I've written an article before about waitressing and what not to say to your server with the help of a high school friend, who also happened to work the drive thru often and spilled some of her top annoyances of customers coming to the drive thru. By now, you would think that most of these would be common sense, but in reality common sense isn't common at all.
1. Turn off your windshield wipers when it's raining.
It splashes me. Seriously. I know it's not done on purpose, but it is a real problem for anyone working a drive thru when it's raining. Please, be considerate. I don't want to have wet clothes for the rest of my eight hour shift.
2. Paying in small coins that you're counting out now.
When I have ten cars wrapped around the building, we cannot afford to wait on you to count out 76 pennies. Just give me a dollar. Or quarters and a penny. Please nothing less than quarters. Ugly change isn't welcome anywhere but the bank, and even then they get annoyed.
3. Talking on your cell phone.
This is the (second) rudest thing (the first is the next point). Don't do it. Unless it's an emergency, obviously, but why would you still be here if it was that important? Instead of finishing your conversation right now, please tell your friend on the phone to wait 10 seconds while I'm trying to hand you 4 boxes of pizza and 6 boxes of wings out the window. Don't make me wait on you longer than necessary. I have work to do, OK. I understand you have an addiction to your phone, but a few seconds won't kill you.
4. Smoking.
LISTEN. IT'S GROSS, OK. I don't willingly inhale your second hand smoke. I honestly just don't like the smell, and also it's so rude. What if I was asthmatic? Your smoking could kill me. It also makes it hard to hand you pizzas and other foods if you have a cigarette in your hand. Also, please don't blow your smoke in or around my face. Rude.
5. Ask to talk to my manager.
If you have a problem, I'm happy to help solve it, but please come inside to talk to my manager and don't keep the seven cars behind you waiting. That's just more customers that will just get pissed off that they have to wait on food. Be considerate. You're not the only one in the drive thru line, but you happen to be the first that is holding up the rest.
