Drive-Through Etiquette: How to Remember Your Manners when They Forget Your Fries

All you wanted was to grab a quick bite to eat. Instead, you get a twenty minute wait for an order that's incorrect, and a restaurant employee who's too busy with the next customer on her headset to hear your request. No wonder you're frustrated. But before you go off on the drive-through window worker, consider these tips.

Fast Food Workers Are Part Of The Human Race
Hard as it might sometimes be to remember, fast food workers are as deserving of graciousness as you are. Anyone who's ever worked a drive through will tell you it's no slice of hot apple pie, and even the cheeriest and most service-minded person can have an off day. Give them the benefit of the doubt and don't make them your ranting-post, even if you think they might deserve it.

Get That Number (And Use It)
Odds are that the kid in the headset doesn't have the power to change things; even managers are often bound by corporate policies. Instead of wasting your breath, politely ask for a comment card or the customer comment hotline. These are the information streams that franchise owners and corporate bigwigs pay attention to, and they're your best chance of having your complaint heard by someone willing to listen.

Relax
Few things rile an otherwise calm person like a bad drive-through experience. But all it really means is that you have to wait a few more minutes, ask for a replacement, or request a refund. No one's dying, no one's committed any crimes against humanity. Someone's just trying to do their job and get you what you need, with a system that occasionally doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Take a deep breath and let it go. You'll be much the happier, and the classier, for it.