Taco Bell in Provo, Utah Explains?

October 27th, 2008 | by Utah County Reviews |

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Some of you may have read the post about the bad experience at Taco Bell in Provo, Utah.  Although we still like the fast food at Taco Bell, this wasn’t an experience we will hold near and dear to our hearts.

The funniest thing is that we received a response.  It appears the response was from their manager, but we’ll let you be the judge on that.  Here’s what it said:

if any of you would have stopped and noticed, they were most likely SHORT HANDED. those that are hired, call in sick or never show up. there is a huge turnover. we have unreliable teens and even very unreliable ‘adults’. so when it does take more time than usual, its most likely because the managers are stuck doing it ourselves. we hire every other day, people that keep saying they are reliable and responsible, and they have every excuse in the book not to show up. we give excellent pay, incentives, everything we can think of to keep them. but they are lazy and stupid. and when they are at work, they screw around to the point i have to fire them. not the greatest job in the world, and when i am finished with my education at BYU I AM LEAVING fast food. tired of crappy employees, tired of customers yelling at me because of them. customers are rude, thoughtless and i have yet to meet one grateful person for a hot meal that i had to make with 15 other orders by myself. so before you start falpping your mouth. be grateful for those that actually work. and if you still cant handle it, buy your food at smiths and make your own darn taco!

Let’s point out why Taco Bell in Provo, Utah may not be the best place for fast food (according to the possible manager):

  1. “SHORT HANDED”: we agree.  As we waited for over 40 minutes for one small order, we could definitely tell that this fast food joint was under-staffed.
  2. “…those that are hired call in sick or never show up”: again, we agree.  As a manager of a fairly big company, WHO you hire is probably one of the most important responsibilities.  As the response states, “…so when it does take more time than usual, its most likely because the managers are stuck doing it ourselves…we hire every other day, people that keep saying they are reliable and responsible, and they have every excuse in the book not to show up.” Our recommendation then would be to be a bit more picky on who you hire so every client can be taken care of in a timely manner.
  3. Employee Loyalty: again, from the response, “…not the greatest job in the world”. It sounds like the manager also states that the people he/she hires are “…lazy and stupid. and when they are at work, they screw around to the point i have to fire them.”
  4. “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain!”: this comment caps it all off -”…customers are rude, thoughtless and i have yet to meet one grateful person for a hot meal that i had to make with 15 other orders by myself. so before you start falpping your mouth (we left the misspelling for emphasis). be grateful for those that actually work. and if you still cant handle it, buy your food at smiths and make your own darn taco!”

We don’t think we need to say much more about the Taco Bell in Provo, Utah: it appears that one of their employees said it all for them…

Stay tune next time for other reviews on fast food restaurants in Utah County.

  1. 14 Responses to “Taco Bell in Provo, Utah Explains?”

  2. By Dan on Oct 27, 2008 | Reply

    Wow, that’s impressive! No wonder they have a hard time keeping employees when even the management thinks that they are stupid! This ‘manager’ needs a serious attitude adjustment towards both his or her employees and customers.

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    October 27th, 2008 at 9:48 am

    That’s what we were thinking too. Again, who knows for sure if this is a “manager” or not, but from the sounds of things…

    Thanks for the comment. If you have suggestions on places you’d like to get coupons or discounts, let us know!

    Your Thoughts?

  3. By Andrew Melchior on Oct 30, 2008 | Reply

    At least he was honest!

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    October 30th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    Honesty is the best policy :) And “honestly”, I won’t be going to that Taco Bell again!

    Your Thoughts?

  4. By Ryan on Oct 30, 2008 | Reply

    This is my question: Is that place making money?
    I understand the difficulties staffing a fast food restaurant. The whole franchise model is to put the least skilled employees into a system that works. I think Nate is right that leadership plays a big role in employee morale and performance, but you know what? They probably aren’t paid enough to.
    In-N-Out in California pays ALL their employees very well. I remember that was one of the coveted jobs back in high school. If you’ve been to any In-N-Out you know how busy they almost always are and how those employees are always hopping! But they get paid enough to care. With better service could they eventually get to where they’re always busy? Wouldn’t it be worth it for the owner? That’s where I place the blame. Obviously, they are making just enough to where they don’t care.
    That being said, I’ve seen places where they pay sucked and still the employees worked and obviously had fun. I remember a ton of my friends worked at a Subway. I think a few got to be managers and they got everyone to work “as a team.” They messed around but they got down to business when they needed to and I think that came from the managers. The friendship definitely helps but you can develop that.
    Long comment and I was looking at it more as a business owner. As a customer, I think that MOST fast food in Utah County is run like that…making just enough for the owner that they don’t bother to improve. I’ve had horrendous experiences at that Taco Bell & the one up in Orem by Target. AND I don’t think I’ve had an even tolerable experience at an Arby’s in the whole valley for at least 3 years! I’ve tried to give feedback. I’ve filled out McD’s feedback online like 3 times! I guess I would just hope that the owners of these places would take a risk and make the investment to make things better and see if there is a return. Maybe they have and that’s why they’re all like that! Sad.

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    October 31st, 2008 at 1:33 pm

    Great comment Ryan! I agree that pay probably does have something to do with it. But the employees should know that going in – this job is not a “lifetime career path” – it’s a way to make a few bucks for dating, it’s close to campus, and it’s not real tough manual labor.

