I'm on strike

[Max Rockatansky]

I was about to say, there really wasn't much of an update that it had me wondering.

[hbelkins]

Culver's has table service. I think some Hardee's locations have it as well.

As far as the touch screens go, everyone knows I'm a fan of Sheetz. You generally have a lot of options to customize your order -- although one I wish they had, but don't, is the option to NOT have your sandwich bun toasted. A toasted bun seems to be the default these days, and I'm not a fan. If Sheetz had in-person ordering, one could make that request. (Another gripe about Sheetz is that prices aren't shown until you've already placed your order, and if you think something is too expensive, you have to go back and cancel that item and then select something else and then see how much it's going to be.)

I'm not at Sheetz often enough to become familiar with their screen layout, so it has typically changed every time I'm there and I have to look over the screen to find what I want. But at most other fast-food places, I tend to already know what I want so it's faster to go to the counter and tell them I want a Baconator combo with mustard instead of mayo, instead of trying to find it on the Wendy's screen and then trying to customize it to get that nasty Satan semen off of it.

Back to the original topic, a childhood friend has moved up that way and was out on strike in this work stoppage. She wanted some bread, she prefers her store brand, but is no longer going to buy it because she said Gold Medal crossed the picket line, so she was going to send her husband to another store to get that store's house brand, until she found out that Gold Medal makes their bread too.

[US71]

This just in: Stop & Shop says the strike is over
https://patch.com/connecticut/milford/stop-shop-strike-ends-heres-what-you-need-know

[KEVIN_224]

Pending ratification from 5 unions, including 371, the union I was in for roughly 5 years.

[1995hoo]

.... I have noticed the McDonald's closest to home is undergoing heavy renovation right now and is closed except for the drive-thru (which I won't use unless I only want a drink). They're getting rid of the longstanding familiar roofline for a modern-looking exterior. Don't know if they'll implement the touchscreen ordering inside.

Driving past there yesterday we noticed the McDonald's mentioned above has reopened and does indeed have the touchscreen ordering–we could see a couple of customers standing there staring at them. Guess this is becoming their new business model.

[US71]

.... I have noticed the McDonald's closest to home is undergoing heavy renovation right now and is closed except for the drive-thru (which I won't use unless I only want a drink). They're getting rid of the longstanding familiar roofline for a modern-looking exterior. Don't know if they'll implement the touchscreen ordering inside.

Driving past there yesterday we noticed the McDonald's mentioned above has reopened and does indeed have the touchscreen ordering–we could see a couple of customers standing there staring at them. Guess this is becoming their new business model.

When they first get them, they will usually have someone close by to coach you on how to use them.

[cjk374]

Congratulations on the end of the strike 1. I hope this means everything will get better from here on...til the next contract ratification.

[kphoger]

Incidentally, why someone would want table service at a McDonalds is beyond me.

Why someone would rather haul their own food to the table than have a paid employee do it for them is beyond me.  Why someone would rather go up to the front counter to ask for something extra than have a paid employee walking the floor is beyond me.  And, while we're at it, why someone would rather throw their own trash away than have a paid employee bus their table is beyond me.

Fast food feels an awful lot like a cafeteria and not so much like a restaurant.  Maybe McDonald's is trying to flip that around a little bit.

Culver's has table service. I think some Hardee's locations have it as well.

And I've appreciated that little difference whenever I've eaten at one of those.  There have also been times we've eaten at a fast food joint that doesn't typically bring your food to you, walk the floor, etc–Wendy's, for example–but someone carried our food out to us anyway.  That goes a long way to making me a happy customer, and you can bet it makes me more likely to come back another day.

[webny99]

Incidentally, why someone would want table service at a McDonalds is beyond me.

Why someone would rather haul their own food to the table than have a paid employee do it for them is beyond me.  Why someone would rather go up to the front counter to ask for something extra than have a paid employee walking the floor is beyond me.  And, while we're at it, why someone would rather throw their own trash away than have a paid employee bus their table is beyond me.

Maybe I'm a little less sociable than most, in addition to often being in more of hurry than most, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for interaction with employees and prefer to do it myself. With regards to trash, it just feels wrong to me to leave my mess and walk away. I would probably get this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. In short, I like to minimize dependence where possible.

[kphoger]

Incidentally, why someone would want table service at a McDonalds is beyond me.

Why someone would rather haul their own food to the table than have a paid employee do it for them is beyond me.  Why someone would rather go up to the front counter to ask for something extra than have a paid employee walking the floor is beyond me.  And, while we're at it, why someone would rather throw their own trash away than have a paid employee bus their table is beyond me.

