Ode to the Order Taker

I let myself get roped into a breakfast shop at my least favorite local branch of McD's for this morning. During my 15 minutes inside, I got inspired and wrote a little poem. Hope you enjoy it.

Ode to the Order Taker

'Twas a very long time to wait for a McMuffin
While my hash brown waited on my tray
And that medium coffee was the worst I've ever had
I had to throw the whole thing away.

There was a cup on the floor
And a milkshake by the door
And the hand dryer was battered and stained

But where's the box to check for her 24-hour patience
For the folks who came in out of the rain?

The man who paid his check one nickel at a time
The gal who loudly scolded her phone
And the guy who shared a table with all of his possessions
Looking crumpled and alone.

A single register open for a line out the door?
That's not the company way.
But where's the box to check that says "She smiled at them all
And turned nobody away?"
_________________________

And that was the end of my 15 minutes.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

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Some of those things happened to me too!

Customer counting all his change to pay...

I loved your poem. So very true!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2015 02:13PM by SunnyDays2.

Glad the place is there for the transient person.

Allie-J-3

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
With Allison of J and three
Did write upon the borogoves,
And all that she did see.

Beware the J-3’d Allison!
Her times precise, the facts she found!
Beware the coffee spoilt, and shun
The lukewarm hash once browned!

She took her vorpal watch in hand:
Long time she waited in the line -
There rested she whilst she did stand,
And watched the clerk so fine.

And, as observant A.J. stood,
The cashier smiled with eyes so kind,
She greeted all, her words were good,
A welcome there to find.

The rude, the wretched, tired, poor,
The masses yearning to be free,
All shown respect, and even more,
The clerk dealt equally.

Thus A.J. shopped the arch today,
With timings poor and cleaning worse.
Of clerk yet say, “Callooh! Callay!”
Report it now in verse.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
With Allison of J and three
Did write upon the borogoves,
And all that she did see.

Brilliant

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

Ironic twist: this shop was denied because I didn't spend enough time in the dining room!

I was inside the restaurant for 20 minutes, but the guidelines state 15 minutes *after* receiving your complete order. I turned off my timer when I sat down and forgot to account for the lengthy wait when judging what time I could leave. My bad. At least I got some poetry out of the experience.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

Awww..I think I am the slowest HB eater they have in there. I go to the drink bar to get my drink, then back to get ketchup, then Oh I forgot napkins, and do the rest room last. Sorry, but loved the poems..

The cashier was purdy.
But the floor was dirty,
And it took 10 minutes for food.

The presenter didn't smile
Though they knew it took awhile
And, in fact, I considered them rude.

The place smelled rank,
The restroom stank,
And the food really tasted like swill.

But I win in the end
When the report I send,
And my narrative is--OVER-KILL!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 11:33PM by Crickettt.

Second plot twist: I got a call offering me twice the original fee to re-shop the location. So, that covers the meals I paid out-of-pocket for last weekend. Hooray for forgiving schedulers.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

@Alisonj3 wrote:

Second plot twist: I got a call offering me twice the original fee to re-shop the location. So, that covers the meals I paid out-of-pocket for last weekend. Hooray for forgiving schedulers.

OHHH, such a better way to end the story!! YAY!

And in the final (please please please) installment:
Reshopped this morning and they did so much better than last weekend. Yay them! Also, the manager was very present and interacting in a positive yet authoritative manner with the down-and-out customers (many appear to be regulars) as well as the staff and it was all rather touching.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Some of those things happened to me too! Customer counting all his change to pay...

I loved your poem. So very true!

The guy counting his change was the same guy that asked you for change on the way in. You should have been ahead of him.

You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want ..Zig Zigler

@Davetheshopper wrote:

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

Some of those things happened to me too! Customer counting all his change to pay...

I loved your poem. So very true!

The guy counting his change was the same guy that asked you for change on the way in. You should have been ahead of him.

It was actually an elderly woman trying to pay for her food with coin. I wish I could have just paid for her lunch.

It was nice to see that you made a positive difference in being able to give good remarks on management

@Davetheshopper I could become one of the regulars, I suppose--that crazy lady who always buys the same meal and then gives it away, spending precisely 15 minutes in the dining area before disappearing for another month. I'm sure the manager wouldn't suspect a thing, haha.

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

I love the poems! I write them all the time. Here's one I just whipped up in 15 minutes. It's based on a real situation.
It started out good
I barely had to wait,
He made eye contact and smiled
right out of the gate!
He asked all the right questions,
did everything right.
Visions of an easy report were in my sight.
Then towards the end, he did something odd,
He leaned in close with a wink and a nod.
It soon became clear this would not end well
as he whispered in my ear and my hopes quickly fell.
"Here is my card, I do this on the side,
don't let this place take you for a ride.
I can do it and save you some dough,
just give me a call when you're ready to go."
So needless to say
as my heart grew dim,
I reported it that way,
And I no longer see him.

True story Hahaha!!

Fun poem! I was taking a break from a bar shop report when I read it, though, and it gives quite a different impression than you probably intended, when the reader is picturing a bartender as the character in question!

We are all here on earth to help others....What on earth the others are here for I don't know.

--W. H. Auden

Fast food shops are Fast food. Try writing a poem for a Chipotle shop in the manner they want the reports done.

Not me.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

I probably should have said that mine was not fast food, I had to pretend to need something for my house and see what they said about delivery, installation, etc. I have heard about the dreaded Chipotle shop and vowed to never do one even though there's one right up the street. But now that Vlade5394 has issued a challenge, I may try one, just so I can write a poem about it LOL!

lol. I like the attitude arkndove.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

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