Post # 168 - Whataburger: Whataboutaresponse - 7/2/2010

Pam, the Group Director, Communications, replied in the comment section on one of my Whataburger posts.  Her note is below, followed by our dialogue, which followed. ---------------------------
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Post # 124 - Whataburger Experiment: Whataboutanic...":


Stephan (Jerry),

I hope this note gets to you. I work for Whataburger and tried to respond to the previous post back in May, but apparently it did not post to your blog. Please e-mail me at ________or call me at 210-___-____. I will make sure you get an answer to any questions you may have. I apologize for the delayed response you have received so far.

Pam
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Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 7:45 PM

To: Pam C.
Subject: Whataburger Response

Pam,

Thanks for responding. I'm a realist. I understand that when company hire teens to deal with customers, they also hire all of the baggage that comes with being a teen. I'm not sure if that's what we experienced or not.

All I know is, that's what I think of now, when I think of Whataburger. We stopped at the same restaurant twice--once on the way down to Florida, and once on the way back. Very positive experience on the first stop--we had also been to one in Phoenix, so it wasn't our first time. Loved the way the menu was set up. The burger was very good. Restrooms were clean, tables were clean.

The second time was a different story--seeing her do that really rubbed us the wrong way and sent a bad message to my kids.

On top of all of that, no one ever responded, which made me feel that no one cares. Obviously you found my blog (or someone looking out for Whataburger found it). That actually impresses me. If the people reading and responding to email were only so engaged...

If it was a server thing where messages weren't being received, I can understand that, I guess. But each time, I received a confirmation, like the one attached. Otherwise, I really don't see an excuse for not responding.

I'm sorry if I seem overly sensitive about this.

Thanks,

Jerry
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From: Pam C.
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 08:22:34 -0500
Subject: RE: Whataburger Response

Jerry:

Thank you for giving us another chance to respond to your concern. Again, I apologize for the lack of response to your website inquiry. I will be looking into this and find out where the break-down occurred and correct it as soon as possible. We truly do want to hear from our customers and actually try to respond to inquiries that we receive within 48 hours of their submission.

To address the original question that you submitted in May, the team member who threw the French fries away should have simply let you and your family keep the fries and the salads. Our policy regarding a situation where an incorrect order is served, is to offer the food to the customer as well as the correct order. Due to food safety reasons, it cannot be served again. I’m sorry that the team members decision to throw the food away put into question the values you have taught your children. I can certainly understand how that would be frustrating.

I hope that you will give us another try and that we can work to earn your business and make up for any past mistakes. We appreciate you writing and letting us know about your experience. Our customer feedback is critical to us improving our operations.

If you have any additional questions, please just let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam C.
Pam C.
Group Director, Communications
Whataburger Restaurants LP
300 Concord Plaza
San Antonio, Texas 78216
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To: Pam C.

Subject: RE: Whataburger Response
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 20:39:45 -0400

Pam,

Thanks for your explanation. What you said makes sense for our situation, where the food was actually on our table.

In the case of a tray on the counter, I always assumed that a carton of fries is technically still not in "customer zone" and could therefore be placed back in purgatory for another customer. I've seen that happen at other establishments and thought nothing of it. I don't really know why I'm bringing that up. I pay attention to those kinds of things.

I see Whataburger does its share of Humanitarian work. That's good to see--it hits close to home in Michigan, where food banks are running out of food. As for what you can do to help me, there isn't much right now, since there are no Whataburgers in Michigan. I'll pass along your feedback though--it's only fair.

Thanks again!

Jerry

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Post # 124 - Whataburger Experiment: Whataboutanicenote - 3/13/2010

I recently had an odd experience in an Alabama Whataburger.  The cashier gave us fries that we did not order.  She delivered our salads, and took the fries from our trays and threw them out.  I sent a note questioning their policies.  I sent a second note.  And a third.  They're not answering.

So what if I send a nice note about a great visit, sent under an alias, from a different email address.  Will they answer then?
----------------------------------------------------
I sent this on 3/13/2010

Dear Whataburger,

I just wanted to convey a great experience that I enjoyed at your restaurant in Phoenix, AZ. I was fresh-off the plane, and raring’ to go for the Annual Saints and Sinners Train Club Expo. I was hungry and out of town.

I walked in Whataburger, and ordered a Chicken Sandwich and some fries. The sandwich was perfect, and the fries were tasty. Your servers were friendly. One elderly worker (the others in my section, and I called her “Mom”) sat with me and comforted me. She was on her break, and told me about her son who is far away. That weekend, I was her “son”. I came back five more times in two days. I’m a little sick of your Chicken Sandwiches. But I’ll never forget how welcome I felt at your restaurant.

