Fast food restaurants in Greenwood
rated in surprise evaluation

April 28, 2006

By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer

It has become the fourth station of restaurant drive-thru service.
First there is the foghorn intercom, where the voice in the box takes your order, assuring you it heard you say you do not like onions on your burger.
Then there is the first window that takes your money, followed by the one with the extended arm that offers you a bag and, sometimes, a nice day.
Then there’s the fourth stop.
That’s the one where you pull up a car length in front of window No. 2 and open your bag to make sure the onions, which make you sick to see them touching the meat, are not nestled in the bun.
The fourth stop has spawned from a mistrust the public has formed with fast food chains after biting into one too many unwated onions or taking a sip of tea, only to find out it’s actually Coke.
But are fast food businesses really making enough mistakes to warrant that fourth stop? And are they living up to their title of “fast” food rather than leaving people parked in the drive-thru lane?
On Thursday, four members of The Index-Journal staff conducted an evaluation to find out if local fast food restaurants provided accurate, fast and friendly service to customers ordering lunch in a drive-thru. Subjective and non-scientific grades were given in various categories.
Four restaurants were visited between 12:15 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. and were judged on the representative’s greeting on the intercom, the wait time between order and food received, the accuracy of the special orders, service at the window and overall food quality.
So, while you’re sitting at station four, whether inspecting your order or waiting for an order of fries, take a look at what the evaluation showed.

McDonald’s at 1326 S.C. Bypass 72 NE
As though they were filming for a customer service video, the representatives at McDonald’s were virtually flawless. From the cheerful “thank you for choosing McDonald’s. Would you like to try an extra value meal?” to the woman who took the cash and asked, “How are you?” the service seemed unusually perfect (A+).
From the time the Quarter-Pounder with extra pickles and without ketchup and mustard was ordered, it took the staff 63 seconds to take the money and have the bag of food out the window. The representative even made eye contact and said, “Have a nice day. Come back.” (A+).
After checking to find that a receipt and correct change was given, the order was checked and found to be exactly right (A+). Perhaps the only flaw in the order process was the cashier’s slight to turn off her headset when she yelled the special order to the cooks, causing the customers to jump, thinking at first she was yelling at them. But she got the order right.
The food quality received a “B,” however, because it was a little cold.
Store owner Ken Whittington’s description of what the staff is supposed to say and do matched the actions exactly.
He said there is a goal for customers to receive their food 90 seconds after they order, while the staff tries to reach the other goal of having less than eight mistakes per every 1,000 orders.
Whittington said it is the store’s goal to handle customer complaints within the restaurant because he said it builds loyalty when the customer sees his concern is handled immediately and compassionately.
“It makes them feel like, ‘Wow, they really want my business,”” he said.
Employees must undergo two phases of hospitality training before they are allowed to work, the owner said. If a customer complains about an employee, he said the employee is counseled soon after. But not all complaints are warranted.
Whittington said he has received odd complaints, such as a woman who left her milkshake overnight in her car and wanted McDonald’s to pay to have the melted mess removed.

Burger King at 1214 Bypass 72 N.E.
After sitting at the ordering microphone for 15 seconds before being acknowledged, a gurgled “Can I help you?” came over the speaker (C). One minute later, the exact Whopper combo with cheese, without onions or tomato and a side salad with ranch dressing was handed out the window (A+). The representative, who had been hard to understand on the speaker, was very friendly, smiled and said, “Thank you. Enjoy your meal” (A+). The receipt and correct change were given, but the fries were a little cold (B+).
Burger King Manager Kim, who did not give her last name, said the standard greeting representatives are supposed to use is, “Having a great day at Burger King. Would you like to try a value meal?”
The representative is supposed to ask if everything on the screen is OK and thank the customer after giving him the food. The goal at Burger King is to give the customers their food within one minute of their order. Like McDonald’s, Kim said Burger King tries to make customers happy by either refunding their money or correcting the order. She said the most common complaint from customers is that their burger was made incorrectly, but that at least two employees are supposed to check the order before handing it to the customer.

Taco Bell at 1604 Bypass 72 N.E.
Of all four restaurants visited, Taco Bell was the only one that did not have an accuracy screen. The voice inside the speaker asked “How may we help you?” and a Fiesta salad without beans and sour cream on the side was ordered. It was difficult to hear her read back the order as well as the total. After one minute and 40 seconds, the employee didn’t look at the customer as she handed the bag out the windown, but instead looked at the register while taking another order (C). After she took the order, she said “thank you” as she shut the window (C+).
While the correct change and receipt were given, the order itself hardly matched the one printed on the slip. The salad did not contain beans, but there was a large dollop of sour cream right on the top (C-). The side of salsa that comes with the salad was in the bag, but the red, crunchy strips were not (B). Taco Bell Manager Emily Wright said the restaurant used to say “thank you for choosing Taco Bell” but has recently reduced the greeting to “How may I help you?” She said employees are not required to read back the order, only the total. After attempting to meet their service goal of 45 seconds, employees are to say, “Thank you. Have a nice day and come back.”
Wright said the most common complaint from customers is that there was something missing out of the order. While Wright said the store receives only about two complaints per week, she said she also has had some rather odd complaints. The manager said a woman called to complain about a taco she had purchased, but that the type of taco she was complaining about wasn’t available at the restaurant yet.

