Seven Things that Guests Do That Annoy Me

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who automatically hates their guests.  I'm far from that.  In fact, I love my guests no matter what.  That's right, even when their little gremlin decides to smear their ice cream cone down the wall of the booth in the corner that is such a pain to clean.  Even when a guest gets irrational upset over forgetting their extra dipping sauce.  I love them all, no matter their hot and flustered moments.  Because really, I get them too.

I do however get annoyed some weeks when it seems like all guests are missing a point or two.  Thus, my list of things that guests do that annoy me.

• Not looking me in the eyes when ordering.  I can't tell if you're actually ordering or if you're just talking about maybe trying the grilled chicken salad.  If you make eye contact with me, even just at the beginning of your order I know you're ready to roll and I'll do my best to catch everything you say the first time.  If you talk to the floor, well, we're going to be for a while.
• Getting annoyed when I have to ask extra questions to clarify the order.  If it's during lunch time, which it probably is and you're talking soft or rushing words I can't hear you well.  There's a line of people at each register, employees talking and making noise in the grill and talking to guests in the drive thru window plus if I'm wearing a headset, I have one ear that I can't hear out of because it's getting drive thru orders.  Do you want your burger to have mayo on it or would you like to pick off the tomato because you couldn't stand to answer my question.
• Mistaking me for a guy.  This doesn't happen often, but it annoys the crap out of me.  My hair is pulled back in a bun with a cap on.  I'm not a skinny woman, I have curves and muscle.  But apparently a feminine name "Jessica" and fancy wide rimmed glasses with jewels on the side scream out "I'm a man".
• Standing at the counter waiting for food when they've just ordered.  Your burger isn't ready yet. Your chicken is still in the fryer.  We're waiting on fresh fries to be salted.  Oh, and you had three medium milkshakes made with the hardest flavor of ice cream we have? Yeah, it's going to take a couple minutes, we don't magically have it all ready.  Go, get your drink, pick out your booth and get all the napkins and ketchup you want.  We'll call your number. You won't go hungry. And no,  I can not give you your shake right now because then someone else will try to make it again. Leave it alone, please.
• Asking for lids on a single dip of ice cream in a cup.  Are you serious?  By the time you get home it's gonna be melted.  I don't understand, but here's your lid regardless.
• Ordering diet cherry limeade.  What?  Okay, I get the soda water instead of the simple syrup carbonation mixture, it's not as sweet which I totes understand.  But you do realize that the cherry syrup we put in means syrup right?  Don't complain that it's too sweet, you wanted a cherry limeade, diet.
• Giving me the stink eye when I have to tell you pull your vehicle up to the door at the end of the drive thru lane because we're waiting on fresh fries/chicken and we already have the next vehicle's order completely finished.  Like seriously? Are you in such a hurry that you're not going to appreciate that we're not giving you the old sitting-here-for-at-least-thirty-minutes-and-not-really-that-hot fries? How about fresh crispy chicken strips?  Just pull up to the door, please.

Well, that all came out a bit like I was ranting, but that still doesn't mean that I'm not at least a little bit annoyed when these things happen...at least five times every shift I work (excluding the one about guests mistaking me for a man).

What's your number one pet peeve as a guest in fast food restaurants?  I think mine has to be when I'm not greeted.  I like to see a smiling face ready to help me order.  It makes me want to go back; there have been times when I've revisited a fast food restaurant I might have had troubles with the food before just because I had a good customer service experience with a member of the crew.