Fast Food Swindles

[ABMorales787]

I work in the fast food biz, but if there's one aspect I hate about it, is using some cheap tactics to trick customers. Simply put, there's more to an offer than whats written in big fonts.

Subways has it's $5 Footlongs. Thing is, you have to buy a soda too. They should call it the $7 Footlongs but obviously that's not smart business. The fact
that you have buy a soda is nowhere near as heavily promoted as the fact that the sub is 5 bucks and is 12 inches.

Burger King has a horrible knack for it. There's always 3 combo sizes. Regular, Medium and Large. But when asked by the cashier, God forbid they ask if you want a Regular. Yup, they never do. When you order a Whopper, they always ask if you want cheese or bacon. If you know, it's an extra 80 dollars if you say yes. But on many occasions, the customer does know it's not supposed to have cheese or that there's an extra charge. Believe it or not, this practice is a requirement in my area.

Finally, one that has he really peeved is in McDonalds. Coming soon is an offer in which you can get a Big Mac or a McChicken at $2.25 and you get to choose from either a small soda or small fries. The thing is, after you order that, the cashier is required to ask if the customer wants the soda or fries they didn't ask for. While I may be calling the customers stupid, it's also an accurate assumption that this cheap practice will indeed hook idiots. McDonalds offers a deal of 2 Snack Wraps of any style with a 16 oz soda t 3.75. Many, many times customers come complaining about the fries that are not a part of that order, but they believe so.

Simply put, fast food places use some very underhanded tricks to boost sales. And I don't like them. Any opinions on this? Do you see it differently?

 

[Alastor]

The customers are stupid. How is asking if you want fries or soda along with your Big Mac ridiculous? They are just asking if you wants sides with your burger. Why blame the fast food companies when the customers cannot read the promotions correctly? A simple query about whether there are any additional costs is too hard to ask for? I know of worse tactics such as stores holding sales putting up huge discounts figures with fine prints of 'selected items only'. Some shops even put up STORE WIDE before the fine prints.

 

[Sparky]

When you order a Whopper, they always ask if you want cheese or bacon. If you know, it's an extra 80 dollars if you say yes.

Jesus christ where abouts is this hungry jacks at, aboard the spaceship that takes people on sight seeing tours to the moon?

back on topic, It's a legal way to get people to spend more money. I don't see any problem with it. It's not only fast food places that do it, but they're the only companies that get cop the shit for it. I mean, if you're told it's a $5 sub if you buy a drink, you know it's not just going to cost $5 you just get it cheaper if you buy a drink. it's a way to boos sales and make profit off of something they don't normally sell that often. (well not many people by the soft drink over here, taste like shit)

When it comes to asking if they want it upsized, I don't see the problem either. when Hungry people think with their guts, So they use that to make a bit more money.

 

[Cookie]

Whatever.

Fast food places have been doing this kinda stuff forever. In the case of McDonald's or Burger King, it's up to the customer. If they ask you for fries or drinks that you don't want, it's pretty easy to say no. It's also not difficult to ask if something is included in the deal you want. And if they're complaining that fries aren't included in the deal then they need to get better reading comprehension skills and/or shut the fuck up and buy something that comes with fries. At the end of the day, if the customer wants fries and a drink with their sandwich, they're gonna pay for the fries and the drink.

Fast food places are cheap as shit to begin with anyways. How much are most McDonald's combos anyways? 6 bucks? I mean shit, that's really not much to pay for food that's ready almost instantly and portions that are averaging thousands of calories.

And of course it's a standard practice to ask customers if they want fries or a drink with their combo. This happens in every business. When I worked as a retail cashier it was a requirement to ask each customer for their e-mail before the transaction so we could add them to our mailing list. They're all tactics to get the customer to spend more or to keep coming back. The customer always has the option to say no.

 

[UltimateHitman]

It's pretty shady, but it's legal and mostly works. I used to work for Advance Auto Parts (or was it Napa? One of the two) and they started the crap where they would advertise a parts in huge, bold, red letters at prices like 19.95 or 29.95 or whatever, and somewhere in little, teeny, tiny print were the words *starting at" or a disclaimer all the way at the bottom referencing a * that said "on certain makes and models" or some such garbage. I hated that crap because you'd get people getting pissed. And having a pissed off person in your store is just less productive in my view than a happy one. It's like yeah, it's cheap, but as long as you own an 85 aries K or some other such old, cheap ass car.