Thanks Again,

Stephan Mariendo
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Conclusion: Not only does Whataburger throw out perfectly good fries, they don't read their customer feedback.

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Post # 110 - Whataburger Whatawasteoffood - 2-24-2010

This really happened on the way through Alabama.  It really did bug me, and not because I wanted the fries.

By the way, I live in Michigan, so there's not "one near me."  So they lie in their commercials too.
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Dear Whataburger,

My kids are young and impressionable. Norma is eight-years old. Capers is six years-old. We try to teach

them right from wrong.

• The Golden Rule.
• Penny saved is a penny earned.
• Better to give than receive.

A big rule in our household is “Waste not want not.” I’m sure my kids get tired of hearing about third world countries where little kids eat mud pies. It bears repeating--there are little kids in third world countries eating mud pies.

My wife, Norma and Capers were driving through Alabama to get to Florida. We stopped at one of your restaurants, because we don’t have them in lovely Michigan. Connie and I each ordered a “#1” with side salad instead of fries plus two kids’ meals.

As I dished out the food, I noticed that we were given fries instead of salads. No big deal--this happens often, in almost any restaurant. I was getting ready to walk over to the counter when the cashier walked over to our table with two side salads. She apologized. My wife said, “Do you want the fries?” She replied “yes please.”

The cashier then walked over to the waste basket, ten feet away, and threw all of those fries out. My wife and I looked at one another dumbfounded. Just then, Norma said, “Daddy—she wasted food. Doesn’t she know about the mud kids?”

Please understand—I’m trying to watch my waistline. I didn’t need the fries. But there are two principles in question here.

The first principle is that of food waste. When you’re a kid, who would you rather listen to? Your fuddy-duddy parents or the cool chick with the highlights and pierced lip? Not two days later, Capers is throwing out a plateful of spaghetti citing “the lady with the fish hook in her mouth.”

The second principle--your employee made Whataburger seem “cheap”. “If you want fries, you gotta pay, Bro.” Was she protecting for the possibility, that after our burgers and salads, we might still order fries?

Often in the food service industry, when an order is presented incorrectly, the server apologizes and says “just keep it—we’d have to throw it out anyway.” Sometimes they even go over the top and throw in a “enjoy it as a thank you for your continued loyalty.”  Everyone is happy—the minor inconvenience is replaced with a little bonus food.

I guess I’m wondering about the Whataburger Order Mistake Food Policy. What do you instruct your employees to do in this event? I could see putting the food back, if it hasn’t yet entered “Consumer Zone.”  Do you instruct your employees to grab it off of our trays and throw it in the garbage? Or worse, do you leave it up to the employee to decide, based on whether he or she “likes” us?

Either way, you left us with a bad taste in our mouths. And that taste wasn’t French Fry.

Sincerely,

Jerry

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Follow-up on 3/1/2010

Hi--I sent you an email on February 24th about an odd experience at one of your locations, and never heard anything back.

You might recall my story about a man and his midwestern value family, unwittingly exposed to food waste by the fishhook lady? Unordered fries thrown in the trash a mere ten feet from my impressionable kids' eyes and ears? Thou shalt not waste? Does any of this ring a bell?

I asked if you had a policy for unordered food (food on my tray that you gave me that I didn't order).

I see three possibilities:

1) You never received my email (even though your site said you did).

2) Your elves are in the workshop creating a policy because I've exposed a chink in the Whataburger Armor.

3) You don't have a policy, and aren't planning on answering me because I'm not a short car drive away.

Which one is it?

Thanks,

Jerry, Connie, Norma Jean and Capers
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Follow-up 3/8/2010

Dear Whatburger,

It’s been two weeks since I complained. I thought you could learn, grow, and improve as an organization. And not a single peep out of anyone there. But you were there when the wallet was out. How odd.

I send a follow-up, just in case. Not even the sound of a pin drop.

I realize I live outside of “Whataburger Territory”. Michigan has none.

Three things:

1) Restaurants in the south migrate north.

2) People in the north migrate south.

3) I have a really big mouth.

From this day forward, anytime the Whataburger name is uttered, I will squeal like a pig. I will climb the tallest mountain and share my tale with all. I’ve already converted a few loyalists.

You lost a customer for life.

Whatacrappyrestaurant

Jerry

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