Maybe I'm a little less sociable than most, in addition to often being in more of hurry than most, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for interaction with employees and prefer to do it myself. With regards to trash, it just feels wrong to me to leave my mess and walk away. I would probably get this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. In short, I like to minimize dependence where possible.

So is fast food the only kind of restaurant you go to, then?

[US71]

So is fast food the only kind of restaurant you go to, then?

99 percent of the time, I avoid fast food.  I drove through a McDonald's a few weeks ago for a small fry. When I got to the window, they had me for something totally different, so I left.

Last week, I went to the McDonald's at Walmart for a small fry only to have everyone walk away when I approached the counter.  So I left.

I suppose I should thank them for keeping me on my diet.

[webny99]

So is fast food the only kind of restaurant you go to, then?

Actually, for the most part, yes. I don't eat out - or maybe "eat in"- is the better term - very much, but I find full service restaurants rather time consuming and expensive. I've been to A&W a number times and I kind of like their old school - but very efficient - way of doing it: pick a table and call them with your order when you're ready.

In other news, I think we're off topic.

[webny99]

Last week, I went to the McDonald's at Walmart for a small fry only to have everyone walk away when I approached the counter.  So I left.

Was it the employees that walked away, or the other customers? 

Or both?

[kphoger]

In other news, I think we're off topic.

I wonder if that's the only thing keeping the whole thread from getting locked.

[KEVIN_224]

I've heard nothing new about the five unions involved. I will assume they ratified the new deal.

[hotdogPi]

I've heard nothing new about the five unions involved. I will assume they ratified the new deal.

My union will be ratifying it on Wednesday.

[vdeane]

Incidentally, why someone would want table service at a McDonalds is beyond me.

Why someone would rather haul their own food to the table than have a paid employee do it for them is beyond me.  Why someone would rather go up to the front counter to ask for something extra than have a paid employee walking the floor is beyond me.  And, while we're at it, why someone would rather throw their own trash away than have a paid employee bus their table is beyond me.

Fast food feels an awful lot like a cafeteria and not so much like a restaurant.  Maybe McDonald's is trying to flip that around a little bit.

Culver's has table service. I think some Hardee's locations have it as well.

And I've appreciated that little difference whenever I've eaten at one of those.  There have also been times we've eaten at a fast food joint that doesn't typically bring your food to you, walk the floor, etc–Wendy's, for example–but someone carried our food out to us anyway.  That goes a long way to making me a happy customer, and you can bet it makes me more likely to come back another day.

Honestly, I find eating at a sit-down restaurant to be very awkward when dining on my own - and I'm not usually with someone when I'm traveling (and if I am, it's almost certainly for work).  Unless I'm with family or at a roadmeet, I'm pretty much exclusively fast food or fast casual.  Plus, when I'm on the road and I don't want lunch to take too long.  Half an hour max, and even then if I'm somewhere good like Five Guys or Panera Bread; otherwise, keep it to 10 minutes or so.

Plus, how does ketchup and whatnot work now?  Before, we could fill the dispenser cups with however much we needed.  Is it rationed now, and/or using the crummy plastic packages?

[Scott5114]

When you're with someone, it's a social event and you fill the time waiting for them to come take your order/waiting for the food to come/waiting for the check to come/waiting for them to come back with your card or change enjoying the company of the other person. If you're by yourself, that's just dead time.

I don't mind them bringing the food to me, but waiting near the counter and picking it up is a lot more efficient, because you don't have to wait for them to wander around and come find where you're sitting, potentially get stopped by another customer, etc. Also, if there's a problem with the order, or you need a condiment that's being held hostage behind the counter in the name of food cost, you can ask immediately and not have to wait for the guy to ferry your request back to the counter and come back.

One thing that used to irritate me about Chick-Fil-A is when they'd have the guy walking the floor asking how everything tasted, etc. It tastes like Chick-Fil-A, dude, what, did you think I'd bite into it and accuse you of swapping it out for Five Guys or something? Leave me alone; if there's a problem, I'll come tell you about it.

[webny99]

One thing that used to irritate me about Chick-Fil-A is when they'd have the guy walking the floor asking how everything tasted, etc. It tastes like Chick-Fil-A, dude, what, did you think I'd bite into it and accuse you of swapping it out for Five Guys or something? Leave me alone; if there's a problem, I'll come tell you about it.

Yeah, when I get a sense that someone is fishing for compliments, it makes me feel like not complimenting them, regardless of what the food actually tastes like.

