Dairy Queen (Treat) — Restaurant in Windsor

Downgrading my review significantly due to their response to COVID. I have no problem with restaurants taking extra precautions (I even think it's a great idea), but the way they've done it has made it much more painful to be a customer there, while likely not even improving their safety in a meaningful way.

First off, they still have not reopened the lobby. I have to assume this is a COVID thing, but it just doesn't make any sense to me. It creates 30+ minute waits at the drive-thru, and I don't think it accomplishes what they are hoping for. If you are trying to limit dining-in, why not do what countless other restaurants have done (Starbucks being the best example) and remove indoor tables/chairs and only allow for pickup? If you're going to claim that it's because of short staffing, why are there always 5+ kids working whenever it's just the drive-thru open? It just doesn't make any sense, and I can't tell you how many times I've drove there, seen the insanely long line at the drive-thru, and went somewhere else instead. We actually found another ice cream place that we like more and this move could end up turning us away from this DQ long-term.

Also, if you're going to limit customers to drive-thru only, at least make the experience a little better by upgrading the drive-thru equipment. The menu is often out of date, and the speaker system is a disaster to use. It's constantly either Van-Halen-concert loud or library-quiet, and I often have to repeat myself multiple times before they can hear me. Finally, install some sort of pressure sensor or camera that allows your employees to tell when someone is actually at the window. I've seen multiples times where employees are talking through the speaker when cars haven't fully moved up yet. I've also had employees "welcome" me after I complete my order, not realizing that cars hadn't moved at all yet.

Overall, this location needs to seriously rethink their COVID response and decide if it's really helping or hurting. For this customer at least, it's led me to shy away from DQ probably 80%...

This past weekend my wife and kids purchased a birthday cake for me from Dairy Queen in Windsor. We love Diary Queen. An ice cream cake in our family has been a tradition for a long time back to when I was a kid nearly 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the cost of cakes has gone up substantially at nearly $30, but like most things you get what you pay for. I think their product is worth the cost. This cake was not up to par from past experience in that the quality of the ice cream seemed crystalized and not smooth. As a regular customer of this store, I decided to call and let manager and owner know of our problem. I thought it might help them to know if there was a problem with their freezer (I don't think there was) , and two, we really wanted a cake like we expected. The manager Ksia was very kind and offered to speak to Tom the owner that evening and got back to me in about 20 minutes. Bottom line, the Dairy Queen owner and manager did the right thing and took care of me as a customer. I am thankful that the cake was replaced at no charge with a smile, and that keeping me as a happy customer was important to the owner. Tom you have kept me coming back for more of your treats and cakes. Thanks for standing behind...

Zero stars if I could. My friend and I tried to get some treats yesterday afternoon(12:46pm on 6/26) at the drive-thru. The lady taking our order clearly didn't understand the menu and was getting more and more flustered, and rude. When we pulled around she took my credit card and tried to give us the wrong desserts. She was insistent that we take them, even yelling at us to do so. We refused to take the wrong order and she yelled at us to leave. So, she's already charged me, we have no food and she's refusing to tell me her name. I finally told her I would call the police before I left, (because what she was doing amounted to theft). She finally returned my credit card and an unreadable receipt back to me. I have no idea if I was refunded and who she was, but, here's her photo! Nice, Dairy Queen!

Update: I was contacted by DQ wanting me to click a link to further explain my interaction with the Windsor Dairy Queen. The link takes you to a points sign up page with no way to contact DQ. Not helpful. I'll tell you what is helpful... go look at this places reviews. They don't deserve a franchise. Ice cream is supposed to a fun outing. Not the craziness this places provides...