Andrew

Some of you might know that I’ve worked for In-N-Out about two and a half years now. In that time, I’ve learned a lot about my position across the counter from most of you. Mostly I’ve learned what we in the business like and what we don’t. Without further ado, I’ve decided to share that knowledge with you in the form of a list:


Suggested Guidelines For Fast Food Etiquette (a work in progress)*

1. If you’re eating in our parking lot, don’t drop your trash on the ground. Trust me, there’s a trash can within 30 feet of you, and you could probably use the exercise anyway after what you’ve just eaten.
2. When ordering in the drive-thru, don’t yell into the microphone. We can hear you… all too well. With that said, don’t speak too softly, either. Just pull up near the microphone, roll your window down all the way, turn your head toward your left shoulder, and order in a normal volume and tone.
3. Pronounce things right and speak clearly when you’re ordering, especially in the drive-thru. They’re Animal Fries, not monster fries, and it’s Animal Style, not Doggy Style.
4. Don’t criticize our system. We do everything for a reason and with a prescribed method, and that method is as efficient as it can be. If you think that we’re randomly putting fries into the red trays and bags on the counter, you’re wrong. We check order numbers and fill the earlier ones first. Also, drive-thru has priority in most cases.
5. Realize that we make everything when you order it. So if you order a lot of food or ingredients that take a long time to prepare (extra cooked anything or special orders), it’s going to take longer to get your food.
6. When placing an order (either at the counter or in the drive-thru), speak slowly. Telling me what you want really fast isn’t going to make you get it sooner. It actually takes longer because we have to go back and ask you about things we missed.
7. If you want a side of In-N-Out’s spread, order it with the rest of your food. Don’t come up to the counter when/after you pick up your order and ask for it. Those 8 steps it takes to get each side of spread add up, believe me. Ask for it beforehand and it’ll come out with your tray/bag.
8. Don’t throw away our plastic trays.
9. In the middle of a rush (usually about 11:30-3pm and 5-8pm, along with other random times) at In-N-Out, there are some things that you should never order (as a matter of decency), simply because they take too long for us to make. I won’t go into the details, I’ll just list the items or ingredients: animal fries, well-done fries, fries with no salt, well-done meat, meat with no salt, chopped chiles, whole grilled onions, extra toasted buns, and root beer floats. If you didn’t know some of those existed, you should try to forget.
10. If we give you ketchup, mustard, chiles, spread, salt, or pepper, don’t ask for more. We’re trained to give you a certain number, and that number is enough, believe me. If you don’t, go count the ketchup packets that you have in your kitchen and glove compartment.
11. Be nice to us. Smiling when you want to punch someone in the face is one of the hardest things to successfully pull off. Enough said.
12. If you’re wrong, don’t lie to us about it. Although we’re trained to act as if the customer is always right, sometimes they’re not. So don’t come to us if you made the mistake. We’ll always fix the problem as if it’s our fault, but while it keeps you coming back to our restaurant, it’s extra work on our part… for your mistake. Suck it up and tell the truth. Don’t come to us like it’s our problem.
13. When you get your food at the pickup window, don’t sit around for 5 minutes while you look at it. It’s In-N-Out, not In-N-Hour We’re called “fast food” for a reason, and you can help keep it that way. Just take a glance and count items (know how many items you’re going to get before you get to the window). If the number’s right, chances are that everything’s right. Then get out of the drive-thru.
14. Keep our dining room clean, and try to pick up after yourself when you’re done eating. I understand that you can’t clean up ketchup or sauce, but you can at least pick up the burger wrappers on the floor and table and take your tray to the trash can. (also see #8)
15. If we say hi to you, say hi back, don’t just start ordering.
16. Don’t eat other restaurants’ food in our store. If you come with friends and you’re all eating something different, at least clean up after yourself so we don’t notice you’re eating Taco Bell at In-N-Out.
17. Speak English! If you can’t speak it, have a kid and make them translate for you!
18. Don’t spill your drinks! If you can’t keep ahold of a cup, what can we trust you with?

Doing even one of these things will make our difficult job so much easier and more pleasant. Thank you, we all appreciate it!


*This list is in no way endorsed or supported by In-N-Out Burger. I take full responsibility for the content herein.