The Customer’s Survival Guide to McDonald’s

As you might have learned in my previous blog, I work at McDonald’s. I have work at the McDonald’s in Ada, Ohio for nearly three years. In my time working there, I have seen a lot and therefore, I have learned a lot.

My McDonald’s, as well as many other fast-food restaurants, has had many customer complaints. Some customers have even gone as far to yell at me with foul language. Through my experience, I found there is a main cause for why these issues occur and many simple solutions. Overall, there are some aspects to fast food which customers are unaware of which can affect the service given to them. Therefore, I wish to shed light on some causes of common issues and provide simple solutions to aid them.

Issue 1: The service is too slow.

Possible Causes:

·       The restaurant may be busy or short staffed. It is difficult to perform fast service when there are not enough people working at the given time. This can cause the team to fall behind. Also, when the restaurant is busy, it can become chaotic and difficult for the employees to get everything in a timely fashion.

·       You or another customer has a large order. If you or someone else ahead of you has a large order, it can take longer. It can also depend on what you order. For example, 10 hot chocolates take longer to make than 10 McChickens. If a lot of a product is ordered within a short period of time, the restaurant will have to make more which can also add to time.

·       Customers are taking longer to order and/or pay. Some customers may arrive to have their order taken without knowing what they want. They may also arrive to pay without having their money prepared. This causes the process to take longer which slows the service of other customers.

Solutions: The overall solution is to be understanding and prepared. The staff could be slow at the time, or other customers may cause the restaurant to run slower. You never know what could be happening. If you have a larger order, be prepared for a wait. You can also go inside if you have a larger order to prevent obstruction of the drive-thru. It is also helpful to prepare your order and payment before you reach the restaurant. You can check the McDonald’s website to see the menu or call the restaurant for questions. Having your payment out and ready when you go to pay is helpful as well.

Issue 2: Your order is wrong

Possible Causes:

·       The order taker interpreted your order incorrectly. It is possible for order takers to misinterpret what you say. For example, fry can sometimes sound like Sprite. It is also possible something was not clarified. For example, if you say you want a number four but do not specify you only want the sandwich, you may be charged for the meal. Also, you may say you want three hotcakes and sausage but if you do not specify you only want one order, you may be charged for three separate orders.

·       Bags got switched. Occasionally, orders are handed to the wrong person and by the time it is realized, it is too late.

·       An employee made a mistake. Someone making the sandwich might have forgotten you did not want onions, or someone making your drink might have accidentally used the wrong flavoring. As any other human, it is possible someone made an honest mistake.

Solutions: Again, the main solution here is to be understanding. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is not on purpose. When giving your order, try to be as clear as possible. It is okay to ask to have your order repeated to see if it is correct. Also, if a mistake with your order does occur, it is OK! It can be fixed. You can simply inform one of the employees or managers what is wrong, and the correct items will be given. If you find a problem when you have already left the restaurant, you can call and get a replacement in the future. Unfortunately, there are times replacements or corrections cannot be done. For example, if something is missing from your order, you might still be required to pay for it. This is simply so the restaurant does not lose money. Also, if you purchased an item which is unavailable, you might have to be refunded if a substitution cannot be made.

Including these two common issues, many other issues are possible as well. In the end, no matter what the issue is, the main thing is to be understanding. If an issue occurs, the best thing to do is be calm and reasonable. Yelling at a worker is never the answer. Feel free to comment other fast-food issues you would like me to address!