**Review of KFC - 9th Avenue South, Myrtle Beach, SC - July 3rd Visit**…read more
I placed a mobile order through the app and headed over to pick up dinner, expecting a quick and easy experience. Unfortunately, what I got instead was an awkward waiting game, a side of cold food, and front-row seats to an employee power trip.
When I arrived, the restaurant wasn't slammed. A few tables were occupied, and several to-go orders were clearly being prepared. I watched my own food being bagged--a chicken pot pie and some chicken tenders--and even saw my extra-large drink get poured and stickered. My app notified me that my order was ready. Great! Except... they didn't put it in the designated pickup window. Instead, the food was walked to the back and placed on an unheated shelf behind the register area--nowhere near where mobile pickup orders are supposed to go.
This wasn't a one-off. Every mobile order I saw, including a DoorDash delivery, was set in this same mystery zone instead of the proper window. The DoorDash driver had to ask about his order, which had also triggered an app alert. That's when I decided to speak up. I said, "Hey, my app says my food is ready. Is it?"
One of the employees, clearly doing her best to help customers, asked my name and confirmed it was ready. But then the real problem began.
There was another employee--the oldest I saw there, and presumably someone who should know better--who looked directly at me and *ignored* me. Then, when the other staffer mentioned my name and pointed to my order, this woman literally said, "I don't care," and walked off. Not only that--when the helpful employee tried to bring me my food and drink, the hostile one *physically ran into her,* nearly knocking the drink out of her hand. It was not an accident.
This employee was creating a hostile work environment and clearly trying to undermine her coworkers. The girl who helped me looked embarrassed and flustered, apologizing even though she had done nothing wrong. When I asked why the food wasn't in the mobile window, she looked over at the problematic employee--who responded with a grunt and a glare, and then slinked off.
I live just five blocks away. By the time I got home, the chicken tenders were cold, dry, and chewy--as if they'd been sitting out for a while. The pot pie, however, was hot and picture-perfect. At least that part was a win.
Bottom line: there was no reason for this experience to go sideways. The store wasn't overwhelmed, and I watched multiple employees hustling and doing their jobs properly--except for one, who seemed more interested in sabotage and control than service or teamwork.
KFC corporate: if you're reading this, send in a secret shopper about an hour before close on a Thursday night. You'll see exactly who's causing the breakdown. That one employee is not only a liability--she's a morale killer.
