cblaisd

When I go through the drive-through at McDonalds* these days for my breakfast fix, I am invariably greeted with "Would you like to try one of our trout-flavored, nutmeg-infused, foopadooparinos this morning?" Same with Starbucks.*

The last two times when I got to the pay-window I asked the employee "Does anyone every say 'Yes'"? Both of them said, "No, never. They make us do this."

What bright marketer thought it was a good idea to annoy your customers who are generally in a drive-through because they know exactly what they want already?

In related news, the Pizza Hut* delivery guy has a new script:

"How are you this evening?"

"Fine"

"That's great - and it's about to get even greater" -- said in that breathless, faux-earnest voice of a second-rate corporate retreat "facilitator" -- "because.... your pizza is here."

*Please discuss your horror at my lack of taste elsewhere. Thanks.

stevechin

I usually ignore the half-garbled "would you like to try our new fruud...bzzt...sturmisd...bzzt...burger today?"

One day though, I went to McDonalds specifically to try a new smothie, and I even had a dollar off coupon. The drive thru greeting asked about trying their new fruit smoothie. So I said, "Hmmm...well, ok...sure I'll try one!"

I think that was the only time the greeting ever coincided with what I ordered.

cblaisd

I suspect that they play a recording of that every morning at McDonalds University as motivation. "See, it does happen...!"

wsucougarchick05

I actually have a few times.

Our local fast-food chain has a monthly & seasonal menu and every so often, they have something that's intriguing (a pulled pork sandwich with cherry bbq sauce & the Yukon & White Bean Basil Burger are two that come to mind immediately). Then there are the annual favorites/traditions...Walla Walla Sweet Onion Rings & Strawberry Shortcake.

deubster

My usual response, "Only if they're free."

But yes, I specifically went to McD's with a coupon for a FREE smoothie when they asked me if I wanted to try their new smoothies. Otherwise, no.

GregWTravels

I used to work at McDonald's (and with the way the job market is nowadays, perhaps will again). I can confirm that yes, there are actually people who agree to the upsell. It isn't that often - maybe one out of every 50 or 1 out of every 100 - but it does happen. The more frequently accepted offer is the "would you like to make that a large?"

The real reason why the staff say it, of course, is because their performance reviews mark whether or not you try and upsell. Performance ratings = pay.

dchristiva

I've said "yes" to trying some new craft beers when invited by my server at some local watering holes. And I've taken them up on some seasonal appetizers I've been offered, too. I guess the difference is that they aren't "mass-marketed" products like at McDonald's or Starbucks. I can't think of a time when I've said "yes" to any of those products.

swag

Well, even if I'm sure I want a Sausage McMuffin, and stick with that, they have still raised awareness of the new item, and maybe tomorrow I'll get the trout-flavored, nutmeg-infused, foopadooparino.

gomezjan

I say yes everytime. How can I say NO to an awesome offer like that?

4now

This ploy is to get your mind off of what you came for, and get it to consider buying ANYTHING additional! Every retailer knows this. No matter how insincerely the question may be asked; at the end of the day there will usually be more money in the till if the question is asked every time.

Would you like smilies with that?

SkeptiCallie

[QUOTE]
Different strokes. . . .

In my mind I'd envision the following scenario:

"And yours is about to become much worse!"

Then I would morph into a triple black belt karate expert, grab the pizza box, and crumple it onto the cheerful delivery person's head

Of course, then he'd get the pizza. But that's life. . . .

jcwoman

When I was a teenager, I worked in fast food. I hated the upselling requirement too. More than once after I asked a customer if he'd like cheese with that (or whatever), he would reply very belligerently: "If I wanted cheese, i would have said so!"

I do appreciate and share the attitude, however didn't appreciate being on the blunt end of their hammers. I very much wished the higher management marketer who dictated the policy was there to hear how I was annoying customers. To this day my mind boggles at many marketing practices. Seems to me they go after the 1% of people who fall for the upsell and ignore the 10% who get ticked off and never return.

thegeneral

Someone does. It's why they ask it. It's also why I don't go to Walgreens. At that business, they offer you the item of the day for free if the cashier doesn't offer it. Drives me nuts. It's like spam. You know that someone is buying the stuff they sell in it. Even a low purchase rate still adds to profitability.

In terms of what McDonald's is doing, it's as much advertising as it is anything else. You probably didn't know that they had a "trout-flavored, nutmeg-infused, foopadooparinos" before. Even if you don't buy it, you've just been fed a verbal ad. The technical term for it is suggestive selling.

BigBopper

Around me, those "would you like to try" messages are all recorded. Quite often it'll be a woman's voice and then a man will take the order.

Non-NonRev

True - a couple of times I received a coupon for a new item, so I said "Yes" when the first voice offered it. The next voice then had no idea what I had ordered...