I heard my stomach bellowing and groaning as it caught wind of the warm meal-in-a-bag that had just been handed through my window. As I rounded the corner toward the exit, I glanced at my receipt, only to find out the drive-through cashier had failed to give me my discount, although I had given her a coupon for a free cup of chili.
Usually, I'm a relatively nice guy. But, my chili? Come on.
I wheeled my pickup around and pulled back up to the window: "Did I forget to give you my coupon? I asked, taking some of the flak for their blunder. The young guy that took my order leans out the window and let's me know that I forgot to tell him I had a coupon. The cashier then explained that she didn't see the coupon come in, and promptly checked her envelope. Whoops. There it was!
A manager entered the scene, evidently to stand and watch which course of action her subordinates deemed best in order to rectify this situation. After a solid ten seconds of standing, I finally piped up and told them that my favorite solution would involve them giving me my coupon back, and me leaving the place, which they agreed to do.
The End.
I don't say all of this to bad-mouth Wendy's. My chili was still good. My fries were hot. My Frosty was sweet. But the experience of getting blamed for a company's mistake after I gave them my money is one that rubs most of us the wrong way.
Luckily, it is experiences like this that make us realize how low the customer service bar has been set by the industrial age, and more importantly, how much better (and more fulfilling) it is to make a connection.
If you work at Wendy's, I hope you try to give away the farm if you goof up an order. Giving away too much might get you fired. But showing that you care might get people talking about you in a good way.
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