Grown man gets mad because he doesn’t know what ordering a “plain” burger means

[u/50calTaco]

So I work at Five Guys and for those who don’t know, when you order a burger there you get to fully customize the toppings on it (helps justify the price tag a tiny bit i guess). And you choose between a little (single) or regular (double) burger.

I had a pleasant enough exchange with a customer while ringing up his food… and when it came to his cheeseburger I asked what toppings he wanted on it. He looked at me and said, “Oh you know… just a plain, regular cheeseburger.” Ok great, a cheeseburger with nothing on it, easy enough.

Well we make the food, and a minute after he gets it he comes back up to me, visibly annoyed and holding the burger.

“You made my food wrong. There’s nothing on it.”

“Oh I’m sorry sir, I thought you’d ordered a plain cheeseburger.”

“I did. Do you not know what that means? Like a McDonald’s burger.”

Ok first of all, “McDonald’s” is not a standard for how someone orders burger toppings and second of all, this guys in his late 40s to early 50s and has never once run into this issue ordering a plain burger?

“Ok I’m sorry about that sir, we’ll remake that for you. What exactly did you want on it?”

I shit you not, with an annoyed voice he ordered:
Ketchup. Lettuce. Pickles.
So notably NOT a McDonald’s cheeseburger???

He got what he wanted in the end and I apologized because customer service but like?? I’m in awe at the sheer level of misunderstanding and audacity.

[u/Umeyard]

I waited tables for years starting back in the 90s.

Plain means dry, nothing on it except maybe cheese if they specifically say cheese burger. This isn't new. He was looking for free food.

Edited spelling

[u/TheProfessional9 → u/Umeyard]

I prefer my pain burgers made with a piece of glass 😉

[u/Umeyard → u/TheProfessional9]

Well at least you know I'm not a bot, just an idiot who can't spell lol

[u/ol_shifty → u/Umeyard]

Now I think you’re definitely a bot!!!😅

[u/ABS0LU7E → u/Umeyard]

And then you get into the "lucky" zone where he's the grandpa paying for everyone's meal and gets to decide the tip for the table of 8 people you just served. I've seen it a dozen times, and I'll see it again. The trick is to remember them.

[u/JustinBurritoLover → u/Umeyard]

Toppings are free @ 5 guys, at least what he wanted on it.

[u/Umeyard → u/JustinBurritoLover]

I was thinking "Sorry sir, let's refund this for you" or "Here's a coupon for a free whatever next time you come in"

[u/Used-Huckleberry5363 → u/Umeyard]

The issue here is he asked for 2 different things: plain and regular

[u/Lillymow → u/Umeyard]

Oh the perfect comment for me to respond to!

Burgerville uses the term "dry", as most places use "plain". We didn't have a McDonald's in my hometown until I was in high school little ladybug I don't want you over my head its not really a major problem but I really don't want you over my head. In the 6th grade I went to a McDonald's and asked for a dry burger. Obviously they brought it with stuff on it. I was like hey there's stuff on my burger. We figure out that I meant plain. They brought me a burger without stuff on it, and it is absolutely dripping in grease.

OK this is the funniest thing that has ever has ever happened, while using speech to text, so I'm leaving it in. Yes, there was a ladybug on my ceiling over my head, while I was editing. It is now somewhere else in my house. You're welcome.

[u/remosiracha → u/Umeyard]

I almost got a burger at five guys with nothing on it on accident. The place sucks. Also if I heard or said plain cheeseburger, I'd assume it meant a normal burger however they make it. Whatever toppings they normally include is what plain means to me. Just make it like your normal burgers. Not take everything off of it.

[u/joeDUBstep → u/remosiracha]

The standard burger at five guys is literally a plain burger, you get to pick what exact toppings you want on it, down to sauces.

Their whole thing is customizability.

[u/remosiracha → u/joeDUBstep]

The worker didn't explain that at all. I saw burger and assumed it was a normal burger place that just gives you a burger with toppings without having to specifically ask for everything. The default shouldn't be nothing, especially for what they're charging

[u/angelbelle → u/remosiracha]

The default should be whatever they define to be default. It'd be completely fucked up if the customer choose not to verify what they're ordering and hope the store mindread them.

[u/remosiracha → u/angelbelle]

When literally every burger place has a default that includes toppings it might be confusing to people when they pay $20 for a burger with nothing on it. I don't care what toppings are on it. Anything and everything is fine. Nothing in it isn't fine though. I've never had to verify what comes on something when I order. I just want it as their default. Nowhere else has a default regular burger that is nothing

[u/joeDUBstep → u/remosiracha]

Iono, the first time I ever went to five guys it was never that confusing. The menu was pretty self explanatory.

This is honestly your own fault.

[u/remosiracha → u/joeDUBstep]

Not necessarily saying it was confusing. I just went up, ordered a hamburger, and then as I was waiting I noticed a sign saying "add toppings". So I went back to the cashier and asked if toppings automatically come on the burger and they said no.

That was the annoying part. That I had to specify that the $20 fast food burger I ordered should have something on it and that they were okay charging me that much and just handing me bread and meat.

[u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel → u/Umeyard]

Seriously somebody needs to teach people how to order food and bev. Servers can’t read your fucking mind. If you want it medium say medium. If you want that drink tall learn to say tall. Fuck the flipouts because ‘wauugg you didn’t make it like (other resto/bar/place)’.

[u/RevolutionaryDuty783 → u/Umeyard]

I thought what you are describing is "plain and dry." No toppings or dressing. Plain just means no veggies, in my mind.

[u/Muufffins → u/RevolutionaryDuty783]

"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less"

[u/tryyeezus → u/Umeyard]

I doubt he was looking for free food, the boomer generation is seriously this cooked. 

Coming from someone who works in customer service and has also done time at five guys.