[kalvado]

One thing that used to irritate me about Chick-Fil-A is when they'd have the guy walking the floor asking how everything tasted, etc. It tastes like Chick-Fil-A, dude, what, did you think I'd bite into it and accuse you of swapping it out for Five Guys or something? Leave me alone; if there's a problem, I'll come tell you about it.

Yeah, when I get a sense that someone is fishing for compliments, it makes me feel like not complimenting them, regardless of what the food actually tastes like.

Latest business trend is to solicit for feedback, and punish employers if that feedback is below totally excellent. Feedback part makes some sense, punishment as the sole corrective action less so; but combined they add up to something totally meaningless.

[hbelkins]

If I have reached my destination for the evening, I don't mind eating alone in a sit-down location. Sometimes I'll go to a Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, Bob Evans, etc., to eat if it's near my room.

If I'm getting fast food, I will nearly always get it to go and take it back to my room.

During the day, I don't like stopping my trip to eat, so I won't do the sit-down thing. I'll either drive through or get it to go, and eat while I'm on the road. An exception was when I tried Eat N'Park a couple of years ago, as I was pretty much ahead of my schedule.

[abefroman329]

I used to hate eating alone, but then I discovered I could just bring a book to read.

[Scott5114]

One thing that used to irritate me about Chick-Fil-A is when they'd have the guy walking the floor asking how everything tasted, etc. It tastes like Chick-Fil-A, dude, what, did you think I'd bite into it and accuse you of swapping it out for Five Guys or something? Leave me alone; if there's a problem, I'll come tell you about it.

Yeah, when I get a sense that someone is fishing for compliments, it makes me feel like not complimenting them, regardless of what the food actually tastes like.

Latest business trend is to solicit for feedback, and punish employers if that feedback is below totally excellent. Feedback part makes some sense, punishment as the sole corrective action less so; but combined they add up to something totally meaningless.

I remember that from my Burger King days. There was a survey people could take and rate various aspects of the store from one to five stars. Five stars was considered good, four was "the zone of defection" (i.e. we risked losing them forever to the uncivilized brutes across the street calling themselves McDonalds), and three or below they might as well have said they were so disgusted that they planned on coming by and burning the store down later.

This never made any sense to me as I felt, as a lay consumer, that the appropriate way to answer such a question was to start with a 3 and then measure any sort of notable deviation from average. To get a 5 then, would mean that  they had performed absolutely top tier service, made a burger that looked just like the one on the menu board, found my missing cat from when I was 15, etc.

Fortunately my store never really cared about the surveys too much (we were more interested in metrics like drive thru time and labor percentage).

Later, I worked for a casino that did 1-10 ratings on employee evaluations...and completely screwed it up by insisting that the grand total of all evaluations follow a bell curve, meaning most people would receive 5s, the second-most people would receive 4s and 6s, etc. Of course, most employees interpreted "5/10" as meaning "you are 50% of perfect", meaning morale went firmly into the toilet and settled somewhere around the vicinity of  the U-bend.

[vdeane]

I remember that from my Burger King days. There was a survey people could take and rate various aspects of the store from one to five stars. Five stars was considered good, four was "the zone of defection" (i.e. we risked losing them forever to the uncivilized brutes across the street calling themselves McDonalds), and three or below they might as well have said they were so disgusted that they planned on coming by and burning the store down later.

This never made any sense to me as I felt, as a lay consumer, that the appropriate way to answer such a question was to start with a 3 and then measure any sort of notable deviation from average. To get a 5 then, would mean that  they had performed absolutely top tier service, made a burger that looked just like the one on the menu board, found my missing cat from when I was 15, etc.

Same.  Whenever I rate somehting, I always use a system like the following
1 - horrible
2 - bad
3 - OK
4 - good
5 - absolute perfection

I wouldn't be surprised if I drag down averages that way.  I don't give out 5/5 very often.

[kphoger]

I don't mind them bringing the food to me, but waiting near the counter and picking it up is a lot more efficient

It sucks, though, to have to stand around at the counter by yourself while everyone else in your party is sitting back at the table having a good old time without you.

or you need a condiment that's being held hostage behind the counter in the name of food cost

This is my biggest gripe about fast food, and it's something that will stop me from ever coming back.  If a restaurant wants to charge me extra for a condiment, then I'm done with them.  The Wendy's closest to my work is like this.  By golly, I shouldn't have to pay extra for sour cream to go along with a baked potato.  I used to have decent luck paying, taking my food to the table, then going back up to the counter a couple of minutes later to ask for the condiment, but eventually they started saying "I'd have to ring it up as a separate sale."  Well, OK, but I hope you realize you just lost yourself a customer over 25 cents.