Just because something's legal doesn't necessarily mean it's not shitty. If products were worth two shits nowadays they wouldn't have to resort to conniving shit to sell them.

I just stick to the dollar menu.

 

[justinsayne]

Subways has it's $5 Footlongs. Thing is, you have to buy a soda too. They should call it the $7 Footlongs but obviously that's not smart business. The fact
that you have buy a soda is nowhere near as heavily promoted as the fact that the sub is 5 bucks and is 12 inches.

No you don't, I get the $5 footlongs all the fucking time, and have never once bought a soda or chips with it, Me thinks your local Subway is fucking with you

Burger King has a horrible knack for it. There's always 3 combo sizes. Regular, Medium and Large. But when asked by the cashier, God forbid they ask if you want a Regular. Yup, they never do.

Why don't I want the cheapest of the 3 options again?

When you order a Whopper, they always ask if you want cheese or bacon.

Yeah, except they don't, at least not at any of the ones I have ever gone to in my 30 fucking years on this planet

If you know, it's an extra 80 dollars if you say yes.

It's a fucking quarter dude, a lousy $0.25, not fucking $80, stop with that gross over exaggeration

But on many occasions, the customer does know it's not supposed to have cheese or that there's an extra charge. Believe it or not, this practice is a requirement in my area.

There's a god danm picture of it next to the fucking value meal number!!!!, unless they are fucking blind they damn well know there is no cheese of bacon on it

Finally, one that has he really peeved is in McDonalds. Coming soon is an offer in which you can get a Big Mac or a McChicken at $2.25 and you get to choose from either a small soda or small fries. The thing is, after you order that, the cashier is required to ask if the customer wants the soda or fries they didn't ask for.

Ok, I'm confused, it comes with a drink or fries, but the customer doesn't want what they just ordered?

Simply put, fast food places use some very underhanded tricks to boost sales. And I don't like them. Any opinions on this? Do you see it differently?

I don't think they use tricks that are any more underhanded than any other business does, they do what the need to to sell there shit and make money, and most of the shit you pointed out in your post seems to be shit that isn't even the case in other locations, I don't know if you've ever noticed this but at the bottom of the screen on pretty much every fast food commercial in tiny letters it says "at participating locations" or something to that effect

 

[The Brain]

Some stuff pisses me off. For example when I get a whopper I ask for cheese but to leave off the tomato and onion. Why can't we just call it even? They always charge for anything extra but they don't offer money back for things I save them. Another example is Boston Market. Their combo meals do not come with a drink. Their a little pricey as is but to not include a drink in a meal is ridiculous. I used to go to Boston Market a lot, but now their prices have gone up while their portions have gone down. They have lost me as a customer. Subway got on my bad side too. They advertise the hell out of that $5 footlong but when I ordered mine the total was $7 something. Apparently mine was some sort of special sub that did not qualify as a $5. It was just roast beef. Nothing too extravagant for a sandwich shop. I now go to a family run deli that gives me a MUCH better sandwich with a lot more meet and a good sized side of macaroni salad for cheaper than a Subway combo. The only problem is they close too early so I often miss them.

The truth is I don't blame these businesses. None of this is really a big deal. It's not a bad strategy and nothing is forced on anyone. It just annoys me as a customer. I really don't expect Burger King to not charge me for cheese because I didn't take tomato but it would be nice. I still go to Burger King and Subway. I have no problem as long as I know what to expect. Boston Market has no excuse. A drink should come with a meal. I'm not surprised so many have gone out of business.

 

[JGlass]

Their biggest swindle? Cutting costs by skipping off on safety and buying beef that is drenched with ammonia to get rid of any pesky bacteria that the cows they grew on factory farms may have picked up.

You see, the cows grown for fast food chains are fed corn instead of grass, and much like humans, cows don't digest corn so well. In fact, it makes them shit A LOT more than they would like to. But shoveling the shit for thousands of cows would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time, and those cows aren't going to be living very long anyway, so the corporations let them just stand thigh deep in their own shit.

As you could imagine, some of that shit gets stuck to the cows and trapped in the meat after the slaughter, so to make sure that you don't get e.coli (as the fast food company needs your digestive system healthy so you can eat more of their food), so they treat the meat by bathing it in ammonia, thus killing any e.coli bacteria and making their food moderately safer for consumption.

So next time you bite into a burger from your favorite fast food joint, remember that it was bathed in the same chemical that you use to clean your windows.

