"Jeff says his the Wendy's" - use grammar much?

@nrich239: Read blogs much?

@nrich239: I was thinking the same thing. You just beat me too it. :-)

When I ordered a medium, I thought I was getting a 20 fl oz drink. What I got instead was a 32 fl oz drink. I'm not sure if I paid more or not because there was a small size too.

This is why I chill at White Castle - 'cause it's the best. White Castle fries only come in one size.

I noticed my Wendy's is doing this as well, with "SMALL" written on the side of the standard size cups. I haven't asked if they have anything smaller than small any more, they used to have a cup size smaller than what they're calling their small now, but that USED to be called the small...

It's worse than trying to get the right size at a Starbucks. "Is that a "small" small or a medium small, or a large medium?"

Perhaps they are trying to match their sizes to the country's obesity rates? Soon they will only offer a Large.

@rpm773: Beastie Boys ftw.

An even worse marketing scheme is the sizing of medium, large, and X-Tra Large!!!

Medium means in the middle and the smallest size should not be called a medium. This faux pa drives me nuts!

I discovered a while ago that the Burger King near me was automatically charging you for a LARGE combo, even though the default size and the price listed were for a SMALL combo. I was beyond pissed.

There's always "Medium/Large/King!" Oh wait...

Anyways, I don't care. Wendy's fries are simply the second most efficient way to transport grease directly into your body (behind the atrocity known as Hush Puppies). I have one about a mile from my house and about every month or so I realize that I forgot it was there, because there is a Taco Bell another block down and an Arby's across the street.

@rpm773: Ah, but the trots afterwords vary greatly.

The Burger King in my neighboorhood has done something similar. What was formerly a medium fry is now called a small fry. The old large fry is now called medium. There's a $1 fry on their menu, but if you order a small fry, you get a $1.50 fry. Not sure what they're calling the $1 fry -- tiny fry, maybe?

@wardawg: IIRC, Wendy's does have smaller ones. They give it to you if you just want water, and maybe also with the Kid's Sacks.

When I worked there, the question was supposed to be, "Would you like to make that medium or large?" since the default size was "small" (the same size wendy's combos always had been). It's probably just the drivethrough operator being lazy.

The drink sizes, for interest's sake are now:

Value - 16oz
Small - 20oz
Medium - 32oz
Large - 42oz

@RandaPanda0283: Your reply is rather ironic..

@rpm773: ratburgers FTW.

Greatest day ever for me was when a couple years back, when I could finally drive, a White Castle was built 5 blocks away from my house.

Many a college weekend was spent wolfing down a sack after almost a week of Ramen made with hot tap water, coffee, and a occasional cold slice of pizza found in the house (always on the stove, if it was anywhere else it was probably not good)

I don't buy combo meals much anymore, but didn't they used to always come with Medium Fries and Medium Drinks?

I actually complained about this to one near my house. They would not ask it as the way Hockeypuck described, only saying "Medium or Large" - thus implying the only two sizes are available. I asked the mgr abouit it and she said it was the way they are supposed to ask it and I should maybe take it up with corporate. She did give me my meal for free.

I did take it up with corporate, and got $25.00 worth of free Wendy's out of it.

They've been doing this for about 6 months to a year now. It's a great technique for screwing people out of $.60. I've discovered the joy of buying healthy food at the grocery and cooking. I eat even more food but I'm much healthier and weigh less, and I'm not so broke. Although, the shrink ray has hit quite a few items that I frequently buy.

@wardawg: The Wendys locations near me do the same thing. The old "Biggie" size is now called "Large," and the other sized have shifted accordingly.

Part of the reason is probably because every other fast-food restaurant uses the standard Small, Medium, Large, and Heart Attack sizing scheme; so people are used to ordering a medium, and therefore would get a more expensive drink size equivalent to the Large at most restaurants.

@Jim Topoleski: In college, the house members took turns cooking dinner. One dude was a really bad cook, and one time on his night it was a bad dinner: beef stew (at least he way he made it). As a result, we all piled into cars, drove across town to the Lafayette White Castle and ate there. The cook even was there. Good times.

The Wendy's at 11th St and Walnut St in Philadelphia has been pulling this stunt for a while now. On three separate occasions over the last six months, I've been asked " medium or large ? " when attempting to buy a chicken nugget combo meal, when I know from my own experience and from the menu board that a small size is available.

The fact that this behavior occurs at various Wendy's locations and is not just an isolated incident suggests that the source could be some kind of guidebook prepared by the Wendy's Corporation for their franchises to improve sales volumes.

@TheUncleBob: Usually. That's how they got to call them "value" meals. I don't do fast food much anymore, since I'm trying to drop a few pounds. It's hard sometimes, especially when I insist on drinking a whole bunch of empty calories.

It's been a while since I've been to a Wendy's (their new ads have been pissing me off), but from what I remember, every Wendy's does this with their combo meals. I believe if you want a size smaller than small, you can ask for a junior size, but it's not one of the combo sizes, just if you want a drink / frosty or fries. When I did still go to Wendys, I usually wouldn't order fries with my combo, so I always asked for the small because the side is the same either way, and free refills on the drink, so no difference except for price

@batsy: LOL, eye was thinking the same thing....

