was only for a short time and it was also my first job. I was a naive little brat and some of the things that happened there I should've done something more about but didn't want to get fired since it WAS, after all, my first job. It is also the reason why today I am hesitant on sharing tills with certain people and have refused to do so in the past.

I still enjoyed working there with most of my co-workers at the time and if I ever go back up north again and one of the managers is still working there, I can expect to get free tacos.

This happened a few months before I switched over to a department store. I was working drive-thru one night with one of my favorite shift managers, I'll call her J. J was an older woman who took no shit from anyone, she is one of the reasons why I began growing a spine -- she was awesome despite bit a bit of a hard ass but well worth the trouble.

So there I was working drive-thru, J and another co-worker [I'll call him Red Head because of his red hair] also had head sets on in case I needed a bit of back-up. If anyone has ever been to or worked at a Taco Hell before, you'll know that there are several kinds of chalupas and gorditas. I get this one lady who drives up to the speaker and wants several chalupas with beef.

Me: Which style do you want it in? *rattles off the different kinds*
SC: Beef.
Me: Yes, I know but what style do you want it in? *tells about the different kinds*
SC: I don't understand you.
Me: I'm sorry I --
SC: *in a slow manner* Get. Me. Some. One. Who. Speaks. English. NOW.

When she said that I just stood there in shock, Red Head acted quickly and jumped on the headset and got the lady through. I helped the other people that were ahead of her, all the while shaken up and trying to stay calm. When the lady pulled up she demanded a manger, of which J was happy to obliege. I was standing not too far away, visibly shaken up.

From what I could hear of the conversation, the SC said something along the lines of hiring people who don't speak English. Of which J tells her that I do, in fact, speak, read, write, and understand English but I have a hearing problem that sometimes makes it hard for me to be understood. The SC complained some about it despite J telling her that she and Red Head had no trouble understanding me and the SC was the first person to complain about it. And that she wasn't going to pull me off of the drive-thru just because of ONE person.

I don't remember what happened after that as Red Head told me to go on my break but I didn't hear anything more about what happened. If the SC complained about me to the GM I don't know nor do I care. This was the first and only person that had ever not fully understood me on a drive-thru.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

It really must be nice to have nothing else to worry about in life - chalupas are VERY IMPORTANT and if the drive-thru person can't decipher your stupidity it's your God-given right to treat them like shit.

[depechemodefan]

Today I go to the drive-thru and the drive-thru person asked if I wanted to try a strawberry /garbled/. I asked her again to repeat that and still it was garbled. I just told her "no" and paid and got my chicken. It would never occur to me to think she had a speech impediment or didn't speak English well or was having a bad day or the other garbage the average SC thinks. I just figured, like other times, the speaker garbled what she said.

So this bitch with her chulupas would have bitched about anythng because she is the king Kamehameha bitch.

[roguesqd]

Oh yes because we all know those drive thru speaker/mic systems are state of the art voice tech

[greensinestro]

I would probably have thrown those chalupas in her face once she rolled down her window. What a bitch!

[Moirae]

I'm a little confused why they would put you on window when you have a hearing/speech problem. You'd have been better out front or in the back cooking. Its really hard to hear over those speakers at the best of times (I worked at Burger King for a year, I know how it is). Whoever was managing was an idiot.

[Megg]

Well that's a little harsh. The OP said nobody else had ever complained, and despite the hearing issues, she (?) may well have been the best one to run the window. Sounds to me like there were only the three of them there by that point in the night, and if Red Headed Dude was just downright terrible at it, or needed for closing tasks, whatever, the manager did what she (he?) had to do. I don't see the need to call the manager an idiot just because one customer sucked. That IS what they do, after all!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was a shift manager at Taco Hell for 5 years.

[Moirae]

Didn't mean to be harsh. Its the truth though. Its easier for her so she doesn't have to strain herself, and other people. Those speakers are terrible. I can barely understand them as it is, though thats a failing of my own (too much loud music when I was a teen). I'm just glad lots of these fast food places have screens to display your order on.

[Android Kaeli]

I actually prefered drive-thru over the lobby any day because I didn't have to deal with a lot of SC's. In fact, I had a lot less stress on the drive-thru then I did over the front any day. And, no, I never had to strain myself as, again, I have another fully functioning ear to hear out of. I'm just deaf in one ear.

