Tuesday, January 24, 2012

McDonald's: NOT Lovin' It

Let me tell you about my experience at McDonald's today.  And before I do, I bet you have one to match or better it.

4:00 this afternoon.

I drive up to a local McDonald's franchise.  The drive-thru is seven cars deep but I'm worn out, long day, and figure it will be an opportunity to check my email while I wait.

Eventually I am second in line at the order window.  The car in front of me sits for, oh, maybe 7 minutes before pulling up.  This is a long time at a drive-thru window.  But when he advances, I pull up and stop at the window.  And wait.

Wait.

Wait.

"Hellooooo?" I said.  "Anybody there?"

Wait.

Wait.

"Is this thing working?"

Nothing.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

So I pull to the side. "What the hell," I think.  Why not.  I go .... inside.

It gets good here.  When I walk inside there are five people at the counter and four are pissed off.  On the other side of the counter there are two employees and one of them is bitching out a customer.

"Excuse ME, MA'AM, but would you like a REBATE?  WHAT can I do for you NOW?!  I'm SORRY if you not happy with your ORDER but WHAT do you want ME to do about it?  MA'AM?!"

And this employee is wagging her head back and forth, hands on hips and using the most sarcastic tone you can imagine.  The customer is a middle aged woman with a child who looked to be about 7 or 8.

Meanwhile, another customer has a half unwrapped burger in her hand and is hopping from one foot to the other waiting to get her issue settled; another customer is standing at the counter, "Am I going to get my order?  I have to be at work!  If it's not coming, I've got to go....".

A manager finally walks up.

"What's the trouble here?"  She attempts to sort things out.  She sends Miss Sarcastic back to the window (which is why she was not there to take my order) and attempts to restore order.

This does not last long because as the woman with the child attempts to explain what's wrong with her order to the manager, Miss Sarcastic comes back from the window with that head wagging thing again and this time she's pointing her finger.

If this girl worked for me she would have been fired on the spot.  The manager, clearly frustrated, sends her back to the window.

Finally my order comes out (woman with child is still waiting for her plain hamburger, and woman that needs to get to work is still waiting).

My order is wrong.  It's missing one of the two sandwiches.  I give it back to the manager.

Woman with child gives up and takes her order the way it came and explains to her child that they'll just scrape off the offending ingredients.  Woman who has to go to work is still waiting.  More customers have stacked up behind us all.  Meanwhile, Miss Sarcastic is working the window.

My order comes out a second time and it is still wrong but I don't have the heart to send it back.  I just take it and leave.  As I go, I notice that cars are stacked up twelve deep in the drive-thru.

So tell me why McDonald's is posting record profits

Where's the civility?  The customer service?  The "home-training?"

So when The Teenager feels the need for fast food, I'll route him to Burger King or Wendy's from now on.

Got a similar story?

14 comments:

Sarah said...

I had a similar one @ McD's a few months ago and I bitched about it on Twitter until one of their PR people contacted me.

Mr. SIGIS said...

Oh no she didn't! Mmm mmmm mmmm!

Mike Thiac said...

Today, on the way to pick up my truck from the mechanic I decide to get some coffee through the drive through.

"Hello?.....Hello?"

"Welcome to McDonalds, may I help you?"

"Medium coffee, two Spenda, cream."

"Medium coffee, sugar and two cremes."

"No, medium coffee, two splenda, cream!"

"Medium coffee and what?"

"Medium coffee, two splenda, cream!"

Not as bad as your trip but still enough to get on your nerves.

Watching Blue Collar Comedy Tour instead of SOTU. Please tell me you're not wasting your time on it!

Pat Austin Becker said...

I'm not. I'm listening to rain and reading a book. I tried; I watched 3 minutes, got ill and quit. Rain. Book. Better.

Jayhawk said...

MacDonalds is making record profits because they advertise to kids and the kids browbeat their parents into taking them. Parents are not in charge of families these days, kids are. Just watch families in stores and restaraunts. If I had behaved like that my father would have jerked a knot in me.

Jazz One said...

Back when I lived in Shreveport I went to the McDonald's on North Market. I ordered a Big Mac, just meat and cheese. I get it and it has everything on it. I get it remade, and it is still wrong. It took FIVE times to get my sandwich correct. I didn't know there was that many ways to screw up "meat and cheese only".
It is a rare day when you find me dealing with McD's. Most of the time it is when I'm traveling with someone else and it is what they want.

Anonymous said...

1982-My 80 year old Aunt was visiting. Went to McD. She ordered a fish sandwich and asked if she could get it with NO tarter sauce but with one slice of pickle.

Answer=NO.

My wife has not been back there since(29 years). Lost a bunch of business over a slice of pickle.

lady di said...

Time to rename that "Happy Meal"

jaybike said...

Went to McD's on N. Marktet on Monday pm after the lunch rush for a coffee & apple pie. I usually park and go inside when I see more than 3 cars in line. The guy ahead of me asked if they would cut his hambuger in two pieces. The lady said "No, knives are not allowed in the kitchen." I laughed. He then asked for and recieved a plastic knife.
I know that McD's sure keeps Frymaster happy.

Kartman said...

Was Miss Sarcastic a teen? If so she was probably in a classroom today displaying that same sarcastic attitude.

Red said...

Ba-da-da-da-da I'm slumming it! McD's sucks :-P

Mr. SIGIS said...

McDonal's ain't my kind of place;
they serve your rattlesnake,
hamburgers up your nose,
French fries between your toes:
And don't forget those chocolate shakes,
they're from polluted lakes,
McDonalds ain't my kind of place.

Bride Of Rove said...

it happens

Anonymous said...

Remember their competitor used to sing, "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce. Special orders don't upset us."

They were taking a jab at McDs. If you make a special order at McDs, the fault is yours, because their system just won't handle it.