French Fries- Is it about me or them...

I am currently on the French fry free diet. You will not find it in a book, or posted online anywhere. It is just my personal diet plan. And let me start by telling you I don't generally believe in dieting, I believe in balanced eating and working out. So for me to go on a 'diet' it always becomes a topic of conversations with friends over meals. Lately people keep trying to offer me French fries and see if I will eat them or not. Or my friends will eat French fries in front of me, and tell me they are horrible, so that I am not jealous they are eating the fries. I have been at this for about 3 weeks and still going strong. My goal is June 28th. And sweet potato fries do not count.

Now what do French fries have to do with feedback you might ask.

I was having one of those dinners with a friend where the topic turned to French fries. I'll call him French Fry Guy (FFG). FFG travels a lot for work, and tries to avoid French fries and fast-food whenever he can; even though sometimes it is necessary while on the road. FFG also shared with me that he only likes hot French fries, and if he gets cold ones he will not eat them. He even told me his new approach for making a point about the freshness of his French fries at the fast-food window. Before pulling away FFG will taste the French fries; if they are hot he will say, "These French fries are so hot, thank you" and drive off. If the French fries are cold he will say, "These French fries are cold, and I will leave them over at the bottom of the bag, so I am going to give them back to you and you can serve them to someone else." And then he drives off without the French fries.

My first reaction was shocked, and I said, "You realize FFG that probably is not the most effective way to offer feedback?" And he asked for my suggestion. I told him I would take the address of the specific fast-food joint and write them a letter about the freshness of their food, and that a more formal technique will probably make its way to management more easily and advance his desired result- hot French fries.

Then FFG told me he did not really care if the change was made, but he did not want to be responsible for wasting the food. He told me it was "what's in it for me (FFG)" and not "what's in it for them (fast-food joint with cold fries)."

I think he should take iLoveFeedback, and/or learn about the Complaint Free World, because if he was not trying to make an impact to the direct vendor (improve results or relationships), then why was he telling me about it?