And, no, J wasn't an idiot. Maybe a hard-ass at times -- again she didn't take shit from anyone -- but she was far from being an idiot. Even when I told her that I was deaf in one ear she told me that was no excuse for not doing part of a job. Outside the problem in the OP and a few minor indcidents, I had no major problems working the drive-thru. If I did, and I felt that I couldn't do it because of my hearing, then the GM and the other shift managers would have understood, J included -- but I did it.

Funny thing is, this was the first place where I could actually do something that I didn't have to have people looking over my shoulder and keeping an eye on me because of my deafness. I hated that, especally during field trips or being forced in the front row in class.

[Kisa]

When customers do the "I want a chalupa. What kind? Oh, beef" thing to me I give them a supreme. If they see it on the screen and say "Oh no I wanted baja" I tell them to please say that next time. If they say nothing then they can get pissed at themselves later when there is no baja sauce on their chalupa

[greensinestro]

Well that's a little harsh. The OP said nobody else had ever complained, and despite the hearing issues, she (?) may well have been the best one to run the window. Sounds to me like there were only the three of them there by that point in the night, and if Red Headed Dude was just downright terrible at it, or needed for closing tasks, whatever, the manager did what she (he?) had to do. I don't see the need to call the manager an idiot just because one customer sucked. That IS what they do, after all!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was a shift manager at Taco Hell for 5 years.

There are people out there who are just cruel to those with disabilities. I have a daughter with Down's Syndrome, which means you have to be patient with her. I know a guy with a daughter who also has Down's, and was working at Applebee's not long ago. She was a bit slow, but the employees loved her. Some patrons were rude as hell to her though, just because she couldn't keep up as well as others.

[Caractacus_Potts]

Ma'am, if everyone but you can hear her fine then, and only with your best interest at heart, may I suggest you make an appointment with your primary care physician and arrange for a hearing check. I know these things can be embarassing but if caught and diagnosed it may relieve you of some of the frustrations you must face daily.

[Nemesis44UK]

There are people out there who are just cruel to those with disabilities

My son has Aspergers Syndrome and cannot understand if he has a meltdown in a public place. They automatically assume he is being a bratty child. Some teenage girls took the piss out of him because he was wearing ear defenders. I put them right, but they couldn't imagine there was, y'know, an actual reason he was wearing them.

People just judge, usually without access to the facts.

Some patrons were rude as hell to her though, just because she couldn't keep up as well as others.

Those kind of people need a kick in the rectum. My wife works with a man who has Down's Syndrome. He collects trollies from the car park and he is a nice guy. He had to help this rich bitch carry some stuff to her car and she was saying things like: "Is he the only one available?" and "I hope he understands how to be careful"

Of course he did. He also understood what an utter c*** that woman was being.

[Slayer]

Sounds to me like it had more to do with the SC not understanding how to order beyond saying beef than to do with Android Kaeli's hearing problem.

I work in a card store and even when looking at someone face to face, I still get fools like that SC. And almost always with my French customers.

(translated)
SC: I need a (ex baby) card.
Me: Sure. In French?
SC: *instant anger* a card for BAAY-BEEE.
Me: *squints* ... yes, but in French? ... since there's two different sections?
SC: oh, *says language* *grumblegrumble*

Some then bitch about me even asking the question *shrugs*

I'm deaf in my left ear (90% loss, but pretty much deaf, lol) so yeah, definitely not due to my not hearing the customer.

Annnnd as I just finished typing this, I see that this topic started back in May, haha. Hope it's still relevant.

[wolfie]

From the mythical realm of Spineworld (as in "Managers have a spine"), here are a few appropriate responses. After all, we can dream.

Me: Which style do you want it in? *rattles off the different kinds*
SC: Beef.
Me: Yes, I know but what style do you want it in? *tells about the different kinds*
SC: I don't understand you.
Me: I'm sorry I --
SC: *in a slow manner* Get. Me. Some. One. Who. Speaks. English. NOW.

Manager: *in a slow manner* We. Do. Not. Tolerate. Abuse. Of. Our. Employees. Get. Out. NOW.

Those kind of people need a kick in the rectum. My wife works with a man who has Down's Syndrome. He collects trollies from the car park and he is a nice guy. He had to help this rich bitch carry some stuff to her car and she was saying things like: "Is he the only one available?" and "I hope he understands how to be careful"

Of course he did. He also understood what an utter c*** that woman was being.

Manager: No, he is not the only one available. We have NOBODY available to help abusive customers. Carry your own stuff and get lost.