Fast and the furious at the drive-thru

Fast food is supposed to be convenient — a quick, easy (though not the most nutritious) way to eat on the go.

A single guy who works odd hours and maintains a slightly less than svelte figure, I’ll admit to being somewhat of a slave to that convenience. Whether it’s knocking off a 14-hour stint on a deadline day at 1 a.m. or grabbing a quick soda during the day, the drive-thru is usually my choice.

It’s also the source of several nagging little gripes, examples of how, in some ways, mainstream establishments set themselves up for their own convenience over that of their customers. That they get away with providing fewer basic courtesies for customers is partly our fault. We let it happen, don’t question and have lowered our expectations to the point where poor service or practices are largely ignored.

For example, while getting a morning caffeine boost (I’m not a coffee drinker, so the beverage of choice is usually a diet cola) Monday, the clerk at a local fast-food restaurant quickly measured out the drink, slapped a lid on it and hurriedly handed it out the window. I pulled the cup into the car, only to discover the lid was not on properly. Because the outside of the cup had cola running down it, I gripped the container at the top, with predictable results — I lost the cola war.

Although this was the first time I rode to work with 32 ounces of ice-cold cola in my lap, it was far from the first time I had been handed a soda cup that had nearly as much product dripping down the outside as it did inside. Sometimes I ask to have the cup wiped off, other times I do it myself. This happens at nearly every drive-thru I’ve been to in the Valley.

It may seem like a small gripe, but a server at a restaurant would never put a glass on your table that was soiled on the outside, yet it seems it’s not standard operating procedure to hand a clean cup through that little window.

Then there’s the “pull forward to the next window” routine, where you pay for your food and are given a handful of loose condiment packages. On two recent occasions, I’ve asked (very nicely) to please put those in the bag, as it’s very inconvenient and uncomfortable to sit in your vehicle with a handful of ketchup packets while you wait for your order. On one occasion I was turned down with the explanation “that’s how we do it.” The other time my request was grudgingly granted with a roll of eyes and a large sigh.

We self-serve our gasoline, unload our own grocery carts (depending on where you shop, you may also check yourself out) and are left holding condiments and wiping off soda cups. We accept that with convenience comes a reduction in service or attention to detail.

We shouldn’t.

While it would be nice if the emphasis on not passing soiled cups or unmanageable handfuls of loose “stuff” to customers came from within, we don’t have to accept it. From now on, I’ll politely ask to have a cup wiped down or all the items of an order kept together up front. So should you. If those working to get us our food fast are continually held to task by customers, perhaps we can help improve the level of service we expect and receive.

Now, if only I could do something about that grocery store clerk who, no matter how busy, finds time to read my receipt aloud with editorial embellishment and questions about how much I like certain products …

Greg Johnson is managing editor for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Contact him at greg.johnson@frontiers-man.com.