I'm a manager there, and I agree, the sizing is stupid. corporate sent out a letter to all the stores a few months ago because of customer complaints about medium and large sizing combos. The proper question at that time was "would you like to make that a medium or a large size today?"
however we are now supposed to ask "would that be small, medium, or large?"

i hate it when the till people/speaker people get lazy, then customers get mad :(

I used to always forget that at Wendy's the small size drink & fries is plenty for me. I would order the medium and realize that it is just a bit too much. It is sad that they only prominently display the words "Medium" and "Large" (at my location anyway). They probably hope people will fall for the old adage, "What you see is what you get."

@varro: Mmmm, I love Wendy's fries. They have a perfect ratio of fluffy potato to crispy exterior.

@Mooshie: What I don't understand is, you can replace the fries with a baked potato, or salad, etc.

When I order small combo, with the baked potato, what happens when I order the large combo with baked potato? Is it the same price as a small or large combo with fries? And if so, where is my larger side item?

It's very easy, when they say 'Would you like that medium or large?' you simply reply 'no thank you' and then they prepare it small.

I don't think that is hard or confusing?

This is hardly new. For years, fast food places and theaters have been changing the names to either get you to order the larger size by mistake or embarass you into upsizing by giving the smaller sizes names like "tiny" or "little girl size"

I've called the national comment line several times and the explanation I get is that a franchisee can pretty much do whatever s/he wants.

I will say I was able to witness some sweet karma. On a weekday a couple weeks ago, from 12:25 - 12:50 pm, the primest of prime lunch time, I was the only customer they had.

*not that there's anything WRONG with the AVOIDALLRESTAURANTS crusaders and their position they so often espouse on this site, but knowing how to eat out properly BASED ON YOUR OWN NUTRITIONAL NEEDS is a necessary skill to learn and enjoy.

Not that I eat fast food much at all these days (even when stuck on long drives on major highways without the SmugForumGoer-issue 100% Natural Healthy Self-Cooking Kitchen in my car*, I tend to avoid fast-food), but when I do, it generally takes a small or medium combo to satiate me. Not all of us can keep weight on with a 2000 calorie diet, unfortunately ._.

Of course, finding out the right food balance for you involves actually doing work and testing instead of taking spoon-fed hard numbers from the Internet or a company, so most of the US is right out <.<

Then again, this same place accepted only debit cards until just about a month ago.

Store location: Mathilda Ave, Sunnyvale, CA.

@Mooshie: The last time I ordered a "medium" beverage at Wendys I was aghast to discover that it was indeed a monstrous thing that would not fit in any of my cupholders. I made them transplant it to a reasonably sized cup, and have not ordered a beverage there since.

@wardawg: Using normal people terms like "small", "medium", and "large", always brings weird looks & confusion from the coffee folks at Starbucks.

I always order "Venti". Of course, I have no idea what size that is in reality. It's the only Starbucks lingo I know.

@SJActress:

How dare you try to pawn off those crappy french fries on your dog. Shame on you. Shame.

@Ratty:

Damn right about those crappy French Fries. Horrible when cold. And they never have enough salt on the fries. I wish they would drop a salt packet into my drive-thru bag.

Those Wendy's Medium Cups do not fit into the cup holder of full size American Made sedan.

Learned my leason the first time the window clerk scammed me on the Medium upsize. Won't make that mistake again.

PS: Wendy's small is a 20 or 24oz cup. Darn big enough.

@RevRagnarok: MMMMM Arby's...... damn you.

The problem is, the employees don't even know their own sizes most of the time.

"I'd like a 20oz Coke, please"
"uh, is that a large?"
"I don't know, I don't work there."
"Small, Medium, or Large?"
"Whichever one is 20oz."

I too was always bummed by the lack of White Castle. We sat out to try to find one in the state and had even dedicated ourselves to driving to it regardless of where it was (this was before gas was $3/gal.) Our dreams were quickly dashed when we found NO WHITE CASTLE IN THE ENTIRE EFFING STATE.

"Kobayashi Maru drink option"; a no-win situation designed to increase profit. I believe the only way to win is to cheat...or just repeat "I said combo meal"

Fries aren't the only combo meal option at Wendys. What if you chose a baked potato or a side salad with your combo and then go medium or large? Those don't come in different sizes as far as I know??? Do they partially up charge for the bigger drink?

At Wendy's I always get a small chili and a potato and it's about $2.25 or so. Then I go home and drink milk with it. It's a little healthier. Their chili is still pretty damn good.

I think most of them are doing this now.

Finally, my roommate gets fed up and asks me what the fuck is going on. Apparently, the lady behind the speaker, who had spent awhile listening to and subsequently ignoring us, decided to pipe in at that moment to let us know that she didn't appreciate that sort of language.

As we were sitting there waiting the whole time, at least five cars left the line after becoming tired of waiting, most of them giving the drive-through window the finger on their way out of the lot. We ended up being car #6 - and gave McDonald's our business, instead. That Big Mac meal was better than Wendy's soggy cold fries any day.

-and-

@Benguin: mmm double double animal style.

Since moving to Southern Illinois from Southern California those are the two food items I miss constantly. Hardee's blows. I wish Carl Karcher would send the Carl's Jr. menu to Hardee's.

