Cheeseburger meal please

[Varzar]

Has anyone else experience this?

I was at McDonald's yesterday. I usually get a cheeseburger meal when I go there..
Does anyone have any uncertainty about what it is I want in this case?

A cheeseburger, fries, and drink, right?

If I order a cheeseburger meal in the US, that's what I get... Sometimes they ask me to clarify that I only want 1 cheeseburger, not 2, since they have a extra value meal that is 2 cheeseburgers..

In Canada, I get all sorts of responses, like...
1) "Sorry. We don't have a cheeseburger meal."
2) "uh [fumbles with computer trying to find cheeseburger meal]... Can I give you a Quarter Pounder?"
3) "We only have a 2 cheeseburger meal."

Where did common sense go?

A meal means "add fries and a drink" at EVERY fast food place I've ever been to.. I don't care if the meal is an "extra value" meal.. I just want a meal, and I don't want to have to say, "I'd like a cheeseburger, a medium fries, and a medium drink, please"... It's inefficient and unnecessary..

And then they try to tell us we have the disorder.. Gimme a break..

 

[Judge]

I know Jack Nicholson experienced such a thing. A very long time ago, too.

 

[LucyPurrs]

I know Jack Nicholson experienced such a thing. A very long time ago, too.

OM goodness he looks so young! Didn't realize he was actually handsome at that age, LOL! Thanks Judge for that iconic scene!

 

[Fino]

Unfortunately--and I mean no ill will in saying this--you're wrong.

It doesn't automatically mean that. It commonly is that, but it's not a code everyone is expected to know.

And how do they get "medium" out of it? Why not small or large or extra large?

I understand somewhat the experience you're having wherein we believe others know what we know. It's confusing to grasp the concept of separate consciousnesses. But everyone's lives, knowledge base, and experiences are entirely separate and unique and this idea you got about a meal is unique to you.

 

[Pistachio]

I had the same experience a few weeks ago, except they didnt offer an alternative, they just said they couldn't do it. So I just took off, I didn't really care, it was just peculiar. But I've never experienced that anywhere else except McD's. I avoid them now.

 

[Varzar]

Unfortunately--and I mean no ill will in saying this--you're wrong.

It doesn't automatically mean that. It commonly is that, bu it's not a code everyone is expected to know.

And how do they get "medium" out of it? Why not small or large or extra large?

I understand somewhat the experience you're having wherein we believe others know what we know. It's confusing to grasp the concept of separate consciousnesses. But everyone's lives, knowledge base, and experiences are entirely separate and unique and this idea you got about a meal is unique to you.

Medium would be the "regular" (whatever size that is) size.. unless you want to upsize it...

If I order a meal/combo at KFC, DQ, Burger King, A&W (just to name a few), or even the "extra value" meals at McDs, they all come with a "regular" (whatever size that may be) fries and drink.
Does it ever mean anything other than that??

Sure, I may be wrong and I take no ill will, I have no pride invested in this... But I am going to require some kind of evidence as to why I should not expect this to be self-evident based on the collection of fast food restaurants out there that all seem to use the meal/combo terminology to mean +fries&drink.

 

[Fino]

Medium would be the "regular" (whatever size that is) size.. unless you want to upsize it...

If I order a meal/combo at KFC, DQ, Burger King, A&W (just to name a few), or even the "extra value" meals at McDs, they all come with a "regular" (whatever size that may be) fries and drink.
Does it ever mean anything other than that??

Sure, I may be wrong and I take no ill will, I have no pride invested in this... But I am going to require some kind of evidence as to why I should not expect this to be self-evident based on the collection of fast food restaurants out there that all seem to use the meal/combo terminology to mean +furies&drink.

The fact that many places do it is irrelevant. Many places serve cheeseburgers but that doesn't obligate KFC to serve cheeseburgers. But I can't tell if you want every restaurant to have it as an option on the menu or if you want every server to infer what you mean by it because they should know the logic you are now explaining. If it's not explicitly stated on the menu, for a server to guess what you want would be silly.

 

[Bolletje]

McDonalds around here no longer have a cheeseburger meal on the menu, so I have to order the items separately. It happens, it doesn’t bother me that much.

 

[Progster]

McDonalds have a business model where they customize the menu or meal deals according to which country you are in - so a 'meal deal' might mean different things in other countries. It's a franchise (I think) so it should be the same product and quality for all US customers, but because each outlet is managed by a branch manager, the branch may or may not be well organised and well stocked - there was a thread a while back where KFC actually ran out of chicken!

My main gripe is when staff try to upsell you. When I order something, I have already looked at the menu, sized up the options and decided on what I want. So not, I do NOT want extra fries with that, or two cheeseburgers. Fed up with people invasively, or even agressively, trying to sell me stuff I don't want.

Another VERY annoying tactic they have adopted in recent years at some fast food places is when they start to charge for little extra things like extra ketchup or milk for your coffee. So I get the exact change ready for my coffee, reach the counter, and the staff sks me for a sum greater than that which I have ready. Why? Because I asked for milk with my coffee. Grrr. Sure, they write this on the menu... somewhere low down on the board where you might not think to look or you might not even see because of the other people milling round in front of the board.