 

[Richard]

There is a massive problem I have with Subway in Australia. All over TV on their ads they promote a selection of 6 different footlong subs for $7, but the thing is, Subway here are franchisee owned stores so the manager or whoever, the franchisee, can change the price of the footlong. I went to a Subway once, eager for my $7 footlong and it turns out this guy took them up to $9.95, no joking. I just walked away so the customer always has the ability to say no to anything with fast food. You don't have to say yes to the upsize and if you want the regular size, dont wait for the person serving you to ask, you TELL them you want the regular size.

Other then that I can't say I have any other problems with other fast food places here, although I don't go to very many, I stick to the few that I like.

 

[ABMorales787]

No you don't, I get the $5 footlongs all the fucking time, and have never once bought a soda or chips with it, Me thinks your local Subway is fucking with you

The general offer is in fact a footlong sub for 5 dollars with the purchase of a soda. However, Subway is known to have some special offers limited to certain areas. Yours may be one.

Why don't I want the cheapest of the 3 options again?

The thing is that it's never promoted to you as opposed to the 2 more expensive options.

Yeah, except they don't, at least not at any of the ones I have ever gone to in my 30 fucking years on this planet

Great then. However in my area, as told to me by local worker, the cashier is required to offer these things.

It's a fucking quarter dude, a lousy $0.25, not fucking $80, stop with that gross over exaggeration

Typo. I obviously meant 80 cents. Which is the price here for either the cheese or bacon.

There's a god danm picture of it next to the fucking value meal number!!!!, unless they are fucking blind they damn well know there is no cheese of bacon on it

That doesn't matter. A picture of any burger at most fast food restaurants tends to show all standard ingredients. That doesn't stop people from wondering "if it has pickles". The cheese is no exception.

Ok, I'm confused, it comes with a drink or fries, but the customer doesn't want what they just ordered?

It's a trick offer. You are ordering a combo that features only one of the two, but the cashier also swoops you into you getting both. It's not really that the cashier asks the question, it's that the cashier has to make it seem like it's part of the combo.

I don't think they use tricks that are any more underhanded than any other business does, they do what the need to to sell there shit and make money, and most of the shit you pointed out in your post seems to be shit that isn't even the case in other locations, I don't know if you've ever noticed this but at the bottom of the screen on pretty much every fast food commercial in tiny letters it says "at participating locations" or something to that effect

That doesn't change the fact that these practices are being utilized to squeeze an extra buck out of a customer. Fast food, supermarket or retail store, I don't feel like it's right.

Some stuff pisses me off. For example when I get a whopper I ask for cheese but to leave off the tomato and onion. Why can't we just call it even? They always charge for anything extra but they don't offer money back for things I save them.

Another cheap tactic. Basically, if you mess with the formula, you pay extra. I've had many cases of people asking for Snack Wraps with nothing more than the meat and the tortilla. My response is always the same. "People pay full price for this shit". My guess, not enough complaining about the issue.

Subway got on my bad side too. They advertise the hell out of that $5 footlong but when I ordered mine the total was $7 something. Apparently mine was some sort of special sub that did not qualify as a $5. It was just roast beef.

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Funny how it says "Any regular footlong" but doesn't specify what "regular" means.

Nothing too extravagant for a sandwich shop. I now go to a family run deli that gives me a MUCH better sandwich with a lot more meet and a good sized side of macaroni salad for cheaper than a Subway combo. The only problem is they close too early so I often miss them.

I tend to go to my local deli too. I get for one 1 and a half what Subway offers for "5".

The truth is I don't blame these businesses. None of this is really a big deal. It's not a bad strategy and nothing is forced on anyone. It just annoys me as a customer. I really don't expect Burger King to not charge me for cheese because I didn't take tomato but it would be nice. I still go to Burger King and Subway. I have no problem as long as I know what to expect. Boston Market has no excuse. A drink should come with a meal. I'm not surprised so many have gone out of business.

Well, I think it should be straight. Luring a customer with an offer by just making it look cheap and pretty and keeping the details as under wraps as possible isn't something I like. Maybe it's because I see people fall for it every day, but it just doesn't pan out for me.

 

[Nate DaMac]

I spent many a year in the fast food industry, and boy does it fucking suck. I worked at Sonic for a long ass time. I wouldn't recommend it.

The biggest thing that irks me about fast food service is the inability to be patient, on both the customers and employees. When I go somewhere and order Chicken at 3am, I'm not expecting it to be ready in 1 minute. I understand that Chicken takes somewhere around 4-5 minutes to thoroughly cook. But you wouldn't believe how many people get bent out of shape when they have to wait a few minutes to get their food. It's fucking ridiculous.

