[tooki]

OK, so maybe you guys can either confirm that I'm not crazy, or explain to me what I am missing.

I live across the street from a mom-and-pop pizza shop that makes the best pizzas in town. (It's a college town, so pizza shops abound.) Anyway, when I call ahead to get a pizza, they ask "pick up or delivery". If I've simply said "I want to place an order", that question is reasonable.

Here's where it gets maddening: If I call and say "I want to place a carry out order", they STILL ask "Pick up or delivery?". Same if I say "take out" or "to go". Am I crazy, or are "carry out" and "take out" and "to go" all phrases that mean "the customer will come and physically fetch the food from the restaurant, and he is calling so it will be ready by the time he arrives"?

At least one time, the conversation was like this: "Hi, I'd like to place a take out order." - "Pick up or delivery?" - "I just told you." - "Do you want pick up or delivery?" - "I just told you: carry out" - "Pick up or delivery?" ...

Last night, it was: "Hi, I'd like to place a carry out order." - "Pick up or delivery?" - "Carry out means 'pick up', so does 'take out'." - "Pick up or delivery?" - "Pick up... you know what? Never mind," and I hung up. I didn't want them "accidentally" dropping the pizza dough on the floor before making my food. (I called from my cell, so it doesn't have caller ID by name, yet.)

It feels as bad as dealing with tech support in India.

Am I being too sensitive? Is it too much to ask that I not have to learn the village idiot's code phrase before I can order food? Or is there something I am missing? Is there any point in asking to talk to the owner about it?

tooki

[rjenkinson]

if you spent your days asking the same questions over and over again, you'd have habits too.

-r.

[Judge_Fire]

Uh, I'm confused - did you want pick up or delivery?

J

[MindFad]

I think you're being a little sensitive, yes. No use getting worked up over something like that. Cater to the idiocy and just state "I'd like to place an order for pickup" from now on. Maybe they were busy and he didn't have time to process that clear statement of yours, or it's just a workplace habit.

[tooki]

How can they not understand "carry out"? It's not that they didn't hear me. The guy just absolutely refuses to accept ANY phrase other than "pick up".

The problem is, I can't remember, when I am starving and just want a freaking pizza, what their magic code word is. Is it "carry out"? Or is it "take out"? Or maybe "to go"?

tooki

[RAILhead]

Why don't you just say "pick up" and eat your farking pizza?

[Kerrigan]

It's probably those damn Mexicans pretending to be Italians, can't understand a word of English

[TETENAL]

I don't know whether the personnel in the pizza shop are native English speakers or not, but I'm not, and I can tell you the I can't tell whether "carry out" means pick up or delivery. Do you want to carry out the pizza or is the pizza shop supposed to carry out the pizza?
When asked for clarification why not simply reply with "pick up"? Seems like less effort than being a dick actually.

[FeLiZeCaT]

I think you are way too insensitive.

Working at a job where you have to repeat the same task is not only overwhelming, but it is also mind numbing.

Say "pick up" and take a number. Breathe in, breathe out, count to 5, and repeat, telling yourself you are not crazy, but the world around you is.

I mean it.

[Chuckit]

It's also possible they're required to ask that. Some places have really inane requirements on how employees have to talk to customers (hence the signs at theaters where you get a free soda if they didn't offer you a combo or whatever).

[FeLiZeCaT]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

It's also possible they're required to ask that. Some places have really inane requirements on how employees have to talk to customers (hence the signs at theaters where you get a free soda if they didn't offer you a combo or whatever).

True.

Some places have to have a script provided to clients and there is no way to get around it or the quality department gets all angry about about failure to comply to corporate policy.

Some jobs are just not paid enough for that kind of crap.

Just say "I'd like to place an order for pick up" and be done with it. You are calling them idiots, but after several times, it didn't even occur to you to say "pick up" instead of "carry out"? I've never heard someone say "Carry out" except in grocery stores where old people ask employees to carry the groceries to their car.

[Zeeb]

They have to repeat the same phrases and ask the same questions several times a day. It doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. Einstein himself would probably ask if you'd like pick up or delivery without listening if he worked there long enough.

