This is a small disagreement, but it keeps coming up between me and a friend. When I pull up to a drive-through, I usually wait silently until the employee greets me or says they’re ready to take my order. My friend, on the other hand, always says “hello?” immediately after stopping at the speaker.
To me, that feels impatient and slightly rude, because the employees already know a car is there and may be finishing with another customer or grabbing something. I assume they’ll acknowledge me when they’re ready. My friend says it’s just polite and lets them know someone’s there. AITA for thinking saying “hello” right away is unnecessary and rude?
You are right and your friend is the AH. Saying hello as soon as she gets up there is rude. Give them a minute to finish up what they’re doing. There most likely are other customers they are dealing with. The world does not revolve around her.
But….they know you are there.
If an inordinate amount of time passes ill say hello but I typically wait.
Yeah almost all places have a camera and a little alert thing for when a car enters the drive thru
NTA!!!!! I fully agree the “HELLO?” is rude as fuck and it does come off as impatient, the workers know you’re there!!!! They see you, hear your car, they know! Give them a few seconds to breathe it is so rude. I spent the ages of 13-24 at different fast food jobs and drive through restaurants…..this is a consistent annoying fucking issue,
THEY KNOW YOU ARE THERE
NTA It’s super rude to immediately say “hello” when you get to the speaker. The employee might be wrapping up something from a previous order or something. They know you’re there and will get to you as quickly as they can.
NAH I’ve worked in a drive thru. Neither thing would offend me, and you both seem to be attempting respect.
I wait, but I don’t think it’s rude not to. If they repeat “hello” louder because they didn’t get a response immediately, they’d be an AH.
I’m 100% with you. It sounds like they’re saying “HELLO????? like where the hell are you I’m ready to place my order!” Rather than “hi there! hope you’re doing well today!”
Rude AF. please show your friend this thread.
Team wait to be acknowledged.
I worked in a drive thru in college and when people said that, most of the time I was busy doing something else and it puts the pressure then on me to respond with “I’ll be with you in a second”, but then 90% of the time, the customer doesn’t understand what I’ve just said, they so go off reciting their order while I’m nowhere near the terminal… I’d recommend just sitting silently while they get around to you. It may seem more natural for your friend to greet someone but honestly the nicest interactions I had in drive thru were people asking me how I was, or how my day was before reciting off their order, so if you wanna be respectful just do that. Wait for them, and ask them how they are… you’d be surprised how many customers treat you like shit for working in a McDonald’s, so mannerisms go a long way (when you’re at the terminal!)
I’ve worked drive-thru…saying “hello” immediately is a bit rude, in that it comes across as “I’m here! Hurry up!”.
NTA.
Former drivethrough worker: it’s hella rude. We already get notified with a ding or tone on our headset, we don’t need a “hello????” as well. It just makes us feel rushed when we’re moving as fast as possible already. If it’s been more than 30 seconds or so though, go ahead and say something (or move closer to the speaker, you may not have tripped the sensor yet).
Edit to add: NTA
friend doesnt understand how the drive thru works.
theyre not sitting there silently waiting for you to summon them to take your order, they are busy doing 3 other jobs between taking orders. they know you are there. they have cameras and sensors and beepers to harass them when someone is in line.
Give them a second, damn. They see you on camera. Your friend is impatient.
NTA. I work at McDonald’s. You are right, if we don’t greet you right away we are busy doing something else. Especially if it’s late at night, we will have a light crew that are multi tasking. It really irritates me when people say Hello as if “Acknowledge me immediately!”