It makes me wonder...

Lest you think I spend all my time waxing nostalgic and perusing my memories, let me share a more recent situation that gives me pause.

On my way to work last week, I stopped at the Wendy's drive-thru to get a start-my-day fueling. I have friends associated with McDonald's, so I want to address this choice. I moved to Wendy's because both McDonald's and Sonic have chosen to do away with any cinnamon-baked offerings for breakfast. As I still eat like a 14-year-old, (it takes only one look at me to see this is a true statement), I moved to Wendy's because they have Cinnabon pull aparts. I digress.

So, I ordered my sausage biscuit, my aforementioned pull apart, and a large Coke with light ice. Don't judge me.

I went through the payment process and moved to the delivery window without incident. I received my beverage and a bag and pulled away. First mistake. I didn't check the contents of said bag.

Still in the parking lot, my intuition told me the weight of the bag was off. This speaks to the frequency of these transactions. I know how much the bag should weigh.

On review, I did NOT have a sausage biscuit, nor a pull apart. Rather, I had a breakfast burrito, ripe with ingredients that loom perilously close to healthy for my fragile constitution.

I pulled back to the speaker and was greeted and instructed to pull forward. This is when it got interesting.

On arriving at the payment window, the attendant was confused, as there was no transaction on her screen. She opened the window and I explained that I was instructed to pull forward, my order was incorrect. She asked what was wrong. I told her I had ordered a sausage biscuit and pull apart and had received a breakfast burrito.

Her response was, "breakfast burritos are good."

I am confident my face expressed my dismay. She didn't say anything else. She just looked at me like, "I said those are good - you should take it and move on."

After what felt like an inappropriate period of time, I sheepishly responded, holding the bag out to her, "but, I didn't order it."

She waved her hand forward dismissively and said, "go to the next window." Her disdain was even more apparent than my confusion.

On arriving at the second window, I can only assume that the staff had utilized their space age communication system to share that I was coming. "You have an idiot pulling in." I am confident that's what she said.

I know this because when the second window opened, the attendant leaned out the window to me and asked what was up. I again conveyed that the order placed was for a sausage biscuit and a pull apart and had received a breakfast burrito.

Her response: "those are good."

There is NO WAY they both share that sentiment without conspiring. No way.

Now I was emboldened. There was a conspiracy going on here and I wasn't going to fall for it. But she doubled down. "You know breakfast burritos cost more. You are coming out ahead."

I confess, I was given pause. Not so much by the value factor, as the case that was being built. This is what makes me wonder.

I had no idea that there was an option where you just pull in and the order received is a mystery that you should be satisfied with. Recognize the food is good, maybe the value is better than expected, be grateful they opened the window. I just didn't know.

I was completely ignorant of the concept that I could just provide a service and distribute whatever was convenient or readily available and the consumer should be appreciative. I am weighing how I can use this business model in my current theatre culture.

For the record, they gave me the food I ordered, and even told me to keep the breakfast burrito, as they couldn't take it back. I didn't eat it. That said, sharing this story with Joy, the next time I went through Wendy's for breakfast, Joy was with me and she took the plunge - she ordered the breakfast burrito. Much to my chagrin, she didn't finish it and didn't share the enthusiasm for the burrito the employees had expressed. I was saddened to realize I had paid for that burrito. They're more expensive you know.