10. January 2010 by Matt.

The last time I visited the Wendy’s on Williamson Road, across from the Roanoke City Police Annex, it was of great quality and service.  Well, the service still seems nice, but the quality or preparation of the food has taken a dive. Read the rest of this entry »

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4. June 2008 by Matt.

Once again, I wonder how Wendy’s manages to keep my business. I ordered a baked potato and a large chili yesterday only to get a spoon for my chili. This seems fairly typical, as that makes the 3rd time this year I’ve ordered such a combination and either got the separate spoon or the fork and knife combination, but never both. It seems impossible to be given both. Is this such an odd combination they can’t wrap their seemingly distracted minds around or what??

Not to mention today the manager who was handing me my food and looking back into the store the entire time talking to someone else. He didn’t acknowledge me in any way, shape, or form. He was too absorbed in whatever they were discussing. I’m not particularly offended by that action, but many people would be.

It is so unfortunate that a business has to be so grossly mismanaged and the same people are always at fault. I bet the mindset there is “Well, they show up for work. Granted we can’t get them to do their job properly, but we don’t have to worry about them being here.” It appears their priorities need to be checked with a little self-evaluation.

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2. April 2008 by Matt.

One might think that it is not likely a single restaurant has the capability of such extreme ineptitude.  The Wendy’s in Daleville, VA has proven to me, over and over, it lacks proper supervision and, likely, training.  So, I blame management second.  Why second?  Well, if Wendy’s corporate has anything to do with it, I’m sure they would consider having a program in place to monitor and/or “rate” their individual stores.  You know, so as to hold each restaurant to a minimum standard.  I’m sure the willingness for turning a blind-eye here is much like it is in any environment where $$$’s are the factor.

Just like in so many businesses, the almighty dollar seeks and takes precedence over ALL other aspects of a business.  If you’re in sales, you might relate to this in how poor your work ethic is and maybe how your company continues to award you for your sales accomplishments while ignoring everything else you do that is the product of a simpleton.  That’s right.  If you’re making the bottom-line work for your employer, then you’re doing all that is really required.  Of course, they do like for you to show up from time to time.  Granted, if Wendy’s did not enforce an attendance policy, we’d have an issue being served.  But would we really?  I think not.  Consider the pool of willing applicants and you already must realize that Wendy’s can’t really go short-handed for any extended period.  Naturally, if management is complacent and ignores staffing issues, those issues will create a problem and an uphill battle until more minions can be hired and “trained”.

Obviously, there is more to working somewhere than selling things.  You might think that Wendy’s doesn’t really “sell”, they just take your order.  While this is true, they are required to up-sell and cross-sell.  I’m not sure they do this consistently, in fact, I’m sure they don’t.  Most of the time when I pull up to the drive-thru, I get the “Would you like to try a combo?” or even better, the “Welcome to Wendy’s, I’ll be right with you.”  Soon followed by, “Sorry about your wait; it will be just a few more moments.”  That is exactly what happened to me yesterday when I arrived at roughly 6:45PM.  I made it into the line as the third car from the order station.  The first car didn’t seem to take very long, but the second car was obviously asked to wait, as I mentioned they do all too often.  When I finally got to the order station, I was greeted after about 20-30 seconds with a “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”  So, I patiently waited just to have them come back to ask me to continue waiting.  I believe about 2-3 minutes passed by this time and I haven’t even given my order yet.  I eventually drove out of the line without ordering and proceeded to Kroger for my alternative or backup dinner.

The restaurant did not appear busy.  There really weren’t many cars in the lot, though they are normally slammed about that time of the evening.  Drive-thru has obviously been hit pretty hard just before I got there, as I could see cars rounding the building when I pulled into the line.  So, what was the problem?  Likely they were short-handed, which seems to be par for the course with them lately, and further complicated by a seemingly inept staff and/or management.  It can be said that the manager is only as good or strong as their weakest employee and then conversely, that the employee is only as strong or adept as they have been trained by that manager.  So, if the manager only hires warm bodies to fill “positions” within the restaurant, then they are missing the big picture - Customer Service.

There’s no doubt this location needs a major overhaul.  Sometimes I think they have accomplished this, because my order is near perfect or absolutely perfect - meaning:  I got what I ordered and it was fresh or I got what I ordered and it was semi-fresh.  I know no one likes to waste food.  But the issue is the consistency.  One staff and management, say the early shift might handle things light-years ahead of the evening/night staff.  This needs to change.  But what is the motivation to change it if they are making money all the while?  Now THAT is the million dollar question begging to be answered!

We won’t see a change for a simple reason.  There’s too many customers that patronize Wendy’s.  The Wendy’s corporation also realizes this.  They realize any boycotting will only be temporary and for every one patron, they will have at least one more totally willing to put up with poor service just so they can have something somewhat good and quick to eat.

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12. February 2008 by Matt.

For every decent review, there must be at least a couple poor ones.  I thoroughly enjoy the food of the Wendy’s establishment and have so since they came into the Roanoke area.  I honestly can’t say how long ago that was, but I do not recall them being around since I was a kid, but rather sometime later.  At any rate, they have a great product and their innovation is second, maybe only recently, to Arby’s.

It is quick, fresh, and the service is good - or is it?  I have patronized many of the Roanoke, VA locations and the one in Daleville (close to where I work) for some time now.  The Roanoke restaurants seem to have it together for the most part and inasmuch as you’d expect a fast-food business to be able to.  I have never had the expectation a restaurant of any type, nor any business for that matter, be perfect.  Everyone will make a mistake and everyone will simply have bad days.  I try to roll with it - as I don’t have a over inflated sense of self-importance as most of the patrons out there seem to have these days.

During my most recent visit (February 10th) to Wendy’s in Daleville, I was ordering for someone else along with my own order, so I decided I’d go inside to place the order.  My decision was based in part on ensuring expedience and accuracy of my order.  I figured if they got it wrong at the drive-thru, I’d only know by fumbling around in the bag(s) and then would probably end up having to come in anyway.

In retrospect, I believe going in was a mistake.  The time was just after 7PM and they had about 3 cars in the lot, though the drive-thru was jam packed.  After going inside, there was someone already waiting on their order, a guy behind that one, a couple and their child behind that one, another guy (who walked out eventually), then me.  From start to finish, about 15-20 minutes lapsed.

Once I was to give my order, the guy at the counter (heavy-set, wild look out of his eyes, and a sense of disdain in his disposition) asked me if it was “carry-out” or “dine-in”.  I replied to that, “carry-out”.  He took my order.  I paid cash and he dropped my cash on the counter and dropped a time in my hand as if he was disgusted with something.  Maybe my presence and that I was “making” him take my order?  I think that’s why he’s there.

I ordered two chilis and a bacon and cheese backed potato.  A guy in a green shirt from the assembly line came up to my order taker and asked him “What goes on a bacon and cheese potato?”  The cashier ended up going back to the line to actually make it. 

The order turned out perfect.  I have NO complaints there at all.  My only concern was with the counter cashier who seemed to be having a really bad day.  Most of the time my complaints would lie with order inaccuracies, which seem to be rather pervasive at this location, but not this time.  Of course, I did go inside.

I’m sure I’ll continue to patronize this location, but someone really needs to step up and get a handle on these employees.  Employees like these set a very bad example for the company as a whole and really don’t help with people like myself who may be trying to save money and would rather go to Kroger and spend $3.00 for a dinner, rather than upwards of $6 or so bucks for a Wendy’s meal that is delivered with an unprofessional and overt attitude of “you’re inconveniencing me”.

So, to Daleville Wendy’s… I say, “Check please?!”

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