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Taco Bell Corp. producing inferior products, not making food to company standards, accosting customers victimized many consumers Medford Oregon
First of all I have been a loyal Taco Bell consumer for over 20 years. It all started in Virginia. There was a TacoBell manager that was "shorting product" The food portions were so bad that I purchased a scale to check the weight. I only did this as the manager yelled at me in front of other customers saying "we are trying to get this food out as fast as we can, so just take your food and shut up". I took the names of several people and sent pictures and weights of the food to Taco Bell HQ`s. This started my campaign with Taco Bell. I was asked by a supervisor at the HQ to visit other Taco Bells in the area and to grade the food (weight,freshness) and how the store was presented to the customer such as clean floors, the food prep area and bathrooms. As I was in the military (now retired) I was in many areas and provided countless reports on various Taco Bells. I did this for free and never received any food or discounts for this service.
I finally retired in 1997 and moved back to my home town in Medford Oregon. This is where I found the worst stores in the company. I have been to stores in over 20 states so I am very well traveled with Taco Bell. For 5 years now I have been eating at the Taco Bells here in Medford on average 3-4 times a week. It is affordable and close to where I worked. I continued to grade the stores and was even thanked by the district manager for my valuble service. The two stores were visited by the company and had a through "cleaning". I had reported that the Medford stores almost 100% of the time did not use the food scales when making the food.
Taco Bell policy is every third item is to be weighed. When I would ask them to weigh the food I was always looked at funny and the employee would yell out "hey this guy wants us to weigh it" Every time (without fail) they would have to look for a scale and then check to see if it even worked. My food would then be thrown on the counter without another word. Many times I would open the food on the counter and weigh it right on the spot. The buritto is to weigh 7.2 ozs (according to the manager) My food items would weigh from 4.0 -6.2ozs but not one time were they right.
Many many times other customers would ask me what I was doing and I would tell them what Taco Bell policy was. Without exception I was told they felt what I was doing was great and many times they would tell me "thanks I always knew they were ripping us off" There were countless others that would follow me out and tell me their Taco Bell horror stories.
Well this store in E. Jackson in Medford has a manager Tammy. I went into the store to get some breadsticks. I was on my way home that night and just wanted something quick. As I went out to my car the manager Tammy followed me out and started yelling at me! She said " I am tired of you telling my employees that you work for Taco Bell" "Because of you Dave (a district manager, the one that thanked me for my service) came into town and ripped through the stores and I almost got fired" I told her I just wanted to get my food and go home and that if she was doing her job right she had nothing to worry about. she again went off saying "I know who you are (then told me my entire name!!) and did a backgroung check on you, I know where you live" I told her that she better back off as I was not going to take that from anybody.
She then said"you are banned from this store I want you to eat somewhere else and never come back, your f#@king crazy". I told her I was calling Taco Bell immediatly and she said "they wont believe you I am the manager" I pointed to several people that had gathered around and told her I have witnesses to back me up and you will be fired" She flipped me off and went into the store finishing with "you better watch your back" I yelled "I heard that too" she just flipped me off again and went into the store.
I called Taco bell and a few days later Dave (from Taco Bell) called me and started yelling at me that he was tired of my crap and my phone calls and he never wanted me to go to Taco Bell again. I directly hung up on him as I wont be talked to that way by someone that wanted me to do what I was doing and even personnaly thanked me for my service.
He told me that he found the Medford Stores to be exactly the way I had told them they were and that he had to "clean house" He then left me about 5-6 free food coupons. Anyways, after I hung up he called me right back and started yelling at me again saying I was a pain in his a*s and so on.
I told him to NEVER call me again and that I and my family would NEVER go to another Taco Bell.
I have not been back since. I even checked into a restraining order against the store manager Tammy and will continue to do so until I get one. She accousted and threatened me in a parking lot and told me to watch my back. What do you think I did for almost 20 years in the service sit at a desk?
I trained people from around the world so pack a lunch and bring a friend because it will take a while. Dont threaten someone that can back up what they say! Taco Bell has lost many customers because of this and I continue to tell others. You are loosing business daily Taco Bell. The right thing to do is to make this right ASAP.