    If they want to get paid a lot more, they should apply for a sales job where they will NEVER EVER hear a Thank You while cold calling, they’ll get treated like CRAP for the most part, but when the money comes, it comes pretty good.

    I look forward to more comments like these. Stay tune for coupons, prizes, and more at UtahCountyReviews.com!

    Your Thoughts?

  5. By Ben Nettesheim on Oct 30, 2008 | Reply

    Well… let’s hope this manager learns one important lesson before graduating from college: The customer is always right. Yeah, you might get a rude customer every once in a while, but that comes with every business that works with consumers. Suck it up, deal with it, and smile. If you are getting more than your fair share then that probably says something about the service or establishment!

    You’re not providing a pro bono service here. The customer has chosen to spend their hard earned money on the business you represent. They have thousands of choices. You should be happy they chose yours! Sure, a thank you is always appreciated every now and then… But in the business world, a repeat purchase is the best thank you a manager could wish for. It doesn’t sound like this manager is getting many of those these days.

    (I know I won’t be waiting in line 40 minutes for a taco!)

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    October 31st, 2008 at 1:29 pm

    AMEN Ben! As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for!” Let’s just hope it doesn’t take 40 minutes next time. My “thanks” to a restaurant has always been repeat business. This is why we go back to places like The Pita Pit in Provo – they deliver quick, the food is good and they seem to be sufficiently staffed to get the job done.

    Appreciate the comment – Come back soon for coupons on great restaurants in Utah County. If there are some you recommend, let us know!

    Your Thoughts?

  6. By Queen Bee on Nov 13, 2008 | Reply

    Sorry. But the customer is not always right. The employee should always be professional, but customers have a repsonsibility to be courteous as well.
    Unfortunately, the crux of this problem is the system which Taco Bell puts in place to hire employees. We went through employees left and right for some time. Stealing. Lying. Making very costly mistakes. Then we put into place a new strategy in our hiring process and now we have an awesome team. We pay a modest amount for their work. But we have properly screened them. Properly set expectations, etc. Given that jobs are hard to find for everyone right now, the managers have no excuse not to get what they need. The only logical reason is that they haven’t been trained how to properly manage fast food employees. The crap, in this case, goes up hill. An idea of a good fast food manager is one who shows up for work, has a reasonable grasp of the English language, and is remotely reliable otherwise. If a manager can’t manage a fast food order in under 40 minutes, then I would seriously question how safe the food is to eat, etc.

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    November 15th, 2008 at 11:34 pm

    Thanks for the comment Queen Bee, although I’m not really sure how to take it. You say “the customer is not always right…but customers have a responsibility to be courteous as well” and then you go on to say that “If a manager can’t manage a fast food order in under 40 minutes, then [you] would seriously question how safe the food is to eat…” So, whose side are you taking on the issue? What point were you attempting to make.

    The bottom line is, we will NEVER go to the Taco Bell in Provo Utah again because of the experience we (and many other customers) had. Whether it was an issue of proper management training, or a hiring process error, or just plain bad service, we don’t really care. What we do care about, or have a right to EXPECT, is that when we go to a fast food restaurant in Utah County (or anywhere for that matter) that we get our food in a timely manner. Taco Bell in Provo didn’t meet that expectation at all.

    Thanks again for your comment and insight.

    Your Thoughts?

    Queen Bee Reply:
    November 16th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

    I too will be avoiding the Taco Bell in Provo. I believe though that you’re looking at my comments too myopically. I was acknowledging your statement and attempting to expand on the problem in a more broad sense.

    A) if teenagers (or any employee for that matter) are being taught that the customer is always right, then they are being sent the message that rudeness, threats, and other misbehaviors are acceptable. And such an approach actually fights against any sense of responsibility or loyalty among employees.

    B) Clearly a significant part of the problem with the Provo TB is their leadership and the accountability system that is put into play for that leadership. What happened to you and many other horror stories like yours is merely a manifestation of what’s lacking at the very top.

    C) Taking taking 40 minutes in a fast food restaurant to get your food is an indicator that there’s a heck of a lot more potential for harm than just slow service. If that kind of behavior is acceptable in one aspect, then it’s viably suspect that other misdeeds are occurring which may have a direct impact on the SAFETY of the food being delivered. I’m telling you that slow delivery is just the tip of the iceberg.

    One other thought: 40 minutes for food at ANY restaurant would be unacceptable.

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    November 17th, 2008 at 12:01 am

    Thanks for the clarification. We won’t be seeing each other at Taco Bell in Provo :)

    What are some restaurants in Utah County that you like and that you feel do a great job?

    Your Thoughts?

  7. By Rick on May 15, 2009 | Reply

    Utah County fast-food restaurants are notorious for being understaffed – the owners would rather save a few dollars by understaffing than seeing to it that their customers have a good experience. My complaint today is about getting two paper-thin “Taco Supremes” from the Provo shop. Your photo of that taco on your “fourthmeal” website is quite misleading. Never again. It looked like it was made by an 8-year old who was in a big hurry. I own a private business and I see to it that every product that is bought is up to par. You should do the same.

    Your Thoughts?

    Utah County Reviews Reply:
    May 15th, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks for the great feedback Rick!

    I agree with what you’ve stated about delivering what you promise and/or advertise.

    I have not been back to Taco Bell since and wouldn’t recommend the Provo Utah Taco Bell to ANYONE!

    Thanks again! If there ARE good restaurants you’d like to help review, let us know!

    Your Thoughts?

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