Cornwall Ontario – I’m a cheater. Yes indeed, with my partner in CFN, Reg Coffey, roasting some of the finest beans in the region I secretly love my Mickey D’s iced coffee.
Sadly though the service at our two local drive throughs is utterly and consistently dreadful. Last week I was in line with a delightful and charming young lady and it was taking so long that I actually dialed into the restaurant and asked them to pick it up.
Sunday morning, while trying to get some early shopping in, I braved the line; the craving for the mix of caffeine and cream luring me back again.
I ordered an iced coffee with no sugar and a muffin with no cheese. A brutally simple order with no other traffic in line.
The sugar was clear from the first sip as I was driving away and as I opened the muffin there was that special McD’s plastic feeling cheese present. As it was early I decided to go back. It wasn’t the money, but the simple failure of communication and comprehension that seems to be becoming far too prevalent in today’s society.
The manager said all the things they taught her to say. Empathy, a new breakfast, a refund, but as I shared all I wanted so early in the morning was my very simple order. I didn’t want a free breakfast. I didn’t want complimentary hash browns. I just wanted my simple order to kick off my day without grief or delay.
What is wrong with people that can’t understand such a simple request as no sugar or no cheese? How do they get hired? How do they keep their jobs? As much as I’m against automation taking away jobs from people after some of my most recent experiences I was starting to view it in a new light….
And that’s part of what’s fundamentally becoming a big problem in society; people don’t seem to understand language any longer? And if you don’t understand what you’re digesting is it any surprise when people react oddly?
I know the service is better generally at Timmies in Cornwall, but the local ownership boycotts this newspaper and has been disrespectful in doing so. Their coffee also isn’t as good as McDonalds. It’s a rare day when I visit any of their outlets. Maybe it’s time to simply brew some of Coffey’s Coffee at home before I leave?
Either way; whether it be a fast food lane, City Hall, or even scarier, our health care system, it seems that people are not digesting communication as well as they should, and that’s the slippery slope to the end.
Or I could just switch to tea…..