On the flip side, dude, just make some fresh fries. I paid for a meal and I expect it to be edible. Don't fucking insult me by giving me some fries that have been sitting out for 30 minutes or I'll throw them back in your fucking face. I have 3 minutes to wait and it isn't going to kill you to put some fries in a basket and drop it in the grease. Quit being an idiot.

I think that leads to what I believe is the biggest swindle in the Fast Food Industry: "Fresh."

Now there are some companies that legit make everything fresh to order, but if I go through a drive thru in less than a minute and I got a burger and fries that aren't even warm anymore, that's not fresh. I think that's kind of going full circle back to what my original rant was about.

So next time in you're in a drive thru and it takes like 5-10 minutes for your food to come out, don't be a dick. Just think, at least the food will be fresh. If it isn't, drive through it again and make a big ass order and drive off. That'll piss em off.

 

[The Crock]

Yeah, sure, they have their little tricks, but what do you expect? If you're smart enough as a customer you can screw them too. McDonalds here has this little trick they pull, if you're ordering off the value menu and you get a $1 soda, they'll give you a regular, but if you say "large" they give you the biggest size for a dollar. Every fucking size costs the same, they don't tell you that though. Cheap tricks sell for them. Also, here in Utah, every footlong is now $5. If you don't order anything else, then it usually just costs around $5.25 plus tax. Not a bad deal, really.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Ok first, I'm gonna say something about the idiots bashing subway... since I used to work at one and everyone in the surrounding states are built almost the same way, so I'm going to assume it's like this all the time.

At Subway, there's this BIIIIIIG board behind the counter, it's like right there you can't miss it... and ON that sign, it lists "Regular Subs" "Special Subs" and "Extra Subs"... Obviously, if you're not ******ed and can read, when an advertisement says "Regular Subs" there's obviously a cue there telling you to LOOK at the menu and see the price. And if those big bold letters are too big for you, grab the mini-menu that's RIGHT by the sandwich line. It will tell you the same thing. And yes, the regular subs are $5, for the footlong sub... which is a big deal considering a six inch sub is $4.50... that's an extra $.50 just for six extra inches... talking about a deal, I'd say you found it. Ok sure, adding the combo deal puts your meal around 7 bucks, but you don't HAVE to buy the drink and/or chips.

Now, on to the rest of the stuff... knowing common sense is a strong advantage as a customer. You know, every fast food place that I've been to has a the same big board behind the counter that subway does, and at McDonalds, they've actually made it easier for ******s to understand by sectioning off Dollar Menu Items, breakfast items, value meals, and the other stuff. When they have deals going on there's usually a sign on the window that explains everything, and watching the actual advertisement helps too because they usually would tell you what all comes in the meal.

Anyway, if anything, the fast food restaurants today might as well be giving you a meal for free... Especially Hardee's. How they can manage, I don't know...

At Hardee's for only 5 bucks plus tax you can get 2 Double Cheeseburgers, Regular fries, an apple turnover, and a drink... That's like the biggest deal I've seen from a fast food restaurant.

Like I said though all of these so called "tricks" aren't really tricks as much as it is testing to see how much common sense a customer has... which by this topic let's me know there's not much to go around.

 

[ABMorales787]

I laugh at some of the responses. People boast the overall intelligence of mankind. I guess it's just me being grumpy. I find it funny when people get peeved over the fact that their $2.25 Big Mac combo only comes with a soda or fries and not both. The "that's not how it should be" line cracks me up. Face it. Not everyone reads. Shame too. I wouldn't make this thread if they did. There are some good stuff though. Subway has a footlong sub offer for 3.99 every Saturday and Sunday. With the purchase of a 32 oz. soda. Yeah, in reality it's 6 something. Still a dollar less than when you order the regular 5 dollar deal. Now that one's good business.

 

[Max Headroom]

There is a personal fast food place out here, and man-oh-man is it ever great. You can get a medium fingers & fries poutiene & a drink for 5$ exactly, and its great. Not only that, but a medium is HUGE. You would be hard-pressed to finish a full one. You get five fingers, and a big ol' plate o' fries, and your choice of beer or soda.

The best part is too, there is none of these "tricks" like you are all talking about, I know the owner of the store (so does probably the rest of my town) and he is a great fella, great having a chat with him while your waiting for your feed. Not to mention their fish is prime.

Who needs Subway ripping you off when you can get a big greasy scoff for cheaper than a damn sub?