Nando's addresses staff always asking customers 'have you been to Nando's before?'

You know your order like the back of your hand, you don’t even need to look at a menu.

The spice level is set, your mouth can already taste those PERi-PERi chips. Nando’s is so familiar to so many of us Brits at this point, it’s like a second home.

And yet, every time we walk through those same doors, seeing the faces of the same servers who were there last time, we still get asked the same question.

“Have you been to Nando’s before?”

Sure, some of us aren’t bothered by this bit of script. But some people get massively p**sed off by it.

Like, of course we’ve been to Nando’s before.

But the chain has addressed their staff always asking diners if they’ve been before.

Well, Nandos has tongue-in-cheek acknowledged how annoyed people get by the question anyway.

On the website for its locations, it includes: “So whatever your plans, come in, say hey and hear those six familiar words... ‘Have you been to Nando's before?’ We'll do the rest.”

Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

The PERi-PERi chicken serving restaurant has even tweeted sarcastically about those practically scripted six words with posts like: “’hAvE yOu BeEn To NaNdO’s BeFoRe?’”

Other social media posts even joke: “Tag a mate who’s never been asked if they’ve been to Nando’s before.”

One user joked how they react to the infamous question: “My typical reply is usually ‘I’ve put in more shifts than you, man’ (not really, but I’d love to say it cos it’s true).”

Although one did write: “Cos why did the girl at Nando’s say, ‘I know you’ve been here before so i won’t tell you what to do, see you next week tho.’”

But you’d be surprised to hear that for some Nando’s workers, having to ask that question isn’t even the one their most sick of repeating to diners.

Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images

Worker Alicia took to TikTok to air her grievances as she said: “Please state your chosen spice when ordering at Nando's."

Looking thoroughly unimpressed, she went on to add: "I'm one more 'how spicy' away from quitting my job."

And look, we get it. There are days when your customer service voice just stops working.

Still, we didn't realise that was the question p**sing Nando's workers off so much, though it seems Alicia isn't the only one feeling irritated by asking.

A lot of fellow Nando's workers sympathised, with one saying: "When they say mild and you just wanna cry there and then!!"

Seems like those classic PERi-PERi phrases are equally annoying to them as they are to us.

Topics: Food And Drink, Nando's, UK News, Social Media, Twitter

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_