"customer satisfaction" news and stories

There's a running joke in the Cary Grant-Doris Day film That Touch of Mink (1962), about how much mischief the folks from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, are willing to get up to. In a word, not much. Seems contemporary Sandusky residents are a lot more cranky and aggressive than in Doris's day.

At a Sandusky-area McDonald's, cops had to be called in when customer Robert Quillen got ticked off about what he claimed were less-than-fresh french fries, says a report from the Sandusky Register. Quillen refused to leave until he got better fries, and threw some choice words at the Mickey D's employee who disagreed with him but offered to refund his money. Nope, nothing doing: This dude wanted hot fries for his wife, who was waiting for him in the car.

Quillen claimed another employee went after him with a mop, but no charges were filed because, says the Register, there were conflicting reports. Mrs. Quillen, it seems, went fry-free that day.

Which reminds us of a classic MADtv moment, with comedienne Anjelah Johnson as sassy "King Burger" employee Bon Qui Qui, who believes the customer is always wrong. Check out this YouTube video.

Ever wonder what happens when people find fault with a fast-food joint? Kyla Jones considers herself a reasonable person. As someone who has worked in customer service, she knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of an unwarranted phone tirade. Still, after receiving shoddy treatment from a KFC manager in Columbus, Ohio, she didn't hesitate to call the company's hot line to lodge a complaint.

In 2008, Jones and a companion began eating dinner around 8:30 p.m. at a KFC restaurant that closed at 9. Within ten minutes, they were approached brusquely by a manager and asked to leave without being allowed to finish their meals.

"We're closing in ten minutes, you have to go," Jones recalls him saying. "Do you want a box to put it in?" "He was just really abrupt and acting like us being there was a huge inconvenience," the 48-year-old continues. "Nothing like, 'I hope you're enjoying the food, but our employees need to go.' I sat there like a stunned deer in the headlights."