I think as most of you know by now I work in retail as an assistant manager at a convenience store, and am training towards management of my own store. So it really grinds my gears when I get bad customer service when I am shopping.
Thus was the case on my vacation – not once, but TWICE – with Wendy’s.
Backstory: Last week I went on vacation with my parents and my nine year old niece to Hilon Head. A good time was had by all, but let’s continue with the story.
#1. Date: July 22nd. On our way to Hilton Head, we stopped at the Wendy’s in Manning, SC (Store #4956).
One word: Disaster.
My niece ordered a Kids Meal – hamburger with fries and milk, and the rest of us ordered salads. Long story short, it took a grand total of THIRTY minutes for the order to be finished. It took 25 minutes for the Kids Meal to be complete, and a half an hour for my ceasar sald to me put into my hands. Their system for helping customers was so FUBAR’ed, it wasn’t even funny. At one point, they forgot about us until we had to remind them that the order wasn’t finished because I didn’t have my salad yet. And worst of all, no one showed a smile. This is HUGE.
#2. Date: July 28th. On our way back home, we stopped at the Wendy’s in Winfield, WV (Store #2610).
Figuring that the last time was a fluke, we were proven wrong.
It took 15 minutes from the time we ordered to order completion. Like the last time, salads and a Kids Meal was on the order. It appeared that the staff at this Wendy’s was on a Sunday stroll, because NO ONE was in a hurry at all and showed no urgency whatsoever. My mom even commented at one point while waiting, “Remember when fast food was supposed to be fast?” And again, there wasn’t a smile to found among the workers. At one point, no one had ANY CLUE as to who was supposed to be running the registers.
As mentioned, I work in retail and I know how tiring, trying, and thankless the job can be. What we experienced at the two Wendy’s stores can be classified as “poor customer service”, and I just can’t stand for it. I registered my complaints at the Wendy’s website – twice – once each for both locations. The website claimed that I would hear from a representative “within two days”, and I have yet to hear anything.
Mom & dad – and myself – will not be going to Wendy’s in the future, and that’s a shame because I enjoy their salads (and the Frostys). I can only hope that in the future they get their act together and put customer service first… because from the two experiences I mentioned they have a long way to go.