Steve
medford, Oregon
U.S.A.
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Vulcan1600
Pahoa,Hawaii,
U.S.A.
Response to Tim from Grand Haven
#8Consumer Comment
Tue, September 07, 2010
Tim, why did you spend so much time and effort beating up on Steve for trying to correct a wrong? What's with all the personal attacks? You sound like a "hater" with your own psychological issues. Don't you have better things to do with your time?
Why are you on this site? Are you here to criticize the critics? What are YOU trying to prove? What is your mission here? You sound like a rep for Taco Bell.
What does your experience at another Taco Bell outlet have to do with Steve's story? He didn't say that EVERY Taco Bell store was shorting their food, just some of them. He just wants those particular Taco Bells to stop cheating customers. He's fighting for his rights as a consumer and for other consumers.
He did what he was asked to do, act as a quality control inspector. How else do you show that food is being shorted if you don't weigh them and compare that to the company's quality standards? He asked them to do what they were supposed to do in the first place in compliance with company policy.
Tim, instead of spending your days or nights going on to websites like this to criticize people who are trying to make a difference and taking a stand, why don't you make yourself useful and find a worthwhile cause to rant about.
It's people like Steve that make a difference in the world. People like you are pretty useless and counter productive.
Steve
medford,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Taco Bell is not interested in anything but profit
#8Author of original report
Wed, April 21, 2004
As of this date I have not as of yet gone to another Taco Bell. I have spent money on other food chains. I call taco bell and tell them where I just ate and that they lost out. They have not tried to do anything to satisfy me as a consumer.
Taco Bell is not interested in anything but profit!
Tim
Grand Haven,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Are you out of your mind?
#8Consumer Comment
Tue, March 04, 2003
Let me start this off by saying that the underlying complaint here, that Taco Bell is shorting people on product, is a valid one (not necessarilty accurate, but valid).
Here's the facts surrounding Taco Bell portions: the "correct" portions were determined long ago to be the exact right quantities thst struck a balance between the quality and the profitablility of each individual product.
If a product is underportioned, the quality goes down and the restaurant risks losing customers. If the product is overportioned, the restaurant loses profits.
I had the misfortune of being a Taco Bell employee for three years, one of which was in management capacity. Underportioning was never a problem, I can't remember a single customer complaint about an underportioned item. Overportioning, on the other hand, was a huge problem. PFS, back when I worked for them, estimated that the average Taco Bell loses around 500 dollars a month due to overportioning.
Steve, you sound like a lunatic- repeatedly patronizing a restaurant that lets you down every time, just so you can raise a scene about how you're a veteran and you didnt have a gun rammed up your a*s so that they could go around underportioning the tacos of Americans. Here's a few words of advice.
1) if you are dissatisfied with the quality of a product you get somewhere, STOP GOING THERE. Don't keep going back to the same place that always lets you down, all you're doing is supporting them by giving them more and more of your money! The people at the corporate office who told you to go to some other Taco Bells and check them out probably recognized what a cash cow you are, and tricked you into expanding your maniacal tirade to other sites!
2) when you have an issue such as this, that you feel is important, resolve it like a decent human being! If the other customers, watching you weigh out your burritos or demanding that the employees do it act as if they are sympathetic to your plight, it's probably because they find you creepy and frightening, and they don't want to end up on the wrong end of your lunacy. The squeaky wheel may get the oil, but when you act like a jerk all you do is give people the right not to listen to you.
3) consider getting some psychiatric help. No joke. Based on my impression of your side of the story you seem to have some serious paranoid delusions, which, when mixed with your severely authoritarian personality, can be a recipe for disaster. This is my evaluation based on your side of the story, I'd almost be scared to hear the other side.
