Additional Coverage:
- 10 Taco Bell Secrets Employees Want You To Know (cheapism.com)
Unveiling the Bell: 10 Secrets Taco Bell Employees Wish You Knew
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at your favorite late-night (or early-morning) craving spot, Taco Bell? While it’s often best not to peek too closely at the inner workings of fast food, sometimes the curtain is pulled back, revealing a treasure trove of insider information. We’ve delved into numerous “Ask Me Anything” posts from former Taco Bell employees on Reddit, unearthing some surprising truths.
If you’re a frequent visitor to “The Bell,” prepare to have your mind blown (or at least mildly informed) by these ten secrets employees want you to know.
1. Large Orders Are a Drive-Thru Destroyer
That seemingly endless wait in the drive-thru line isn’t always due to sluggish employees. Often, it’s a massive order holding things up.
With everything assembled fresh, a single “party pack” with a dozen items can bring the line to a crawl. Imagine two of those in front of you – that’s 24 items being made before you even get to the window!
2. Cleanliness Can Be a Corporate Conundrum
Ever spot a stray napkin or some boxes lingering in the dining room? Sometimes, employees aren’t even given the time to properly clean.
According to one former worker, “At the end of the day we’re supposed to clean the whole store but the lobby was often ignored because we’d get in trouble if we stayed longer than like an hour after closing, as they didn’t want to pay us more. We really just had to make it look clean rather than actually clean.”
3. Customizations? Often Easier Than Big Batch Orders
Contrary to popular belief, simple customizations aren’t usually a headache. What truly “gums up the works” are multiple orders of the same basic item. Taco Bell’s equipment can only steam, fry, and grill so many things at once, making a large quantity of standard tacos more time-consuming than a few specially modified burritos.
4. Extra Sauce: The Burrito’s Bane
There’s one customization that consistently earns a groan from employees: extra sauce in a burrito. Burritos are constructed to hold a maximum amount of ingredients, and adding more liquid often leads to them bursting, cracking, or becoming a soggy mess.
Swapping a sauce? No problem.
Doubling up? Proceed with caution.
5. Your Survey Matters!
Want to show some love to a hardworking Taco Bell employee? Fill out that customer survey!
Positive feedback about an individual can lead to discounts, free meals, and other perks for them. It’s a simple way to make a big difference.
6. Drive-Thru Times Are Tightly Tracked
You’re not the only one keeping an eye on the drive-thru clock. Employees are closely monitored, with many stores enforcing strict time limits for each car. One former worker revealed their target was a speedy 3 minutes and 30 seconds per vehicle.
7. Mobile Order Pickup? Head Inside!
For your own convenience, if you’re placing a mobile order, opt for in-store pickup. If you select drive-thru pickup, they won’t start making your order until your car arrives. This is fine for small orders, but for a substantial feast you want ready immediately, stepping inside is your best bet.
8. Chicken and Beef: A Risky Business
Prepare for a less-than-appetizing revelation. One employee shared insights into how the meat is heated: “It’s put into water that is like 196 degrees or something, and we have to leave it for 30 minutes for it to heat up.
With the grilled chicken and steak, you’re supposed to puncture the bag and put it on this rack thing but if the water is too high, it can get into the bag, but they still use it anyway.” Perhaps black beans are sounding more appealing now?
9. Corporate Prefers Waste Over Employee Meals
Here’s a head-scratcher: Taco Bell’s corporate policy dictates that messed-up orders should be thrown in the trash rather than given to employees. While the intention might be to deter intentional errors, in the fast-paced, post-pandemic world of fast food, employees rarely have time for such shenanigans. This policy simply feels like unnecessary waste.
10. A Simple “Hello” Goes a Long Way
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Taco Bell workers frequently report a lack of basic human courtesy from drive-thru customers. Many recount responding to “How are you doing today?”
with an immediate order like “Three soft tacos and a Pepsi.” Remember, these are real people.
A simple “hello back” or even asking them how they are can significantly brighten their day.
Read More About This Story:
- 10 Taco Bell Secrets Employees Want You To Know (cheapism.com)