In-N-Out Burger — Restaurant in Oxnard

I'm not really sure what happened. Usually In-N-Outs are consistently good. Every once in awhile a little slip up happens such as forgetting the animal style or being out of chilies which is annoying, but understandable since these restaurants are run by humans. Today was not one of those times.

I was on my way home after a long day and decided to cheer myself up with a good old #1 animal style for dinner. My classic favorite that, up until this point, has never let me down. Normally I'll stop inside and dine in, but today I was in a rush to get home so I tried the drive through for the first time.

The good news is that even though the cars were backed up through the parking lot, they worked the line really quickly and I was back on the road in only a few minutes. Very impressive and kudos to the hard working employees working tonight.

Once I got home, however, I opened the bag and was simply confused. I looked inside for my burger and instead saw a pile of meat, cheese, and other burger ingredients looking back at me. Eventually I came to accept that this "item" must be my burger and it fell apart to teach me to never use the drive through again. The weirdest thing is that I couldn't find the bun anywhere. Maybe they gave me a salad by mistake? I didn't know In-N-Out had salads? Checking the receipt from the register, they charged me for a double double. Maybe they gave me the wrong bag by mistake? Nope, the receipt inside the bag also said double double. If I had dined in as usual, I would have just asked for my actual burger but it was too late now since I was already at home.

Discouraged, I went to the kitchen to get a fork and plate to fish out my meal. Unfortunately, I learned that pieces like burger patties and large slices of tomato don't work so well with a fork. At least they (somewhat) held together in a dripping animal style mess when I picked it up with my hands. Oh, and they pre-soiled the napkins with the secret sauce saving me the trouble of wiping my hands on them before throwing them out. They saved me from having extra goop on my hands by soaking up sauce while still in the bag right? Because the insides of a double double animal style with no bun to hold them by gets really messy really quickly.

I really don't know what happened. Was whoever made my dinner (I can't call it a burger) having as bad of a day as I was? Or has In-N-Out gotten so busy that they are now prioritizing getting as many customers through as possible instead of providing the top notch customer service that I've grown fond of? I understand that mistakes happen, but identifying that glob of food for a burger is unacceptable when the receipt clearly indicated one of the most common meals...

I came through the drive-thru at around noon today (January 1st). I got my usual order that I get at every In-N-Out I go to and told the order taker I would be eating in the car. When I got to the window to pay, the girl at the window said my burger was 'animal style and a fry WELL.' Yes, but I had removed and added a few things other than just animal style and was hoping the other changes were put in, which they were. I then had to ask for a paper mat to eat on because one was not provided to me. Not a huge deal, whatever. Once I received my order, I immediately noticed that my fries were not well done. In fact, they were just barely cooked normally, with some still even being soft. I then went inside and explained there must have been some mix-up, and this was not my fry cooked well. They took my box back to the fryers, and the guy who was cooking them told the worker, “that’s a fry well” quietly enough that it was obvious he didn’t want me to hear him, but I very much did. They came back and said they would fix it, so I went inside the restroom and washed my hands. By the time I came out, a new fry was put in my box. But it STILL wasn’t cooked any more than a normal fry would be. Instead of making a scene and explaining what a fry well is to the guy whose job is to cook the fries, I decided to cut my losses and just leave. I just finished my regular fry as I write. Still a good fry, but not what I ordered. This was my first time visiting this In-N-Out, and I will definitely not be back. Every In-N-Out I’ve ever been to has not had this many issues taking and properly delivering my order. So I’m not sure what the deal...

I want to recognize an outstanding employee at your drive-thru named Genesis. She truly deserves special recognition for the way she helped us during our visit.

Genesis was extremely polite, patient, and respectful throughout the entire interaction. She went above and beyond by answering our questions about how the burgers were made, and the way she explained things was so clear and helpful.

After Genesis kindly explained what we were wondering, a manager came out to add more detail. Unfortunately, the manager did not speak to Genesis or acknowledge her properly after that exchange, which came across as dismissive and rude. As customers we notice everything, most people just don’t say anything. That did not go unnoticed. What impressed me most, though, was how Genesis handled it. She remained completely calm, composed, and professional, keeping her focus on us as customers and continuing to be so polite and friendly.

Employees like Genesis make a huge difference in customer experiences. She showed genuine care, patience, and excellent service that reflects the best of what In-N-Out stands for. I hope she can be recognized by the company for the outstanding...