Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Further Adventures in Take-Out.

Soon, there won't be any restaurant left in Brooklyn that I can order food from. I'm cursed!

Tonight, when I was completing my last task of the day in Queens, I called GF and told her I was on the way home. We decided I'd stop at a Mexican place in the neighborhood and pick up dinner there. I could have called in the order, but frankly, I don't mind ordering when I get there because I can have a Pina Coloda while I'm waiting for the order. They make a mean Pina Colada.

The bartender recognized me and knew what I'd be ordering before I told her. She also remembered that I'd ask them to leave the sour cream off my burrito and that a month or so back, the kitchen had sent me home with a burrito loaded with sour cream. She wrote it in really big letters on the ticket.

One tasty Pina Colada later, I had my order in hand and headed home. So, guess what. Sour cream had yet again invaded my burrito. I really can't stand the stuff. Now I could have just scraped it off, but its under the guacomole and I love the guacomole part.

I called. She apologized...said they'd deliver another one and asked for the address. Said it'd be ten minutes. Now I knew ten minutes was ridiculous but I figured 1/2 hour. I could live with that. After 40 minutes I called again. She knew he had left with it...didn't know why he hadn't gotten to my house yet.

At the 1 hour mark, I called and said not to bother with the food...just send me the money. After an hour of the kid not showing, I called and asked if they thought he might show up before midnight.

Short version? At 11:20P.M. the kid finally rang my bell and gave me back my money...all $7.60 of it. I'm gonna miss their Pina Coloadas.

9 comments:

Nathan said...

But that one isn't even supposed to be fast food. It's a pretty good Mexican Restaurant.

Ilya said...

And all I do is rant about how European approach to serving a customer irks me! I've had take-out/delivery adventures of my own in England, but nothing lasting well into the night...

John the Scientist said...

It's because you live where you do in Brooklyn. You've either got to move to Brighton or Queens. :p

Random Michelle K said...

Stupid question.

Why didn't you just check before you left the place?

Anonymous said...

Our local McDonalds is a lottery. You pull up, order, and then they hand you a surprise grab bag. If you're really, really lucky, it may in some way resemble your order - but probably not. And they have those "check your order for accuracy" screens at the order microphone, but they're always broken.

Nathan - I have a friend who has a great customer service rant about how all companies need to do is get it right. They don't need to be super high quality, super friendly, go the extra mile - they just need to get it right. And they'll profit. But so few do.

Very sad.

Nathan said...

Michelle,

I always mean to check...and then I forget to do it.

Random Michelle K said...

Nathan,

Maybe you need a rubber band on your wrist or something? Because apparently you've pissed off the dining gods.

Nathan said...

Michelle,

How does a rubber band appease the food gods?

Random Michelle K said...

You put it around your wrist when you walk in, and as it slowly cuts off the circulation in your hand, you keep think about why it's there.

You just have to not take it off until you've checked your food.