Burger Queen wants it done her way

When it comes to fast food, please make it my way.

I don't know how many times I've placed a food order at a drive up window and driven away only to discover the order-taker must have been deaf.

I guess I'm not alone because I've heard this same story more than once before. People, after the third time it happens, it's time to take action. Turn the car around and go back with the sales slip that clearly shows the blunder. That means somebody - from the drive-up clerk to the cook and back to the drive-up clerk - flubbed up.

The second time this happened to me, I drove back, walked into the restaurant and asked why they gave me a burger that looked and tasted three days old.

I realize they cook them a bit in advance, but this particular drive through at that particular time of day when I visited it, wasn't at all busy. They must have a way to know how long their burgers sit under those hot lamps. We all know that hot lamps are for TEMPORARY warming until the item can be served, usually within just a few short minutes.

It just amazes me how quality in service and product has dropped to such an all-time low during these times of economic decline.

Quality in the services and products that vendors provide is always important. But in these economic times, it is extremely important today.

I guess the places that got my orders wrong didn't get the memo: "If you are going to put out the effort to do a task, you might as well do it right."

You know what? Half-hearted efforts are dominating the scene when it comes to service.

Does anybody not realize what is going on today with our economy? Does anybody not need a job today? It seems that many businesses today are employing repeat offenders when it comes to lousy job performance.

There are those who are taking a second job to make ends meet and there are some pretty desperate people out there.

I sort of thought this economic decline was a good wake-up call to anyone doing business - and quality service is a huge part of any business. But some are still slow grasping the idea that maybe their job and the business won't even exist soon if they don't turn things around.

And, guess what? In this case, the customer is always right.

From now on, I'm not taking any chances at any drive-through food place. The last time I went through one, I ordered a freshly-made hamburger. That was the idea many moons ago when this fast-food thing started.

You can have it your way and you can have it hot off the grill. There are still a couple of local places that do just that. One has been around for decades, clear back to the days when Shasta Dam was built. The other came to town in the 1970s. A third that does pretty good keeping up with the long lines in its drive-through lane is relatively new.

I've been ordering hamburgers from two of our local companies for decades. The service is still great as are the burgers at my favorite places. But when I wander off to a couple other fast-food vendors, I am, more often than not, disappointed for one reason or another.

One thing is for sure. I can do better at home on my own grill.

Besides that, I know I'll get it my way.

But, I can't always do that. So, once in a while I'm forced to eat on the run.

It's bad enough that there is too much willy nilly in other aspects of society today. Accountability is a necessary ingredient when it comes to quality and service in any industry. But, complacency in the most established industries leads to less quality and service.

Business owners of the fast food kind, take note. Some of us are not going to let inexcusable mistakes slide any more. So, better get used to doing it correctly. When I get to that microphone in the drive-up lane, trust me, I will ask for what is fair and reasonable.

It's time we have our order the way we expect it - not mediocre, not so-so, but the value better be there.

If it isn't, I won't be back.