Best of luck to you, Steve. But please, for all of us, get the help you need and stop going to Taco Bell. (And when you find a new restaurant, I'd advise avoiding the whole scale bit)
Steve
Medford,Oregon,
U.S.A.
well well
#8Author of original report
Tue, March 04, 2003
Ron, First of all I commend your letter. I did not read the rest of them as they started out by calling me things that are just plain wrong. I feel that most people that reply are just writing to cause hate and discontent. You did not do that. I only did these things WITH taco bell because I had been asked to do them by the ownership of Taco Bell Corp. Trust me I did not wish to make enemies here. I sent in reports for 8 years whenever I went there to eat. Thousands of companies use "secret shoppers" in the states. They pay millions of dollars to get the same information I was giving them for free as I felt it was important to do as a citizen and as a member of the military. I take those responsibiliries seriously! I gave my health and put my life on the line countless times in defense of this country! I fought for the rights of our citizens to go out and enjoy the food Taco Bell prepares, the LEAST they can do is to NOT ripp off the consumer every time they put the food in your bag. No one here has the right to tell me that I am stupid or dont know what I am doing. Until you have has a weapon shoved in your face and told you were going to die only to come out ahead because you are the toughest son of a b***h around will anyone here have that right. Everyone else can kiss my American Disabled Veterans a*s. I will continue to do what I feel is right for the whole of America and if that is to make sure that Taco Bell does what they say they will do, then so be it.
I ask all Disabled Vets to demand that they be respected by any food organization and make them do what is right.
The BOZZ
Adolph
South Bend,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Interesting........
#8Consumer Comment
Mon, March 03, 2003
This report on Taco Bell and food portions really caught my eye. Sort of deja-vu. About three or four years ago my wife and I stopped at a local Taco Bell for a meal. I don't remember exactly what I ordered, but my wife ordered a taco salad. It wasn't real cheap, as I recall; about $3.25 or so. Sitting across the table from my wife, I asked her if that'd be enough (to eat). It was a d**n scrawny small portion, I assumed it was some kind of child's item. Nope! "Regular size". I returned it to the counter and requested the rest of the portion. The cretin at the counter disappeared with it, returning to say "it is the proper weight for that item. It meets Taco Bell standards". I didn't feel as if an argument on portions would be productive or successful, so I made my own declaration: "That food item doesn't meet MY standards and requirements for what I paid. Give me my f**** money back."
I then decided they could buy back the entire order, which I returned, actually hopefully expecting some kind of confrontation. (Taco Bell is free to determine their standards as a vendor, as I'm free as a paying customer to establish my own as a customer. An argument I was willing to pursue with gleeful vigor.)
Much to my dismay they simply gave me a refund without a word spoken. Doggone it! I went next door and ate at Wendy's. That was even before Dave died from his greasy fare.
Anon
Miami,Florida,
U.S.A.
What do you expect when you can stuff for face for 3 bucks?
#8Consumer Comment
Sun, March 02, 2003
I'm sorry, I just don't see the point of bringing a scale to a Taco Bell to wiegh the food. If I was the manager, I'd scream at you, too.
A lot of the items are under a dollar, you can totally gorge yourself for $3-$5. It is what it is...who knows if it's even real food at that price. Maybe it's shredded up cardboard with some hotsauce thrown in. Go to the store and price a can of refried beans, shredded cheese and some burrito wraps--you can't make a burrito cheaper than you can buy one at Taco Bell.
I remember observing once a shrill woman at a Taco Bell threatening the 16 year old pimply faced clerk that she "would never eat there again!". Oh, boo-h*o. I remember at that time making a mental note that a wise consumer picks their battles. Does that 16 year old care if she never eats there again? Is it worth it to make a scene for a $2 meal?
Yes if you find a cockroach wrapped up in your taco, but other than that it hardly seems worth the trouble. No, they don't always get the orders right and your portions seem sometimes to depend on who is prepping the food, but so what? What do you want for pocket change?
Ron
Camden,Arkansas,
U.S.A.
Unrealistic and Offensive?
#8Consumer Comment
Sun, March 02, 2003
Steve,
It seems obvious that what began as your apparent good intentions turned into a very severe annoyance to many, many others. You may want to consider that most people would be highly offended and eventually become defensive over your unusual tactics. How would you react if on the receiving end?
Perhaps you should find a more worthy cause to fight for and do so in a less confrontational, offensive, and annoying manner.
It seems very unlikely that other customers are equally concerned and actually deserting Taco Bell because you say their food does not meet a weight standard. It fact, it's highly doubtful that Taco Bell food weight is as high a priority on anybody else's worry list.