A Wendy’s drive-thru customer recently called out the fast-food chain for trying to upsell customers, drawing attention to a common tactic in the industry.
Fast food prices are already high enough, with customers frequently complaining about skyrocketing inflation and even “shrinkflation.” As if this wasn’t bad enough, restaurants are frequently attempting to get even more money out of customers by upselling them. TikToker Joe Vasquez (@JoeVasquez81_) recently posted a photo on TikTok exposing Wendy’s for this practice. Find all the details below.
TikTok exposes Wendy's upselling tactic
A misplaced sign has sparked a wave of frustration from Wendy's customers on TikTok. Vasquez's photo shows a sign at his local Wendy’s drive-thru window, which—likely meant to be facing employees on the other side of window—states: “Remember to upsell combos and Biggie bags.”
"My local Wendys has this outside their window," Vazques wrote. "Thanks man, I hate having money anyway!"
In the comments, other fast-food employees shared their own experiences with upselling. One commenter mentioned, "When I worked at Wendy’s if we upsold 10+ people in a day they’d let us get a free large meal." Another wrote, "When I worked at Bojangles if someone ordered a combo we had to ring it up as a large unless they explicitly said they wanted a medium."
This isn’t the first time Wendy’s has been scrutinized for its upselling practices. Back in March, The Sun reported that a Wendy’s manager allegedly revealed the company’s upcharging tactics to a customer, who then posted about it on X. According to the customer, the manager said, "The regular is medium, the $7 is for small, corporate asks us to try to upsell." The customer, feeling misled, wrote, "Well buddy, you didn’t give me the small option so I assumed it’s priced as 'regular.'" They ended their post with a warning: "Watch out for this blatant upsale scam!"
Upselling, a common tactic in the fast-food industry, involves encouraging customers to purchase more expensive items or add-ons. While it can boost sales, it often leaves customers feeling pressured or deceived. As fast food prices continue to rise and consumers take to social media to air their frustrations, there seems to be growing discontent among consumers who feel manipulated by these strategies.
So next time you're at the drive-thru, stand firm and stick with your Small!
READ MORE: Wendy’s Just Added A Brand New Frosty Flavor—And Fans Are Calling It ‘So Gross!’
