I eat out too much. I know this and I don’t care – it’s one small bit of usually someone being vaguely nice to me and handing me food.
Sometimes it’s also a lousy experience – but recently, it was kinda great.
I had gone to McDonald’s to pick up dinner and I got a 4 piece chicken tenders for myself and a big mac and cookies for Jim. It was evening and not their peak hours for dinner – so, they were a little off their game. Though, that suggests they might sometimes be on their game and I don’t know if that is ever really the case.
So, it took a while. I waited patiently – because there was literally nothing else I could do -and folded a bit of paper while I stood there.
When they finally brought my food the staff person said she put extra tenders in there for me since it took so long. At home when I opened the bag I found not one four-piece – but two three-pieces of tenders. And instead of two cookies for Jim, there were two packages of two cookies. I think the fries were bigger than I ordered too.
So, I had enough for two meals for myself.
A few days later I was at Arby’s for dinner. Similar situation, off hours and not on their game.
The assistant manager was trying to hurry things along and it was not going well. I didn’t have anywhere else to be and just waited quietly. At one point he said that it had taken so long to get the sandwich ready that the potato cakes were no longer fresh – and it would be a few more minutes for a fresh batch. He offered to throw in a turnover, but I declined. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
When they gave me my food order they also gave me a coupon for a free sandwich for my time When I got home, I realized they had given me a large order of a potato cakes and had doubled the meat on my sandwich. I got two meals out of that trip as well.
I guess they are used to people losing their shit when they have to wait and it was so remarkable that I didn’t that they rewarded me.
Patience, I guess, for the win.