Wendy's — Restaurant in Aliso Viejo

My recent visit to this establishment was, unfortunately, a deeply disappointing experience, prompting me to express my concerns regarding the current management and operational practices. Despite the apparent lack of customer traffic, we were directed to utilize the self-service kiosk for ordering. I find this practice to be a significant detriment to the overall dining experience. While I understand the potential efficiencies that technology can bring, it is simply unacceptable to eliminate the human element from the ordering process, especially when the restaurant is not experiencing a rush. The gradual erosion of personalized customer service, coupled with the continued inflation of menu prices, creates a sense of disconnect and devaluation for the patron.

Furthermore, the kiosk system presents significant challenges for individuals with specific dietary needs or preferences. The rigid structure of the digital interface often fails to accommodate nuanced requests or provide the opportunity for clarification that a human interaction would afford. This can lead to frustration, errors in orders, and potentially even health risks for customers with allergies or sensitivities. In my opinion, the ability to communicate directly with a staff member is a fundamental aspect of a satisfactory dining experience, and its absence is a serious flaw in the current operational model.

Beyond the ordering process, the general cleanliness of the restaurant was also a matter of concern. Several tables remained uncleaned despite the fact that the establishment was not busy. This lack of attention to basic hygiene suggests a deficiency in staff training and supervision. The adage "if you have time to lean, you have time to clean" comes readily to mind. If employees have the downtime to stand idle, they certainly have the time to ensure a clean and welcoming environment for their patrons. This neglect, combined with the impersonal ordering system, created an atmosphere that was far from conducive to an enjoyable meal.

It is worth noting that this location was previously a more favorably regarded Arby's and Burger King. The decline in service and overall quality since the change in ownership or management is palpable. I sincerely hope that the management team will take these concerns seriously and implement the necessary changes to restore a focus on customer service, cleanliness, and a more personalized dining experience. As it stands, I cannot recommend this establishment and will not be returning...

Went in with my mother and grandmother to grab a quick bite and paid using the kiosk. We paid for buffalo sauce expecting it to come out with our meals. The kiosk doesn't offer a receipt so we had no way of proving we paid for the sauce, I was going to ask for a copy of the receipt but when they called our number I went up and when I asked for buffalo the older gentleman working argued with me saying I had to pay for it again I just decided I would pay again after he insisted that I didn't, we also notice that 1 of our 3 fries was cold so we asked for a warmer set of fries and waited 3 min for them. I was told to just take the buffalo sauce because he didn't know how to charge me on the front counter registers. They didn't give us the energy drink we ordered so after asking for that he began to get a bit short and snippy with me like I was an inconvenience. I never have issues with this location as its my preferred location but after the treatment I was almost afraid to ask for a bag to leave as he was the only one in the team of 3 workers that would even look at guests at the front counter. I was so uncomfortable and embarrassed, I didn't get to enjoy a soda with my meal because their machine wasn't working in the lobby. My grandma went to use it and the door popped open and her and another guest just kept hitting buttons until the screen popped up and when it did all that was available was diet or drinks that tasted off. Got a fanta strawberry for my grandma before it said fanta was unavailable and it tasted like diet, and was almost stomach turning with how sweet and off the flavor was. I am not leaving this here to bash or upset the team as I went in the day prior to this visit and the experience was night and day. Im not sure if they team was short staffed and that lead to the way we were treated or if they were having issues but I definitely will not be returning for a while. On the way out we went to use the restroom and found roaches in the...

Ultimately, Wendy's food is mostly the same at all locations so this in reference to this specific location. The staff is never happy. Today was worse than normal. I had a mobile order for a salad but I was almost handed someone else food with my salad order tag on their bag. There is an Employee named Amy who just seemed miserable. She obviously didnt want to be there and was acting like she was there against her will. I say this not to get her in trouble, but rather someone in their organization needs to figure out what is going on. Something must be wrong. I wanted to add on 2 frostys and was going to pay for them separately. Amy tried to take my order but didn't enter it in correctly and then gave me something completely different than both what I said and what she entered. While doing all this she was grumbling to herself that made the whole interaction uncomfortable. It was so uncomfortable that I decided to just take wrong flavor frostys rather than to try and correct her.

The shift leader (I'm assuming thats who he is as he's always there trying to handle everything) obviously wants to run a tight ship but the crew is either not trained or not set up for success. He is great with being friendly to customers, but often gets impatient or upset with his crews performance. I'll often hear everyone behind the counter getting frustrated an lost in their lack organization and raising their voice to each other or talking under their breath about each other. Not sure if anyone from the location will see this but something needs to be looked into as far as the morale of...