Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Dear Wendy's Sandwich Makers

Dear Wendy's sandwich makers,
I have a few requests for the next time you make my sandwich.  Certainly, I'm no restaurant connoisseur, but there seem to be some common sense ideals I'd like to mention that perhaps you could consider.
First of all, please consider the fact that I don't eat my entire hamburger in one bite.  I don't know what kind of training you go through or what burger-making formula you're taught your first day working at Wendy's. But let me give you a little insight: most people enjoy pickles with every bite of the burger, not just the very center bite where you stack all 5 pickles on top of each other.
Same goes for the glob of mustard. There's a reason it comes out of the container in a thin line. Try rotating your hand in a circular motion around the top of the hamburger. One giant squeeze, creating "Mustard Mountain" right in the center is not the preferred method. You can also practice this method with the ketchup and mayo!
Next, onions are obviously the cheapest ingredient since you so graciously pile 1/4 pound of onion on each burger. I thought it was supposed to be a quarter pound of meat? Perhaps there is some confusion and you should go back and reference your manual.
Also, keep in mind that when surveyed, most American's preferred red tomatoes, not hard green crunchy ones. I think I may have figured this one out. Your slogan on your website reads Quality is Our Recipe. I guess I need to request that recipe next time I come in; I didn't realize it was by request only. This is no fault of yours, as a sandwich maker, but maybe just consider it in the broad scheme of things.
Finally, when I  unwrapped my burger tonight, I found most of these condiments smeared all over the sandwich wrapper and consequently all over the outside of the bun. I understand you're working for speed, but obviously that's not working out for you too well either. There's always a huge line when I come in to order and I end up waiting about 5 minutes per customer before I even make it to the counter.
Is any of this making sense to you?  Do you eat your own sandwiches and actually experience these issues that countless customers are taking in stride every meal? Certainly, you don't claim to be "sandwich artists" and it's becoming more and more clear why.
One more thought - has your store ever considered getting more than one credit card terminal for all the cash registers, which gets tied up when you get a phone call or another customer chooses to pay with credit?
Just thought you might consider my suggestions.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely PERFECT!!

Justin said...

I have a coworker that got e.coli from that place, so I consider any meal that doesn't make me sick a good one.

Jan Maniaits said...

Oh my gosh --- this is exactly my thoughts as well. One day I pulled my green tomatoe out of my sandwich and showed the manager and he commented he was training an assistant manager. So ??? Nice way to try and deflect blame. Another time I called after getting two fry orders there in recent weeks that were so salty they were inedible. As always, you make me laugh!

Anonymous said...

i completely agree, and i work at a wendy's. the training videos (they make you watch them) and my manager point out the proper way to make a sandwich (which i agree with), but most of the people that make the sandwiches do it completely ass-backwards.

for instance, a single is supposed to be made in the following order...

the top of the bun has a swipe of mayo and a teaspoon of ketchup ( both spread around), four pickles (in a square), four rings of onion, one slice of tomato and one piece of leaf lettuce. then the bottom is one piece of meat (don't ask me why they smash it down while they cook it, it doesn't make sense), cheese (if it's a single w/ cheese, obviously) and mustard (in the shape of a "W").

bacon (if the sandwich has it) should also be layered out evenly, not dumped in a pile on top of the cheese.

the way i just described is the way the corporate training videos, and my manager, tell you should make it. which is exactly the way i do when i'm working the sandwich station. everyone else that i've seen make sandwiches there just dump everything on like they could care less.

however, i will say this in the average sandwich makers defense. they expect you to make a standard sandwich in 7 seconds. i may take a few seconds more to do it, but i at least take some pride in what i do, and i highly doubt i'll ever get a complaint about a sandwich i made that took 12 seconds instead of 7. i know it's "fast" food, but seriously.

that's just my two cents...

Anonymous said...

almost forgot to add one thing...

i don't know what wendy's you have been to, but i've never seen any green tomatoes or any other substandard ingredients at our location. i wouldn't stand for it, and i don't think my manager would either. why she lets the sandwiches leave the counter/window in such poor construction, i may never know though.

COrealtor said...

hmmmmm...well, someone's "standing for it" and sends the hamburger out to the customer in a condition they (the sandwich maker) probably wouldn't eat it themselves. I'll let the store location remain anonymous, but it's definitely here in colorado springs.

COrealtor said...

in all seriousness, I actually do appreciate the input of "Sandwich Maker" above. it's good to know there's one of you who takes pride and actually follows somewhat of the guidelines. SO: if I figure out which store, and go eat during your shift while you're not on break, and hope that you're the only one making sandwiches.....then, my sandwich may turn out pretty good....in 7 seconds or less.

