Monday, April 28, 2008

Drive-Thru Etiquette

In my opinion, if you work in the drive thru, it is equivalent to a customer service position. No one can see you, or your body language, so it's all about your voice. Just like customer service on the phone. Without the right "phone personality", the job is just not for you. And businesses need to really pay attention and assess people before they put them on a customer service position. I headed for the border the other day and went to have lunch with Amber at school. It went something like this:

After about a minute or so of dead silence...I said "Hello?"

TB: How are you. Not in a question form. In a monotone flat voice.

CC: I'm doing well how are you?

(Dead air again for another minute or so.)

TB: State your order when your ready.(again, blah, blah blah....I speak in one tone blah)

So I ordered my food, and it's really funny how that impression can really put a picture in your mind. As I was pulling around I was expecting to see this miserable, rotten woman who hated life and everyone around her. I pull up, and there's a woman, with a great smile, and pretty eyelashes, and beautiful braids in her hair, and I know it was her because she was taking an order when I pulled up. But I can openly admit that she pissed me off from the start just by her voice. Isn't that crazy but true? Phone/drive thru etiquette can really alter how you perceive someone. When you answer your work phone today, make sure you do it cheerfully, or someone may think your a miserable rotten person who hates life and everyone around them. ;0)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had an interesting drive thru experience this week myself. The person taking my order was obviously not from this Country and was struggling at the "mike". I chose to not get aggrivated over this but to take a deep breath, speak slowly and do the best I could to make their job easier.

I mean I am a NY Girl who still has her accent living in the South - and there are times people aren't sure what I am saying either!!!

Anonymous said...

Just one more comment:

FAST FOOD is the biggest oxymoron in the world!!!

They should just call it - food to go when we are good and ready to get it to you.

I swear I just about ran out of gas on the drive thru line picking up McDonalds the other night!!!