A friend of mine, when selling chocolate bars for high school band fundraisers, would knock doors and instead of asking "Would you like to buy a chocolate bar for my fundraiser?" he'd ask "Would you like to buy one or two chocolate bars for my fundraiser?" He was the top seller in the band.

they are not 32 or 42 just to be clear.

the frosty sizes are as follows

kids - 6oz
small - 12oz
med. - 16oz
lrg - 20oz
you can get larger ones but they vary from store to store.

I hope that clears things up.

no one else knows what they're talking about.

And I said "yes, I want the "large" one." We were *this close* to having our own kentucky-fried version of "Whose on first".

I once conerned an wendy's executive who was visiting the restuarant I was at. He was very interested in my feedback and contiuneud to repeat that cashiers are not meaning to decieve the customers, they say this to speed up the proccess. He was so pleasant, i bought all his bullshit. Nothing every changed. I wish i got his phone number.

We get... Sonic? Meh.

We are however getting a Carl's Jr. Fatburger incoming.

@wardawg: The small is apparently called the "value" size now. Unfuckingbelievable

I fell victim to this the last time I went to Wendy's. I'm on my guard next time.

You don't want to hear about the argument that ensued.

Whatever the miscommunication involved, the manager is right and you were mistaken.

The "base price" of a breakfast meal does include a drink. However, since drinks are "variables" when a McDonald's employee enters the combo into the register(this is true of any combo there) it shows the combo price *minus* the drink price. Entering the type of drink adds on the drink price, bringing to total up to what you see on the menu board.

@Its_Miller_Time:

haha, man... i hope you enjoyed your spit burgers.

Their fries taste like salted, soggy cardboard...even my DOG won't eat them anymore...

I miss trans-fats.

I don't think this is insidious, but Wendy's definitely needs to take steps to train their people to make it clear both are an upgrade.

Though some of the confusion is actually from other companies making "medium" the smallest size.

But don't you see how phrasing it that way makes it seem like you have to make one of those two choices?

I wonder what would happen if all fast food restauraunts only offered one standard size to help slim down America. Would people revolt? 42oz is a whole lot of cola.

@wardawg: What about the cups used for the small frostys. Do those count? Are those ever given out for drink. Haven't been to a Wendy's in a while after the finger incident so I'm not up to date.

First, read it with your tone going higher at the end, like it's a question.

"Would you like to make that medium Or LARGE?"

Then, read it with your tone going down at the end, like it's a choice, with a slight pause after medium.

"Would you like to make that MEDIUM, Or large?"

I agree. It's very deceptive.

$3.89 + .89 = $4.78.

Factor in your local sales tax (say, 7%):

$4.78 * 1.07 = $5.11.

Get to window, they charge you $5.76. No, you say, it shouldn't be that much. "Sales tax." Wrong, it should be $5.11.

After arguing with many, many managers, it turns out they always charge you full price for the drink, even though the menu says otherwise.

I've had that happen to me at McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Del Taco, and Taco Bell. All over the country.

Beware of scams (and idiots who can't do basic math).

I stopped doing the combos at Wendy's when the one by here stopped carrying Coke Zero. It was the only place that did. That, plus continually cold fries (and Wendy's Fries are only palatable if piping hot) means it's value menu pickins when I go. And their sizing is pretty confusing.

It's cheaper and (slightly) healthier than adding french fried grease and sugar water.

;)

The fact that this behavior occurs at various Wendy's locations and is not just an isolated incident suggests that the source could be some kind of guidebook prepared by the Wendy's Corporation for their franchises to improve sales volumes.

Part of the reason is probably because every other fast-food restaurant uses the standard Small, Medium, Large, and Heart Attack sizing scheme; so people are used to ordering a medium, and therefore would get a more expensive drink size equivalent to the Large at most restaurants.

They've been doing this for about 6 months to a year now. It's a great technique for screwing people out of $.60. I've discovered the joy of buying healthy food at the grocery and cooking. I eat even more food but I'm much healthier and weigh less, and I'm not so broke. Although, the shrink ray has hit quite a few items that I frequently buy.

I actually complained about this to one near my house. They would not ask it as the way Hockeypuck described, only saying "Medium or Large" - thus implying the only two sizes are available. I asked the mgr abouit it and she said it was the way they are supposed to ask it and I should maybe take it up with corporate. She did give me my meal for free.

I did take it up with corporate, and got $25.00 worth of free Wendy's out of it.

Greatest day ever for me was when a couple years back, when I could finally drive, a White Castle was built 5 blocks away from my house.

Many a college weekend was spent wolfing down a sack after almost a week of Ramen made with hot tap water, coffee, and a occasional cold slice of pizza found in the house (always on the stove, if it was anywhere else it was probably not good)

The drink sizes, for interest's sake are now:

Value - 16oz
Small - 20oz
Medium - 32oz
Large - 42oz

The Burger King in my neighboorhood has done something similar. What was formerly a medium fry is now called a small fry. The old large fry is now called medium. There's a $1 fry on their menu, but if you order a small fry, you get a $1.50 fry. Not sure what they're calling the $1 fry -- tiny fry, maybe?

Anyways, I don't care. Wendy's fries are simply the second most efficient way to transport grease directly into your body (behind the atrocity known as Hush Puppies). I have one about a mile from my house and about every month or so I realize that I forgot it was there, because there is a Taco Bell another block down and an Arby's across the street.

Medium means in the middle and the smallest size should not be called a medium. This faux pa drives me nuts!

It's worse than trying to get the right size at a Starbucks. "Is that a "small" small or a medium small, or a large medium?"

@nrich239: I was thinking the same thing. You just beat me too it. :-)