Wendy’s at 913 Montague Ave.
“Would you care to try one of our Friscata deli sandwiches?” the voice from within the restaurant asked. But after a grilled chicken combo with lettuce, tomato and onion, minus any sauces, was ordered with a side salad with reduced fat ranch, the employee asked if the customer would like to use the salad as a substitute for fries or as a separate side item (A). The bag was handed out with correct change after one minute and one second.
After the worker said, “Thank you. Have a nice day,” (B-) the rest of the experience was less than perfect.
The first thing noticed was the lack of a receipt, but upon further investigation, the onion and tomato were missing as well (C). The salad dressing for the salad was just regular ranch, not reduced fat, but aside from the slightly browning lettuce, the overall quality of the food was not bad (B).
Customer Service Representative Peni Grubb, of Tarhill Captial Franchise, which is over Wendy’s, said it is accurate to offer a sale to a customer before taking the order. She said the employee will ask if everything looks OK on the screen rather than reading back the order, while the employee’s goal is to give customers their food within 100 seconds. She said the most common complaint is an incorrect order, which should be fixed by asking the customer how he would like to have the problem corrected.
“We do try,” she said. “And we do care. We want to do the best we can by our customers.”
Conclusion
The evaluation was concluded with four restaurants making much faster than expected times, a few making preparation mistakes and most showing utmost courtesy. If you’re still sitting in the fourth spot outside of a drive-thru, these findings might surprise you. But if you just bit into an onion, you might just concur.

Index-Journal employees Joanie Baker, Caroline Klapper, Kathryn Elrod and Lindsay Sainlar took part in the evaluation

Railroad crossings being blocked annoys,
worries residents in areas along S.C. 10

April 28, 2006

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

PROMISED LAND — Robert Williams didn’t expect this week that he would be running a taxi service. But because railroad track repairs on Wednesday blocked the only paved road into and out of the residential area on Ron McNair Road, his pickup truck became a lifeline.
Williams shuttled residents across the only other access to the subdivision — an abandoned crossing that led to a dirt path. Because the crossing is unused, it had not been leveled, and some drivers who tried to navigate it got their vehicles stuck or scraped the bottom.
“They didn’t want to pull up because they would get stuck. One lady in a Mercedes tried — man, was she mad,” Williams said. “I told them how to go up the hill. You can’t do it in drive. You have to do it in low.”
Several railroad crossings were blocked Wednesday by CSX Transportation workers, causing some Promised Land residents to have to go the long way around to their homes.
Residents who talked about the situation Thursday said no notice was given to them that the crossings would be blocked. One person said workers misled residents by saying that if the work was not finished in a day, gravel would be placed to allow the crossing to stay open at night.
Salak Road, an access road to Saddle Hill subdivision, was blocked Thursday, but community residents said people there have egress through Briarwood Road and Mt. Moriah Road. Other areas along the rail line have “no way out,” they said.
Greenwood County Councilwoman Edith Childs said she fielded about 10 calls from irate residents Tuesday through Thursday. Childs said she has spent the eight years she has been on county council contacting the railroad about improved crossings, better warnings at crossings and egress for residential areas that are “across the tracks” from S.C. 10, the McCormick Highway.
Residents said some blocked crossings were an inconvenience, but the Ron McNair Road situation could have been life or death.
“My biggest concern yesterday was seeing those little children get off the bus. The bus would not go up the hill,” said Elaine Evans, a Ron McNair Road resident. “I saw a Lincoln Continental (driver) tear up the bottom of her car. There was no way in or out. It was ridiculous.”
Evans said a man pointed out to her by workers as a supervisor dismissed her concerns with a smart remark. “Slavery days are over. People in New Orleans were given notice to get out. We were not,” she said.
John Dillard, director of public affairs for South Carolina CSX, was not in the office Thursday to comment on the situation.
“I understand the railroad has to do what it has to do,” said community resident James Smith, “but they did not tell us. They could have put a sign at the crossing.”
Smith said the county or state needs to build a road to run beside the tracks connecting all the crossings along the rail line in Promised Land, to provide access if one or more crossings are blocked. “As it is now, we don’t have a way out,” he said. “We’d be trapped in here.”
Bloom Road resident Linda Cason said she left home in the morning and returned from visiting a sick relative about 9 p.m. to find the crossing at her road blocked. She parked her car and walked in the wet darkness across the tracks to get home.
“We’re taxpaying people. We want to be treated fair and right and, most of all, treated with respect,” she said.
The situation, she said, underscores the fact that residences on “the other side of the tracks” are vulnerable if an ambulance or fire truck is prevented by a blocked crossing from getting to them. “People there,” she said, “were in a lot of fear.”

