Hello My Burger Broiling Buddies,

I write to you this fine day to address the state of the world we live in, and how that involves BURGER KING®. I'd like to start off by saying how I've enjoyed your delicious burgers for years. There are McCompetitors that cannot compare quality-wise or taste-wise to grilled ground beef patty satisfaction. Some place still needs to make a man's burger... and I'm sure you're proud that the WHOPPER® is arguably the most unhealthy fast food burger on the market as far as calories, fat, and carbs are concerned. Kudos to bucking 'health' trends... and excellent job shutting people up by finally offering that veggie burger. Those health freaks need to live a little!

I understand that as times change, menu items come and go. I miss they days of the little mini-burgers that you could order by the 3's, and I miss how the fries used to be... and the 'shaker' fries. Unfortunately, I haven't eaten at a BURGER KING® since you've introduced the FIRE-GRILLED SHRIMP GARDEN SALAD®. You see, my friends... I have a severe allergic reaction to any and all types of shellfish. This includes shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, muscles, oysters, squid, snails, crayfish, and the like. My allergy is so severe that even contact on the same grill can warrant a trip to the emergency room. So, alas, I've had to (sadly) cut the BK® from my ever-dwindling restaurant selection... as any given burger may cause certain death.

I was considering a trip in to try the new BK CHICKEN FRIES® that I have seen advertised... as I had assumed that these would be fried, and not touch the grill anywhere near said grilled shrimp... but I hear tales form friends that some of the area BURGER KING® restaurants are now serving fried shrimp? I took a look at your website... and didn't see this on your menu, but I realize that sometimes some locations are used as 'test markets' to try out new products, and thusly may be 'top secret' and not listed. Is this true? If so, I will indeed be forever forced to stay away from your fine establishment.

This brings me to some other points... first the more minor of the two: There's nowhere to e-mail you at the BURGER KING® website. Above when I was mentioning progression and changing times, I had commended you on the menu aspect. Though, I must say, such a large company in 2005 not having a posted e-mail address, a web contact form, or someone in-house to take care of all of that... is a pretty superannuated way of thinking. I will take the time to print and mail this via the US Postal Service, but think how much more efficient and timely an e-mail would have been.

The other point... in talking to my friends (the ones that informed me of this new fried shrimp), I have heard about a steady decline in service in your stores in the Pittsburgh area and Southwestern PA in general. One has even commented that he may join me in my self-imposed exile from the burger kingdom due to lack of quality service. He has repeatedly gone to a BURGER KING® drive-thru on the way to work in the morning for breakfast, to have his order served incorrectly 3 out of 5 days a week... and on the other 2 days to be told that they're out of certain items, such as the tiny little cinnamon buns. He is not one to exaggerate.

I don't understand how it can be difficult to fill an order that is typed out for you on a screen. The only skill you need is reading comprehension. Is it hard to find employees with said skills? The second matter is clearly a management responsibility. If you repeatedly run out of an item at peak times... don't you think that you would learn to prepare & order more accurately? Don't they teach this in BK® management training?

Do you think the emphasis of going to college or trade school today to get higher-paying managerial jobs has put a damper on the employee pool that fast-food chain restaurants like yourself have to pull from, and imposed a stigma upon the 'fast food worker' job in general?

Oh well, my letter was not meant to criticize. I merely wanted to open a discussion and hear your thoughts on my allergy issues and my friends' service issues... and see if there was a way in the future that I may perhaps somehow return to BURGER KING® as a proud customer... knowing that BK® cares about my health as well as the health-nuts, and that you care about the individual service that your stores provide. I look forward whole-heartedly to your reply!


Can't Eat the Shrimp Juice,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD