My son and I stopped to eat at McDonald's on Indiantown Road yesterday. We were changing from I-95 to the Turnpike and decided to get a bite to eat before continuing.
When it was our turn to order, the young lady who took our order appeared to be distracted and indifferent to, not just our patronage particularly, but to patronage of the restaurant of any kind. Our order number was 114 Sunday morning between 11am and 12 noon, I'm certain McDonald's will be able to identify the young lady and retrain her. But they should know that she was not the only one I write this about.
My order was a #6 medium sized with a LARGE Coffee rather than a soft drink. My son had a #8 with medium soft drink. I was charge over $20, it seemed steep, but instead of a fuss I waited for the order to come to see exactly what I was getting before getting it straightened out.
When my order came, it contained 3 sandwiches, 2 fries, a single cup for the soft drink and NO COFFEE.
I started with the coffee. I began to ask the young lady for the coffee I ordered, but a young man who seemed to be filling most of the orders at the time stepped in and asked how what I needed. I told him I was missing a large coffee, he looked and quickly turned to me to say, they didn't have large coffee cups. I asked if I could have a medium then and just come back for refills. He suddenly seemed upset and said he will have to ask the manager.
He left toward the office as I watched and talked to the shortest and oldest of the 3 individuals wearing manager apparel who has it happens was a woman, who listened and started toward the front of the store near the drive through where she stopped to begin a conversation with a tall male by the fries who was also wearing manager gear.
The male who alerted her to my request returned to his duties as I awaited her assistance. After a moment, I was asked by a crew member who was on Drive-Thru duty what I needed and I replied, I was waiting for the manager and pointed to the lady having the conversation 5 feet from me. The crew member alerted her I was waiting for her and continued her work as the manager continued her conversation.
I was then approached by the young lady who had originally taken my order, who now seems dot be annoyed with me. I was asked what I needed and I politely told her I was waiting for the manger and again pointed to the same manager I was still waiting for who was still having a conversation with her back to me. The young lady went over and alerted the manger for a 3rd time. After which the manager turned, looked at her, listened to her, looked at me, turned back to the person she was talking to, turned back toward me rolled her eyes and displayed body language that conveyed the term, "Alright, if I have to."
She made her way over and asked how she could help me. I told her I was overcharged for my lunch, provided with a sandwich I didn't order and not provided with coffee I did order. When I asked for my coffee I was told that my request required a manager to resolve and that's why I'm waiting. I was told I could not be given a large coffee because there were no large coffee cups, and when I suggested a compromise, and I started to say, "The young man went to get you." but the manager raised her hand, said, "ALRIGHT!" turned and looked to see that there were indeed large coffee cups there to make me a large coffee with. The young lady who took my order began to fill my coffee order while loudly explaining that I didn't need to get her manager, I could have just told her. But the young lady didn't under stand that since the order filling crew member who wouldn't fill my coffee order brought me a manager, that instead of just eating the cost of the extra sandwich and letting my son the bottomless pit, just have it, i felt I would get a refund for the extra sandwich while I had to deal with the manager, which is something the unauthorized young lady crew member would not be able to provide anyway.
All and all, the experience was the worst experience I have ever had at McDonald's. I understand they have a rough job for little pay. AND, it was very busy.
Like many Americans, I was once, myself a crew member and eventually a swing shift manager when I was a kid.
What I saw wasn't one or 2 bad eggs in a bunch, but a culture of bad service beginning with the leadership. The staff, which was of sufficient quantity but insufficient quality to handle the amount of business they were handling, was rude, unhappy, inattentive and insensitive to the needs of the customers, most of who were tourists and from what I heard in many cases struggling with english. The staff made even a simple request for ketchup, feel like pulling teeth. I needed napkins myself, which were not readily available except on request, so I'm speaking to the plight of the people ahead of me searching for ketchup, but I felt their pain as I waited my turn. read more