Our geezer list doesn’t have any priority gripes. Whenever something goes awry, that particular gripe is priority for that day.
For example, today’s priority gripe is this: When we order beef stew at a well-known country restaurant, is it too much to ask for it to have beef in it? Where’s the beef?
If we order chicken and dumplings, we want chicken in it. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to serve these dishes just like the menu depicts them. If the food was pictured in the menu like it is really served, we wouldn’t complain. Who takes these pictures? The menu pictures sure aren’t a life-like photo of the actual food served.
Does McDonald’s have a maintenance guy? Almost all of the little round tables at a local store wobble to and fro. Most of them have napkins stuck under the legs to level them. Many of us old geezers have spilled our coffee more than once on those rockin’ tables. Please level the tables. We’re getting too old for rock ’n’ roll.
Is it really that difficult for the McDonald’s south of LeSourdsville to empty the trash bins and clean up the area where the self-serve drinks are located? There is almost always a mess on that counter and trash bins are overflowing.
Some of us seniors have seen it like this long after the lunch crowd has left and the room is nearly deserted. One day we observed everyone was leaving their trays on the tables — because all the trash bins were overflowing! They need to take lessons from the ladies who clean up at the Middletown McDonald’s.
When some restaurant employees bus the tables, why do they use the same cloth to wipe off the seats as they do on the table tops? Are they taught to do that? When folks are eating, it is not the time to use a broom to stir up dust around their food. Using a strong-odor Clorox spray bottle to clean tables is also very unappetizing to a patron.
Why do some restaurants charge extra for tartar sauce and others do not? Is it really worth losing a customer by charging 25 cents for extra tartar sauce? We want it our way.
Why do some McDonald’s insist on adding sweeteners and cream to patrons’ coffee, rather than setting out the condiments for customers to add their own? Is there really that much being stolen? Is it really worth it to upset customers and lose their business over a few cents? Why not just charge a nickel more for the coffee and set the sugar and creamers out for us to use?
Why do some fast-food restaurants play background music that is just plain annoying? Please use “easy-listening” music, not hard rock that hurts our ears and ruins our dining experience.
Could we have fresh and hot french fries? We don’t want warm-overs or cold fries. We hate to find those hard, shrivelled-up, refried fries that look like something from the bottom of a bait bucket.
Why does cold air come out of the vents in the middle of winter? We want to be toasty while we’re eating. That cold air also cools down our food too much and too quickly.
Why are the salt and pepper shakers on the tables sticky and dirty? Where’s the Germ-X? And sticky tables are even worse.
Last, but not least: When you work with the public, please learn how to smile and say, “Welcome, may I please help you?” And please remember to say, “Thank you for coming.” Is that too much to ask?
Clara Peller’s “Where’s the beef?” campaign helped increase Wendy’s annual revenue by 31 percent. The campaign also made Mrs. Peller a television star and led to licensing deals for “Where’s the beef?” T-shirts, coffee mugs and beach towels. The phrase even made it into the 1984 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Walter F. Mondale used it to suggest a lack of substance in proposals advanced by his chief rival, Gary Hart.
Perhaps all of us old geezers should start wearing “Where’s the beef?” T-shirts to be easily recognized. Nah. They know who we are.
Frank Frisch is a retired Middletown resident.