Anonymous said...

lol I work at wendys and Im going to be honnest in hopes of eliminateing endless line outs and wrap arounds as we call them here. If your skanky like so many of the people here in fucked up, illinois. We are always under staffed and our workers are very unhappy with the conditions I geuss im just morbed or something sometimes when roaches scatter ill yell be free runn lol customers stare in disbeleif and walk out i honnestly dont know how were open and score such a high rateing in our inspections....someone is sucking dick idk people dont wear gloves they do things like cross contaminate we serve old food me and my manager worked an 8 to close one night because threee employees walked out haha thats why they keep me and i can say things like theres roaches in the lettuce this one customer brought his up with roach still in it calmly and asked for another one lol i would have thrown it at someone and been like fuck this i work here i eat here i live here and hey if you want to fuck my day up come to my drive thru 10 min 6 min till 5 or 8 or 12 and sit there and keep saying hold on lol there is a timer and we lose points for the day if its fucked up so yeah umm thats my input dont eat here go to subway i hear they have mice we have roaches and i have crabs peace out

COrealtor said...

I love that I'm getting Wendy's employees fully admitting how awful their restaurants are. thanks for the feedback - now I know I'm right.

Suzanne said...

Oh my word. This post and the comments are your funniest yet!

Anonymous said...

I was a sandwich maker, here is my advice if you want the pretty sandwich with pickles throughout the bun and the mustard that's in a "w" shape, then come when it's not rush hour!!! There is usually only one sandwich maker per line, the drive thru window line or serving inside line. There is just not enough time, it's porbably worst to go through the drive thru because they're is a timer on the top of and everyone starts shounting at you when it hits 30 secs or something. This is a stressful job you have to be either fast or neat and if you want neat say goodbye to your job, reason why I am no longer a sandwich maker. Good luck in trying to get a nice sandwich :)

COrealtor said...

I love how many comments I'm getting from ex-Wendy's employees who are sneaking around, leaving anonymous comments yet divulging all the details about what makes Wendy's such an awful place to work. Man, you guys have been hardened!

Anonymous said...

WEll i went to wendys and had and bit my burger ...began to chew and bit down on something...I spit it out and it was a PENNY!!!!!...WTH...where dey do dat at!!!

Anonymous said...

I work at Wendy's, and I am on sandwiches most of the time. I keep up to speed while making the sandwich neat. It's not a hard task. Practise and patience is all you. Instead of bashing the store ask for pickles on the side. And I'd like to see you go in and work a shift on sandwiches through a busy rush while the front coordinator and managers are on your ass. It's not as easy as some people think it is. Because customers come back and complain so then we have to make the burger again which only creates a shitty shift and a pissed off sandwich maker.

Anonymous said...

We don't put it in a "glob" we put it in a "w" shape, fucking idiot. I'd like to see YOU work fast food and then see if you'd still complain about pickles being in the middle of a sandwich (God forbid, right?) Then again, you're probably just a fucking fat bass who gets overpaid to sit at a computer all day.

Anonymous said...

I work at Wendy's right now, I can't make a sandwich for shit lol. I only been trained like 7 minutes total on the sandwich station. Honestly when I clean I make sure every spot is near spotless so cleaning in okay here. but the food, I never eat Wendy's food at all, The beef is old, I don't know the hold time for the beef but it stays out for a long time before they put it in the chili pile. The nuggets are sometimes old. Since I work the fries, they disgust me. The only think I order for myself at Wendy's is a frosty and the Value Menu chicken sandwich and a drink of course. Fuck me, I might be put on sandwiches today because some guy is leaving today. Once I leave this job at Wendy's, I am never going back to even eat!!!!

COrealtor said...

there's a secret society within Wendy's of disgruntled and overworked employees! although, we can't blame Wendy's - this exists in any organization, but thanks for all your comments

Learning said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Learning said...

I am having trouble making sandwiches and I am stressed out. I want to make the perfect sandwich but I am being rushed N and expected to get fries and drinks too.

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaha wtf. love it#

The Sandwich Guy said...

Yep doing sandwiches makes me angry as shit when it falls apart, there's no meat on the grill and nobody hears your cries for help.... you're running out of ingredients and you just drown in the orders. In the middle of everything you got people asking you which burger is which like holy shit do I look like god? This guy on drive wants 8 fucking burgers (custom) and I got 8 dudes in lobby... and the grill guy just looks at you with blood on his hands not doing shit saying "a minute and a half on meat".