A TikToker’s clever “hack” for getting free food at fast food restaurants is winning people over on the video-sharing platform.
TikTok user Tien (@tiendiemtran) shared a video of her sitting in her car snacking on Burger King fries.
“Want free food from anywhere? tell the employees youll drive around their drive thru a couple times,” she writes, claiming that she got an additional six burgers and four fries using this method.
@tiendiemtran thanks @Burger King ♬ Eemiaj FNF remix – Eemiaj Mejor
It’s the kind of suggestion that sounds like it comes from someone familiar with the inner workings — and frustrations — of the fast food industry.
At many chain restaurants like Burger King, employees are timed on how long it takes to fulfill an order from the moment customers pull up to the speaker to when they drive off with their food. The specific criteria may vary between restaurants, but the idea is the same. Move fast — regardless of what’s happening behind the scenes or whether the customer is causing the delay — or get chastised later.
Tien’s suggestion of offering to drive around a few times would, in theory, help the worker at the window improve their average, taking some stress off of them if they end up having a car that moves slowly at another point in their shift. It’s not difficult to see why some employees might be more than happy to offer some free food in return.
“Main reason I quit fast food. hated the times,” user @dreamyyth0tt chimed in. “btw do it at night most morning crew aren’t chill like that.”
“At my old job us night crew would use our breaks and those leavin work to drive around a few times,” user @ryegummy added.
Another viewer who claimed to currently work at a fast food restaurant added that “if you ask nicely we’d definitely do it especially if it’s kids.”
The TikToker made a follow-up video explaining more about the drive-thru timer and how people who are financially struggling can secure a meal. She also reminded people to be good to the workers in the process.
@tiendiemtran Replying to @jake_.symons ♬ original sound – tien:)<3
“This goes without saying but like, don’t make it harder for people who work in these situations,” she explains. “I didn’t just go up to the person and say, ‘I’m going to drive around your thing, so can you give me free food for that?’ or anything like that. I just overheard them talking about it because they were really stressed out about it, and I was like, ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll just help you out. I know what it’s like.’”
“You know, humans being humans,” she adds.
The Daily Dot reached out to @tiendiemtran via TikTok comment.