Definately don't bring it up with the manager/owner. If you do, it will just make you look like a hot head and food workers are notorious for putting their own special spices into the food of people they want to get even with.

How about this, the next time you place your order don't tell them before they ask if you'd like to pick up your food.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by tooki

The problem is, I can't remember, when I am starving and just want a freaking pizza, what their magic code word is. Is it "carry out"? Or is it "take out"? Or maybe "to go"?

tooki

It's Di Giorno!

Originally Posted by tooki

How can they not understand "carry out"? It's not that they didn't hear me. The guy just absolutely refuses to accept ANY phrase other than "pick up".

Have you tried banning him?

[tooki]

The point of this thread was why are people so idiotic? I shouldn't have to use their special code phrase to get a freaking pizza. It's a mom and pop shop, not a chain, which is why it seems unlikely to me that there's a corporate overlord proscribing the wording they must use on calls.

(Yes, the owners are native English speakers.)

tooki

[RAILhead]

But....you're whining because YOU want THEM to use YOUR "special code."

[rjenkinson]

the bottom line is that you can't act like a forum moderator when you are ordering pizza in the real world.

-r.

[chris v]

Maybe they're just trying to be clear, you know, to give you what you want. Verification. Their bosses may have actually instructed them to speak from a script, and they'll get in trouble if they vary from it.

Or, maybe they ARE idiots, but why should this upset you, and cause you to give them a hard time, and take out your bad mood on them? Even if they're not the sharpest knife in the kitchen, do they really deserve your condescension? Think about it -- you being rude to them on the phone is really kind of mean-spirited. Maybe they're working in a pizza joint because they're just not King Of The World material. Give them a break.

I think if this is the kind of thing that gets your dander up at all that maybe you're wound a tad too tight. Deep breath. Relax. Worry about things that are important, and shrug your shoulders at the pizza phone people. They're not doing anything to you other than trying to get your order right.

[MindFad]

Originally Posted by rjenkinson

the bottom line is that you can't act like a forum moderator when you are ordering pizza in the real world.

-r.

He speaks the truth.

[dillerX]

I bet it's Ca$h on the other end.

[slugslugslug]

You know, interestingly enough, if I hear "take out", "to go", or "carry out", it makes me think of going to the restaurant, placing the order in person, and then waiting around until it's ready to take home. Only "pick up", to me, means placing the order ahead of time and then showing up to get it.

Regardless of all that, though, I would think English speakers could infer what you mean from one of the other phrases. But I don't think the fact that they don't is sufficient evidence to rule them idiots. You should get to know them, hang out, have some drinks together, then casually administer some IQ tests.

[Yose]

I understand your frustration. Understanding/using a language requires a certain level of deductive thought. From the sounds of it these people aren't trying, are too tired, or aren't able to make that connection between the meanings.. maybe it's really stresseful there.

[loki74]

okay, the repetitive task thing is reasonable at first, but when they ask you two or more times and you reply, they should be willing to go with "carry out" "take out" or what have you.

as a merchant, they should strive to be as flexible to you as possible. As you pointed out, there are many other places you could take your business. If they're going to be so rigid about their terminology, then they should expect to annoy people

but if the pizzas that good, really this aint a big deal. I mean, if I just got done with a long day at work, and I had to deal modding this place, and I just wanted a really good pizza..... I'd just tell them what they want to hear. Clearly they're stupid. When dealing with stupid people, it is sometimes necessary to lower yourself to that stupidity, because they cannot raise themselves about it--they're stupid for that reason, no?

and if we want to be more technical, slugslugslug is totally right--there is a very slight difference in the terminology. Carry out, take out, etc would not be transactions done over the phone, and this may be the source of your grief... unlikely, but quite possible.

[OB1]

Originally Posted by tooki

Am I being too sensitive? Is it too much to ask that I not have to learn the village idiot's code phrase before I can order food? Or is there something I am missing? Is there any point in asking to talk to the owner about it?

tooki

So, you wouldn't deal with them because you refuse to use their "village idiot's code phrase" and they wouldn't deal with you because they refuse to use your village idiot's code phrase.