Emerald nets easy victory

Vikings dominate Columbia High School to advance to the second round

April 28, 2006

By DAVID HAYS
Special to The Index-Journal

The first win came easily. But the Class AA boys tennis state playoffs will get much tougher for the Emerald Vikings next week.
Emerald rolled past Columbia 6-0 Thursday in the first round of the Class AA/A playoffs at Greenwood Country Club. The Vikings lost only six games in singles with Nos. 1 through 5 players Pres Payne, Brandon Dennin, Alex Biffle, B.J. Baracca and Wade Timmerman all sweeping their matches.
The singles matches only lasted about an hour.
Emerald’s Ben Saul and John Erwin completed the sweep by winning their doubles match, 8-3.
Columbia, the Region IV runner-up, brought only five players to Greenwood and had to forfeit the other doubles match.
“It’s a good confidence boost before we have to play a tough match on Monday,” Vikings coach Josh Buchanan said.
“All the boys played well. I was pleased with that. They tried to stay sharp.”
Barraca, Emerald’s only senior, said the lack of competition was good and bad.
“It was kind of difficult to handle a pace that I wasn’t used to. But it was a good victory,” said Barraca, who defeated Winston Lopez 6-0, 6-2. “I think it (the lack of competition) kind of hurts a little bit. But it helps us being our first (playoff) match.”
The Region III-AA champion Vikings (12-2) will host either Broome or Pendleton in the second round Monday.
Broome, which was favored to beat Pendleton Thursday, knocked Emerald out of the playoffs in the second round last year, 4-3.
“We are better equipped (to advance) this year,” Baracca said.
“I feel we are a stronger team this year,” Buchanan agreed. “We’ve got two guys who transferred from Cambridge Academy (Dennin and Biffle) that have made us significantly stronger.”
Monday’s winner will likely face Christ Church, which has won seven consecutive AA/A state titles and has defeated defending Class AAAA state champion Lexington this year.
“We would have to try very hard,” Baracca said, with a smile, of Christ Church. “It would be a very tough match.”
“If we win our match on Monday, we will have Christ Church at home,” Buchanan said. “That would be a really tough match because they are a very strong team. They are very good.”
Christ Church has four of the top 10 players in the state, Buchanan said.
The Cavaliers are led by juniors Henry Walker and Will Guzick. The duo earned All-American honors after being selected to the All-Tournament team at the National High School Tennis Association Championship in March.
The coach warned that the Vikings, whose lineup outside of Baracca are all freshmen and sophomores, will have to take care of business on Monday in order to get to face Christ Church.

Obituaries

Buffort Blocker

PLUM BRANCH — Services for Buffort Blocker are at noon Saturday at Mount Moriah Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Melvin Gordon, pastor. Assisting are the Revs. Eddie Freeman and James Jamison. The body will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. Burial is in the church cemetery. Pallbearers are James O. Blocker, Bernard Blocker, John Colter, Kenneth Blocker, Freddie Blocker and Edward Key. Flower bearers are church ushers.
The family is at the home, 345 Old Augusta Road.
Walker Funeral Home, McCormick, is in charge.

Fred Douglas Searles Sr.

McCORMICK — Fred Douglas Searles Sr., 91, widower of Ruth Martin Searles, died Thursday, April 27, 2006 at the Hospice House of the Piedmont. Born in McCormick, he was a son of the late George Searles Sr. and Lois Moragne Searles. He was a retired construction worker and former member of Hosannah Baptist Church. Survivors include a son, Fred Searles Jr. and two daughters, Jessie Mae James and Frances Searles, all of Buffalo, N.Y.; two brothers, James Searles of Augusta, Ga., and George Searles Jr. of Buffalo; a sister, Doris Quarles of Buffalo; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family is at his home, 6647 Highway 28 S.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Mary Taylor

WARE SHOALS — Mary Bayne Taylor, 83, of 18071 Highway 25 N., widow of Luther “Johnny” Taylor, died Wednesday, April 26, 2006 at Hospice House in Greenwood. Born in Greenville County, she was a daughter of the late James L. and Ellie Cason Bayne. She retired from Riegel Textile Corp. after 49 years and was a member of Sharon Pentecostal Holiness Church, where she was secretary and treasurer for 52 years. Survivors include a sister, Barbara Stallings of Honea Path.
Services are 3 p.m. today at Parker-White Funeral Home, conducted by the Revs. Chris Stansel and Robert Boland. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers are nephews.
Honorary escorts are members of the Adult Sunday School Class.
Visitation is 2-3 today at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of Mary Bayne, 272 Gethsemene Circle.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

CORRECTION

For the obituary of Eva Crawford Posey in Thursday’s paper, there were errors in the information given to The Index-Journal. She was a daughter of the late Robert Crawford, and her surviving sister is Blanche Chappell.