@rpm773: Purdue?

I used to work at a Hardee's, and my manager and I did this all the time. Most people were going to get the large anyway.

Buy the kids meal, that's really all anyone needs. I do this sometimes at McDonalds, plus their toys are getting better all the time.

McDonald's is still the worst with the drink Nazi behavior. I have boycotted them ever since getting into an argument about their breakfast menu. Contrary to their lunch/dinner menu and what the breakfast menu leads you to believe, your breakfast meals do not come with ANY drink option for free unless its a cup of water. So, even though they call it a "meal" and show it with a drink, they still charge you extra whether or not you get a coffee, OJ, milk, or soda. What made me so mad was the manager insisting that the meals do come with a drink but he would never tell me what drink came with the meal for the advertised price only saying that they need to charge for the drink as well. It was like talking to a computer. So, I haven't bought food at a McDonald's in about 10 months now.

They do that at the Wendy's I go to in Oklahoma. They just say "medium or large?" You have to look closely at the menu to realize there is a small and that is what the base price is. Pisses me off.

@batsy: The incorrect number of periods in your ellipses is ironic, too...

;)

@Gokuhouse: Same for you.

@Hockeypuck: That's how every Wendy's I've ever been to (and I eat at one weekly) works. "Would you like to make that medium or large?"

@Corporate_guy: Yup.

If you're going to eat fast food, just skip the value meal altogether and just order the sandwich by itself. Then pair it with an apple and a glass of water.

It's cheaper and (slightly) healthier than adding french fried grease and sugar water.

I stopped doing the combos at Wendy's when the one by here stopped carrying Coke Zero. It was the only place that did. That, plus continually cold fries (and Wendy's Fries are only palatable if piping hot) means it's value menu pickins when I go. And their sizing is pretty confusing.

The same thing has happened to me the last 5 or so times I've gone to McDonalds. "Medium or Large" um... small? Or "would you like to make that a Large?" no... and then they make it a medium. I've since started ordering happy meals, which only come with 1 size drink..and a toy for my dog or husband.

Biggest fast food scam I've ever seen (and it's widespread): The menus say "Upsize your combo to large for only 89 cents!" (customize to fit your local chain). You order a combo that is normally $3.89 for example and ask for it to be large.

$3.89 + .89 = $4.78.

Factor in your local sales tax (say, 7%):

$4.78 * 1.07 = $5.11.

Get to window, they charge you $5.76. No, you say, it shouldn't be that much. "Sales tax." Wrong, it should be $5.11.

After arguing with many, many managers, it turns out they always charge you full price for the drink, even though the menu says otherwise.

I've had that happen to me at McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Del Taco, and Taco Bell. All over the country.

Beware of scams (and idiots who can't do basic math).

@jimconsumer:
Your inflection when speaking this phrase can change the meaning significantly.

First, read it with your tone going higher at the end, like it's a question.

"Would you like to make that medium Or LARGE?"

Then, read it with your tone going down at the end, like it's a choice, with a slight pause after medium.

"Would you like to make that MEDIUM, Or large?"

I agree. It's very deceptive.

@wardawg: What about the cups used for the small frostys. Do those count? Are those ever given out for drink. Haven't been to a Wendy's in a while after the finger incident so I'm not up to date.

I wonder what would happen if all fast food restauraunts only offered one standard size to help slim down America. Would people revolt? 42oz is a whole lot of cola.

@jimconsumer:

But don't you see how phrasing it that way makes it seem like you have to make one of those two choices?

The Wendy's by me has been doing this for years. I think it's because the associates are trained to say "Would you like to upgrade to a medium or a large?" but they're lazy so they truncate it to just "medium or large." How many times have you actually heard the whole sentence "Would you like fries with that?" from a drive-through window? Normally it's either "FRIES!?" or "wanna combo?"

I don't think this is insidious, but Wendy's definitely needs to take steps to train their people to make it clear both are an upgrade.

Though some of the confusion is actually from other companies making "medium" the smallest size.

@Ratty:

Their fries taste like salted, soggy cardboard...even my DOG won't eat them anymore...

I miss trans-fats.

@Its_Miller_Time:

haha, man... i hope you enjoyed your spit burgers.

@Eric Rhoads:

Whatever the miscommunication involved, the manager is right and you were mistaken.

The "base price" of a breakfast meal does include a drink. However, since drinks are "variables" when a McDonald's employee enters the combo into the register(this is true of any combo there) it shows the combo price *minus* the drink price. Entering the type of drink adds on the drink price, bringing to total up to what you see on the menu board.

Years ago I called up one of the big pizza chains and ordered a medium pizza. I was told that they didn't have a medium pizza, only "small, large, and extra-large."

You don't want to hear about the argument that ensued.

@relax_guy: Could be a fair trade for what he wiped on the money.