Why are fast food places so damn stingy with condiments?

[LongCoolMother]

what is long john silvers? i think i heard my folks talk about that about when they used to live in missouri. here in california ive never heard of it. :\. anyway, as for condiments, usually around here, they leave them out for you to take yourself.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
what is long john silvers? i think i heard my folks talk about that about when they used to live in missouri. here in california ive never heard of it. :\. anyway, as for condiments, usually around here, they leave them out for you to take yourself.

Take the slummiest place you've ever been. Not just restaurants, but actual places. Then imagine 5 surly, illiterate employees frying frozen, tasteless fish.

There you have it.

Just my opinion, I've lived near the ocean most of my life, the idea of frozen seafood is hateful to me.

 

[beer]

Without a doubt more money goes into the packaging than the sauce for condiments. So, my question is why do they not increase the amount of volume within each packet? It't not like anyone uses only one, two, or three packets. It'd make much more sense if they were 3 times the size, so you could eat a meal with 2 or 3 packets, and not 6 or 10.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Elemental007
Without a doubt more money goes into the packaging than the sauce for condiments. So, my question is why do they not increase the amount of volume within each packet? It't not like anyone uses only one, two, or three packets. It'd make much more sense if they were 3 times the size, so you could eat a meal with 2 or 3 packets, and not 6 or 10.

That's a good idea, I don't understand their rationale.

 

[gooseman]

hell, here you don't get any condiments unless you specifically ask for them and then you have to check the bag to see if they actually put them in and they always give you 1 napkin. What the hell are you going to do with (1) napkin, blow your nose?

 

[stev0]

arbys is the worst here... 1 packet of horsey sauce per sandwhich? wtf is that, i need like 3 🙁

but taco bell gives you fire sauce when you ask for it >:-]

 

[Conky]

I think the real reason is that the people who work at those places are just too lazy. If they can short people all day on the drive thru they might get thru their shift without having to get off their butts and go open another case of ketchup or hot sauce packets.

Any manager trying to increase profit margins by shorting people on condiments needs a course in economics because nobody keeps buying from a place where they have to beg to get a packet of sauce for their taco.

Laziness is the real reason.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I think the real reason is that the people who work at those places are just too lazy. If they can short people all day on the drive thru they might get thru their shift without having to get off their butts and go open another case of ketchup or hot sauce packets.

Any manager trying to increase profit margins by shorting people on condiments needs a course in economics because nobody keeps buying from a place where they have to beg to get a packet of sauce for their taco.

Laziness is the real reason.

Uh, no.

The employees are going to have instructions on how many of whatever to hand out for whatever meals.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I think the real reason is that the people who work at those places are just too lazy. If they can short people all day on the drive thru they might get thru their shift without having to get off their butts and go open another case of ketchup or hot sauce packets.

No, they have to stock everything after their shift, so they have to get the boxes anyway. It's no more work.

...nobody keeps buying from a place where they have to beg to get a packet of sauce for their taco.

Yes, they do.

Laziness is the real reason.

No, it's not. It's economics. Multi-billion dollar companies don't make rules like that for no reason. A packet of chicken nugget sauce at McDonald's costs the store (well, when I worked there) $0.07. People want "A handful of sauce", which could be up to 7. That's $0.49 in pure loss. Not to mention those packets that the crew will take, that will be mysteriously broken, or that you have to trade to other stores.

Little things add up over millions of sales.

 

[sac19143]

Getting condiments really depend on the employees that work there. I was a night supervisor that worked at Jack In The Box when I was a lot younger and always give the customers whatever condiments they wanted for free. However, if you've met my manager during the day you pretty much have to beg for a ketchup packet. Unless you're the manager of the restuarant that has to watch the costs, I don't see why the peons at those places give a damn when you're making minimum wage.

 

[xSauronx]

bojangles charges extra for honey mustard sauce after the first pack or 2
bastards, all of em

 

[Mill]

I've never understood why people complain about condiments so much. If I have some cool if I don't have any then cool. I don't see the need to load up already unhealthy food with even more crap. The one exception to this is Arby's. I have to have one packet of Horsey Sauce, but it will work on two sandwiches.

 

[Actaeon]

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: tweakmm
They cut into the already thin profit margins.

Bingo.

They're free. Don't bitch. If you want more, tell them you will be happy to pay for them.

My not going back to the place will cut into their profit margins too. I see it as part of the price of the meal. It's like getting a half-filled drink.

Me too. They are starting to charge for water at someplaces now too. I went to a Burger King and ordered my meal with a water, I notcied $0.25 come up when he keyed in the water. I cancelled my order and left.

Oh God no! They charged you for the cup they gave you. Those bastards!!! FYI, the cups cost more than the liquid you put into them.


Lethal

Yes, water should be free. They used the small cheap plastic cups too, which they don't get charged for by the pop company.

Working at a Fast Food Kiosk in the mall, I HATE people who askes for cups of water. People just walk by, then ask for a cup of water without buying anything, then I have to go stop whatever I was doing, give them a cup of water, and they leave without thanks. I stopped that now. 25 cents + tax for those who don't purchase anything, but I hand it out for free for those who do purchase things. I can't stand cheap people who won't buy a real drink. What also gets on my nerves is, when we hand out cups of water, we hand out these foam cups. They don't come with a lid. I've had people constantly whine about getting a lid for it, I tell them they can buy a real cup for 25 cents or whatever, then they look at me like I'm crazy. Some people even asked for slices of lemon in there cup of water. Yeah Right!

/end rant

 

[Thoreau]

Originally posted by: crawford
They always give me handfuls of stuff at the drivethroughs here in Arizona.

No joke. Last time I went to taco bell and ordered a couple nacho superems and a chicken quesadilla, they gave me about 15 lbs. of hot sauce. I think there was more hot sauce than actual food.

 

[Thoreau]

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: tweakmm
They cut into the already thin profit margins.

Bingo.

They're free. Don't bitch. If you want more, tell them you will be happy to pay for them.

My not going back to the place will cut into their profit margins too. I see it as part of the price of the meal. It's like getting a half-filled drink.

Me too. They are starting to charge for water at someplaces now too. I went to a Burger King and ordered my meal with a water, I notcied $0.25 come up when he keyed in the water. I cancelled my order and left.

Oh God no! They charged you for the cup they gave you. Those bastards!!! FYI, the cups cost more than the liquid you put into them.


Lethal

Yes, water should be free. They used the small cheap plastic cups too, which they don't get charged for by the pop company.

Yet another advantage to Arizona... it is actually law that you can NOT refuse a person a drink of water (that includes free.)

 

[dabuddha]

The McDs up here in Silver Spring charges for extra sauces. Bastages!

 

[edro]

I LOVE McDonald's BBQ sauce. I have noticed that in the nice parts of town, McDonalds will give you as much BBQ sauce as you want, no matter what you order. (I use their BBQ sauce on fries, Bigmacs, burgers, nuggets, whatever 😀) In more poor neighborhoods, they say, "That is $.25 extra." I always ask for it after I pay, so it makes it a pain in the ass if want to charge me. If they do, I pay for it with a twenty or higher just to make it look more dramatic. 😀