It's a better idea to check these places out online first so I don't get any of these 'surprises' when I come to pay for the items.

 

[Varzar]

The fact that many places do it is irrelevant. Many places serve cheeseburgers but that doesn't obligate KFC to serve cheeseburgers. But I can't tell if you want every restaurant to have it as an option on the menu or if you want every server to infer what you mean by it because they should know the logic you are now explaining. If it's not explicitly stated on the menu, for a server to guess what you want would be silly.

It's the latter I expect. A meal should mean +fries&drink, regardless if that is on the menu. It seems intuitive and obvious enough to me. But I have been known to have overly high expectations of others. I will lower my expectations accordingly.

 

[Bolletje]

I really want McDonald’s now.

 

[Streetwise]

Has anyone else experience this?

I was at McDonald's yesterday. I usually get a cheeseburger meal when I go there..
Does anyone have any uncertainty about what it is I want in this case?

A cheeseburger, fries, and drink, right?

If I order a cheeseburger meal in the US, that's what I get... Sometimes they ask me to clarify that I only want 1 cheeseburger, not 2, since they have a extra value meal that is 2 cheeseburgers..

In Canada, I get all sorts of responses, like...
1) "Sorry. We don't have a cheeseburger meal."
2) "uh [fumbles with computer trying to find cheeseburger meal]... Can I give you a Quarter Pounder?"
3) "We only have a 2 cheeseburger meal."

Where did common sense go?

A meal means "add fries and a drink" at EVERY fast food place I've ever been to.. I don't care if the meal is an "extra value" meal.. I just want a meal, and I don't want to have to say, "I'd like a cheeseburger, a medium fries, and a medium drink, please"... It's inefficient and unnecessary..

And then they try to tell us we have the disorder.. Gimme a break..

To be honest I would be different on different days on some days it would be with chips what you call fries on other days it would be just a vegan cheeseburger

 

[Judge]

My main gripe is when staff try to upsell you.

Yeah. I'm finding this increasingly pervasive far beyond the realm of fast food. The other day in talking to my auto insurer they did it again and I finally just shut them down by pointing out the premium of a competitor on my renter's policy that they couldn't possibly compete with.

But I know the next time I contact them, they will do it all over again. Ugh.

Though I also realize that intense competition invites intense marketing practices.

At least they didn't ask if I wanted fries with my insurance policy.

 

[Mia]

And how do they get "medium" out of it? Why not small or large or extra large?

Heads up Fino In Canada it's small, medium and large only. No extra large anything except snowstorms.

 

[Judge]

I still recall many years ago when I ordered a "large" milkshake at a Carl's Jr. when my brother and I made a gambling trip to Reno, Nevada. I remember how they asked me twice if it as a "large" shake. Seemed odd to me, but hey...that's what I wanted. I mean how large can such a thing be, anyways?

The girl brought my shake out in what seemed almost like a bucket one would use for fried chicken. I laughed for so long I couldn't even drink it. In fact I spent the rest of the evening consuming it, as there was so much of it.

Those were the days...

 

[Bolletje]

I think the concept of large portions is very different when you compare portion sizes in the US versus EU countries.

 

[Varzar]

Yeah. I'm finding this increasingly pervasive far beyond the realm of fast food. The other day in talking to my auto insurer they did it again and I finally just shut them down by pointing out the premium of a competitor on my renter's policy that they couldn't possibly compete with.

But I know the next time I contact them, they will do it all over again. Ugh.

Though I also realize that intense competition invites intense marketing practices.

At least they didn't ask if I wanted fries with my insurance policy.

Several years ago when I last activated a new credit card, it was a simple process of calling the number, entering the info to the automated computer system, done.
Just this last month, I had to activate a new card again, and was shocked to be put through to a real person.. We went through the normal process, and then she proceeded to spend 5 minutes trying to sell me a balance protection plan.. What was so wrong with the automated system..

 

[Judge]

I think the concept of large portions is very different when you compare portion sizes in the US versus EU countries.

Indeed. Small, medium and unhealthy.

 

[Judge]

Several years ago when I last activated a new credit card, it was a simple process of calling the number, entering the info to the automated computer system, done.
Just this last month, I had to activate a new card again, and was shocked to be put through to a real person.. We went through the normal process, and then she proceeded to spend 5 minutes trying to sell me a balance protection plan.. What was so wrong with the automated system..

I suppose I'll have to rethink how often I scream "AGENT!", just to get that real person on the line.

Nothing worse though than dealing with automated systems with precise explanations and options that don't necessarily match why you are calling.

 

[Varzar]

I think the concept of large portions is very different when you compare portion sizes in the US versus EU countries.

What's it like over there? Smaller everything? I've only been to the UK, never been to any other countries over there..

The UK was stupidly expensive for pretty blah food it seemed like.. We tried a bunch of different restaurants there but none seemed worth the price tag (given the currency exchange from Canadian).. One time I figured we'd try fish n' chips, cause that's where it came from.. I figured it'd be good.. Turns out, we have better fish n' chips in Canada.. lol
We spent the rest of our trip mostly eating at Pizza Hut, cause they had a buffet that was all you can eat, and only 5 pounds..