Why do they ask for my order when I'm obviously not ready?

Question

In fast food restaurants, when I'm standing 10 feet from the counter and looking up at the menu, someone always asks if I'm ready to order. Duh.
common sense?

Answer 1

next time ask them if they are in a hurry to get home. or do they get off work in ten minutes. how about are you on commission?

Answer 2

Every fast food restaurant and many businesses require their employees to acknowledge customers. This is supposed to indicate that they are being attentive to our presence, if not our needs.

To ensure that this is occurring properly, secret shoppers are employed to act like customers and grade the quality of food and service that they receive. Get too low of a score and an employee could be subject to retraining or disciplinary action.

What the employee should do when you're standing that far back is to say something like, "welcome to xx(name of restaurant)xx, let me know when you're ready to order". But if they ask if you're ready, just tell them that you're not ready yet.

Personally, I would rather they ask if I were ready than be ignored completely.

...and is there really such a thing as "common" sense?

Answer 3

Beside the common sense you have to consider most of the working force in Fast Food chains are students with no experience whatsoever about serving customers. All they know is what the manager tells them: the faster, the better...and that's how we are always put under pressure with the request if we are ready to order. Personally I would like, even if I had to lose my place in line, to be left alone and go there WHEN I'm ready, without so much pushing. Same thing happens in dining chains like Dennis etc...See Ya'...

Answer 4

Because in fast food restaurants, they're required to acknowledge the customer and ask them if they're ready or not. Also, it's called FAST food, and the point of that is to get in and out as soon as possible. If you're not ready, just POLITELY say, "not yet, thank you."

Answer 5

youve obviously never worked at any kind of restaraunt and good for you! cuz you havent had to put up with people that walk in there with a bad attitude ready to complain about the stupidest little thing such as this. If they dont aknowledge that youre there they can get in trouble for it. They are just doing their job. and if your not ready to order dont hold back the line...

Answer 6

cause theyre supposed to to show that theyre on the ball even if youre doopid and dont know whats on the menue, the same 20 things that was on it, the first 3000 times youve been there, why do you obviously ask stupid questions when you alreay know the answer, cause i know thats not in your job description unless youre just an a**

Answer 7

Its Called fast food for a reason. You need to be quick or you'll fail.

Answer 8

I can't stand that. I especially hate it when me and my family go to a restaurant and we just to our table and the waitress is already hounding to take our drink order. Geez, can't we sit down and get ourselves comfortable and get a minute to look over the menu before we decide what we want to drink.

Answer 9

I agree with you. We stand back, trying to make up our minds and reading the menu over their heads and they immediately ask to take our order.

I'm sure it has something to do with acknowledging the customer. Just tell them, not yet, thank you.

Answer 10

Their goal is to get you in and out fast they don't care about being rude or for that matter if you like the food or not.

Answer 11

They are acknowledging you. Just say you're not ready yet and stop worrying about it.