This is nothing more than childish belligerence on your part. Still hungry?

Just how do we deal with idiocy on this level?

[Targon]

----

[Targon]

Its pizza store not a goods and receivables depot in a computer store. I think you were being a difficult t-w-a-t (objectionable?) an making more confusion than necessary....why didn't u just say 'pick up' ? instead f trying to be a smart ass and breaking the pizza stores code of conduct.

When you order a computer part and they ask "shall we ship this to you or will you be coming in to pick it up", and you reply "ill have take away thanks'. Id imagine they'd be rolling their eyes.

[Salty]

Honestly... I'd just get used to it and start saying pick up. I mean if the pizza's that good... who cares if the people are dumb? That said carry out just sounds weird to me.

[Targon]

no soup for you, you banned.....1 year

[macroy]

Sounds like they know exactly what's being said. And they're just seeing through it all..... It probably started out as a habit, then they realized that the person on the other side is being a tightass over it.... and decided to piss you off even more. End result, they get a laugh over it (remember, they'er taking phone orders for pizza) move on... and you're still hungry.

Not to be so harsh. But if things were turned around, there would be a post about some "idiot" who always order pizza and insits that its carryout, not pick-up.

Just out of curiosity - is this near JHU? My wife went there.. and there was a really good pizza place right downstairs from her apartment. It actually burned down once, but then rebuilt (I think... or maybe its no longer there).

[chris v]

Originally Posted by OB1

So, you wouldn't deal with them because you refuse to use their "village idiot's code phrase" and they wouldn't deal with you because they refuse to use your village idiot's code phrase.

Put this way, the idiocy seems mutual, doesn't it?

[Cody Dawg]

It's simple: English is their second language.

The owner or manager taught them two phrases: "Pick Up" and "Delivery."



I agree by the way. Everyone has those pet peeves. I DESPISE it when I'm at a restaurant and someone in my group (could even be my husband or kids - and then I correct them with glee) says, "Can I GET some ketchup?" Or whatever condiment that they need or want. It should be, "Can I HAVE some ketchup?" Can I GET something means, "Can I get up and get it myself?"

[Kerrigan]

I always order food in the majestic plural to put servers in their place.

"Yes, We think this taco is very good. Could you refill Our Coke? We will not stand for such idiocy"

[willed]

Build a bridge. Get over it.



Heh, just kidding, I guess it can be frustrating, but compared to genocide in Darfur and famine in Aftrica it's not that big a deal...

[Zeeb]

Originally Posted by tooki

The point of this thread was why are people so idiotic? I shouldn't have to use their special code phrase to get a freaking pizza. It's a mom and pop shop, not a chain, which is why it seems unlikely to me that there's a corporate overlord proscribing the wording they must use on calls.

(Yes, the owners are native English speakers.)

tooki

I can understand what you're getting at though. In a more general sense, in any customer service setting even when you get an actual person rather than some type of automated service--sometimes its as if you're still talking to a machine. Like everyone, I've had to call my phone company, internet provider, restaurant etc and its like the people on the other end are trying to be more machine like.

A friend of mine found a way to snap people back to consciousness. What you've got to do is say something that they are not expecting that there isn't an automated response for--like something that has nothing to do with whatever you're calling about. In a busy pizza place that you order from all the time, ask for the person's name and then introduce yourself--that's it. Then place your order. Then next time you order and you get the same person, say "Hello, Mike". Now that you their name they might start listening to you. maybe that will work.

[tooki]

Perhaps it's a regional thing, but around here, "carry out" and "take out" are the normal phrases for "where the customer places (over the phone or in person) an order ahead of time, to be fetched by the customer". Like, the Chinese carry out restaurants call themselves "Chinese Take Out". I've ordered from tons of other places using those phrases, with no hassle, even from people who aren't native English speakers. (Just to make sure I'm not making things up in my mind, I just looked at the menus on my fridge: all of them mention "carry out" or "take out".)

The reason I keep referring to their 'idiotic' code word is twofold: 1) they respond only to that specific word, and no synonyms, and 2) the word they chose is not the common one.

