The video was posted to TikTok by Megan Grace (@megzy210803), who wrote: “Sometimes you just have to give them what they want.” It has amassed over 2 million views and more than 1,200 comments from viewers who couldn’t agree if the customer’s order was absurd or not.
“So, I keep coming through McDonald’s, and they keep getting this [order] wrong, so I need you to listen to me,” the customer purportedly said before placing their order. “I want a cheeseburger but with no cheese.”
In response, @megzy210803 said: “Of course, so a hamburger. Anything else?”
The customer accused @megzy210803 of not listening to them and reiterated that they “just [wanted] a cheeseburger” without the cheese. Of course, @megzy210803 tried to explain that a hamburger is, in fact, “a cheeseburger with no cheese.” She also said hamburgers were cheaper, but the customer wouldn’t hear it.
“I swear I get this every single time I come through,” the customer said. “I just want a cheeseburger without cheese. Can you understand me?”
TikToker @megzy210803 eventually gave up and rang the order in as a cheeseburger with no cheese, prompting confusion from the kitchen staff.
“That’s literally just a hamburger,” they said.
“Don’t even get me started,” @megzy210803 concluded.
Difficult Customers
TikToker @megzy210803 isn’t the first drive-thru employee who’s been forced to engage with a difficult customer. Last week, for example, another McDonald’s worker said she was berated by a customer over the price of their iced coffee. In June, a drive-thru worker got into a screaming match with a customer who was upset about wait times, and in February, a customer was filmed throwing their drink at a drive-thru employee.
Unfortunately, rude behavior has become commonplace within the restaurant industry. A survey conducted by Snagajob-Black Box in October found that 62 percent of restaurant employees have experienced “emotional abuse and disrespect from customers.” Further, Axios previously said “customer behavior” was largely to blame for the restaurant industry’s worker shortage.
Speaking to Insider last year, a Taco Bell drive-thru employee of 20 years said he finally quit his job because customers had become too difficult to deal with.
“Fast food is pretty much the only thing I’ve ever known,” he told Insider. He added that if customers hadn’t become “so unreasonable and angry,” then he “probably would’ve just kept doing what [he] was doing.”
Viewers React
TikToker @megzy210803’s video turned out to be a bit divisive. Some purported fast food workers called the customer’s order “frustrating” and vented about similar orders placed at their stores.
“I’ve had this before, and as the kitchen staff, I was also irritated,” K said.
“Nothing worse when working in fast food than when you offer a cheaper way to enter the food but they insist you put it their way,” Alligator Loki wrote.
“This happens at my work it’s frustrating,” Grave added.
Others, however, defended the customer.
“Yeah but the hamburgers and [plain] cheeseburgers are different,” daisie said. “They taste different.”
“I swear though, a hamburger and a cheeseburger without cheese taste different,” samworby agreed.
“I order this because the hamburgers come with stuff inside too,” Courtney commented.
Newsweek reached out to @megzy210803 for comment.
