It's time once again for another exciting installment of Oglebating, or as we call it at TLO headquarters: "The one where we are running out of famous and/or funny debate videos to put at the top of the post." By the end of the year, the only videos left to post will be some old Flashpoint clips of Burns Hargis and Mike Turpen arguing.
Last week, we tackled the subject of Megachurches, and, well, the overwhelming majority of you are going to hell. Not that we didn't know that beforehand.
This week, we've decided to debate something everyone can identify with: customer service! Who's worse: Braum's or Ted's Cafe Escondido? We'll make our cases after the jump.
Tony: Braum's
It cannot be true that every Braum's employee is either:
1. A disaffected high school kid who acts like he's getting paid by the scowl
or
2. A middle-aged woman who seems to think there is nothing she would rather do less than get you a hamburger and looks like she's spent the last 30 years on a smoke break.
It can't be true. Intellectually, I know this. And yet... Braum's. I'm not sure it's an exaggeration to say I've never gone in to Braum's and both seen a smiling face and had them get my order right. And that's to say nothing of the issue of the drive-thru, which is infuriating to wait in if there is more than say, I don't know, one car ahead of you. I estimate that I've spent approximately 3 1/2 hours of my life sitting in a Braum's drive-thru listening to Al Eschbach talk about radishes and beer.
I guess I should just be happy that they aren't putting bleach in my iced tea, but I just can't help that what I associate with Braum's is tasty ice cream and horrid customer service.
Marisa: Ted's Cafe Escondido
Okay, so I know a lot of people are confused as to why I would pick Ted's, but hear me out.
I, like everyone else in this state, love fake Mexican food. However, I hate waiting hours for it. So, when I have to make my way to the west side of Interstate Drive in Norman (no easy feat because the people who organized the city thought the location of the intersections and off ramps around the mall weren't important), I expect to get out of my car after a harrowing half-hour at the same intersection to be greeted by happy employees. This is never the case. I think all restaurants should hire a host that wants the job, not a 16-year old girl who needs money to pay for her french manicure. When a host tells me it will be at least 2 hours, I want there to be some sort of apology in her voice, not the brush off as she tries to put the next family 12 on the list.
To avoid this, I have no problem going to the bar. But wait, you can't get the full menu at the bar at Ted's, just nachos and quesadillas. If I wanted that, I would slather some tortillas with beans and top them with cheese and put them in the microwave.
I realize that Ted's is the sort of place that middle-class white people enjoy when they go out to eat. For anyone who has worked in the restaurant business, you probably hate it. It's not fair that those mindless automatons spouting HSRG-regulation waiter scripts get tips for functionally not interacting with the customers at all. "Hi guys, my name is ____ and I'll be taking care of you all today. Can I start you out with something to drink, maybe a perfect margarita or some of our sangria? And have you had a second to look over our appetizers menu? No? Well let me get those drinks working and I'll be right back."
I realize this doesn't bug most people and almost all chain restaurants do it. But if you're going to make me sit at a table, at least let the servers be real people. Or better yet, let me eat my damn dinner at the bar so I can at least be waited on by a bartender who most likely can sell me a dimebag behind the dumpsters when I'm done eating.
Tell us what you think! Who has the worst customer service?