When I am starved out of my gourd and not thinking straight (which is usually the only time I get pizza), I can't remember which ONE word they respond to, so I make a guess (using a common phrase that comes to mind) to try and expedite the order, and it's uber-frustrating that they can't respond to an equivalent synonym, and instead delay my order until I use their special magic word.

I'm not making a special attempt to piss off the people there, I am simply trying to get my freaking pizza sooner by including the nature of my order right in the statement that i want an order. I can just never remember what their magic secret code word is, and I invariably get it wrong. It's the fact that they refuse to respond to an equivalent (and more common) synonym that gets my goat.

@ Cody: The people at the pizza joint are native English speakers. It's a local, family-owned place run by white-bread locals.

@ Macroy: in my futile attempt to remember what their code-word for take out is, I have tried "carry out" and "take out", I think. "Pick up" is not a term normally used to refer to take-out food, so I never remember that that's it.

@ Macroy: no, by UMBC

@ Macroy: there was no 'habit' for them to form. I don't order enough (and certainly haven't made a fuss enough) for them to realize. The "pick up" rigidity has been from the very beginning, from the very first call. They basically will not allow the call to progress in any way until you've verbally pressed the "pick up" or "delivery" button.


But yeah, Zeeb hit the nail on the head: when I talk to a human, I don't expect machine-like rigidity. I would never dream of refusing to hear what a client wants to tell me until they called the mouse's moving arrow the "pointer" and not "cursor". (Real example: I always refer to "display" [not 'monitor'] and "graphics card" [not 'video card'], since both 'monitor' and 'video card' can each refer to several things aside from the most common meaning. But if a client calls it a monitor, I'm not going to complain or correct her.)

@ Everyone who made bad jokes about "you can't be a moderator in real life": I'm not a moderator in real life. You guys who think I'm a jackass because I do my job here of keeping order probably complain when the police do stuff, too?

tooki

[analogika]

Tooki,

has it occurred to you that they take enough orders over the phone to know to make sure that YOU aren't a complete idiot?

You're assuming that they have their question routine because they don't know what "carry out" means (to be honest, the term is ambiguous at best, and dealing with a non-native speaker, I'd almost expect "carry out" to mean "delivery").

Time to assume that they break it down to bonehead level because often enough, it's the CUSTOMER who's the complete idiot.

Whenever there's a misunderstanding, take a guess who gets angry, and who gets shafted in the name of "customer satisfaction"?

The way it looks from their side, you were just another asshole customer, and they couldn't care less.

You reinforced their policy, and justified their attitude.

[tooki]

Originally Posted by analogika

You're assuming that they have their question routine because they don't know what "carry out" means (to be honest, the term is ambiguous at best, and dealing with a non-native speaker, I'd almost expect "carry out" to mean "delivery").

"Carry out" NEVER means "delivery", at least in the United States. "Carry out" and "take out" both mean that the customer will come and fetch the food. It's what those phrases mean.

I have also said repeatedly that the people in question are ALL American, native speakers of English. They are neither Italian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or Mexican, though the restaurants owned by all those peoples do understand "to go", "take out" and "carry out" without question.

"Pick up" is simply a term I've never encountered at any other take-out, regardless of ethnicity of the food and/or owners, and it's that much more bizarre that they insist on it.

If the problem is idiot customers who say "carry out" when they mean "delivery" or "dine in", then the restaurant needs to learn a better way to deal with it than to act like a machine. Making your customers angry is stupid.

tooki

[ghporter]

You didn't follow their script. Phone answerers usually have a script that they're trained (sometimes harshly) to follow to the letter without exception or variation. They MUST ask "pick up or delivery" because they are told they'll have "serious consequences" if they digress from the script.

Now that doesn't mean that sometimes (maybe most times) they don't think about what you say when you first start talking-not at all! It does mean that not all "idiotic-sounding" phone answerers are as idiotic as they sound.

[OB1]

Hang on.

Did you say you lived across the street from this place? Bloody hell! You need to be nice to these people! First name terms, bottle of wine for them at Christmas, all that stuff... Great pizza AND across the street?! You don't know your luck!

If you're nice, you'll be in pizza heaven, extra pickles in with your pizza and everything. I'll bet they'll even start bringing it over to you when you phone your order in. Or maybe you'll start going over to order in person, because then you can have a chat and catch up with everyone there while they're making it.

Unless "Across the street" is American for across town, if that's the case, I could be in for a good telling off for getting the lingo wrong.

[Kerrigan]

I lived across a kebab house and ordered from them several times a week for two years and all they gave me was a free can of pepsi once!

[loki74]

you people should try working for a doctor's office, calling insurance companies on behalf of the patient. They each have their own proprietary set of terms and inner workings, and sometimes the operator doesn't know them himself. Talk about a headache!

...its just for a pizza, dude. Clearly they're unwilling to change, so if you want the pizza, just go with it. Really, its such a small thing... if you forget their term and use the wrong one, okay, they'll ask you again--then you'll know their term because they will have just said it. If it really is that big a deal to you, then just take your business elsewhere.

Your frustration is understandable, and they should be able and willing to adapt to the customer (within reason, which I feel this is), but it is such a minor point... there are some things ya just have to live with, y'know?

[Cody Dawg]

I'm really nice to my local pizza dudes. Give 'em big tips and remember 'em at the holidays and guess what? It DOES pay off. There's a Pizza Hut (I order normally from a family run local Italian place for pizza but my kids do love Pizza Hut pizza) in Jupiter Florida and there is an AWESOME guy there named Sam. I've always liked Sam and vice versa. Well, guess what? When the hurricanes hit here the year before last we had no power, no food, nothing...but Sam and Pizza Hut did. Do you know, that guy found out that we were in a bind and he sent us three or four pizzas for free? He insisted! He's simply a A-plus human being. Sam wouldn't give a flying hoot whether you said pick-up, or carry-out, or take-out, or even alien pick-up, either.

[Targon]

I bet you say "Sound Card" !

[olePigeon]

Next time when they ask, "Pickup or delivery" just say, "Yes, please."

[Targon]

How many times have you called this pizza place to place an order? i bet every other time you said "pick up" so you know their system, why try to be different this time?

You American's have a habit of changing things to be different and to suit yourselves for what ever reason.

Example the periodic table of elements entry 13 is Aluminium, for reasons unbeknown to the rest of the world you insist on pronouncing and spelling it as Aluminum. Maybe you guys have some kind of pronunciation retardation which you disguise as trying to be clever or sophisticated ...i don't know.

Every country (not usa) i've ever been to and lived in use the 'pick up or delivery' system. Never heard 'carry out' used.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Targon

You American's have a habit of changing things to be different and to suit yourselves for what ever reason.

Funny, I was going to say the same thing about Europeans and their use of the apostrophe.

[::maroma::]

I must say, I encounter this type of idiocy (no matter how small or insignificant it may seem) every single day in multiple ways. And if I pay attention to it all, I would go postal in no time. Thats the truth. I have to actually force myself to ignore it all, and to "work with" the idiocy. Meaning, if I were in your situation (and I have been), I would just have to take the advice that people in this thread have already offered and just conform to the pizza people's moronic ways. I would just say "I'd like to place an order for pick up" or whatever it is those Pavlov's Dogs understand.

I know it seems like common sense to you (and me) to just realize that "carry out" is exactly the same thing as "pick up" in that context. But as my grandma would tell me when I would freak out about stuff like that, "Common sense isn't all that common."

But I've realized that I must ignore this kind of idiocy. I know its there. I know our society is just saturated with it. But if I pay attention to it all, I'll go insane. Literally.

Also, smoking some pot helps.

[Targon]

erm a grammatical error is more accurate.

[Targon]

Im starting to see a pattern now as to the subtle variances of everyday life which truly effect some Americans in such profound ways, which can lead to violent crazed slaying of innocent bystanders in shopping malls with semi-automatic guns.

I honestly am baffled as to how and why you'd spend so much time formulating this insignificant topic. :shocked: haha

[Gossamer]

I too enjoy picturing myself faaaar above all those that I come in contact with during the day. It is such a chore to put up with 'normal' people, I have to try really hard, but I'm a saint for doing it.