Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

McDonalds need to reevaluate their services

73 replies

Mooloolabababy · 17/09/2021 21:26

Took ds to McDonalds for a treat tonight as dh and dd are off on a camp, we don't go that often maybe every couple of months if that.
It was pandemonium!!
Had to circle the car park 4 times to find a spot (never had to do that before!) expecting it to be rammed when I got in there, there were over half of the tables free, however, it was packed full of deliveroo/just eat drivers picking up orders, there had to be over 20 of them, so that's the reason I couldn't park! The poor kitchen workers just couldn't cook the food quick enough. I just don't think that the McDonalds restaurants are set up to deal with an extra ordering source, I've always noticed that when the drive through is busy, that the restaurant side suffers, but if you Chuck the online orders in to the mix then it's just chaos! We had to wait about 15 mins, not too bad considering (burger was cold though) but the system just doesn't work. The last time I went (in summer) we had to wait 20 mins and I had to send back two chicken burgers as they were still frozen in the middle (more fool me for going again I guess!). It's all well and good being able to order your Maccas for delivery, but it means that those that choose to visit the restaurant get a really poor service.

OP posts:

TakeYourFinalPosition · 17/09/2021 21:29

That might be a local problem with yours - and maybe it’s worth complaining so that they know? You’ll probably get a £5 voucher, too…

Ours doesn’t have a massive car park is always busy, but collection drivers park away from the car park. They’re not allowed to use the spaces, so if the two/three collection spots are gone; they park over the road and run over.

Duckypoohs · 17/09/2021 21:30

They will probably build delivery only restaurants eventually. I'm glad I left before the delivery service started.

mummyof2boys30 · 17/09/2021 21:31

The last few times we have had mcdonalds the food definitely wasn't hot enough. This was in a couple of different branches

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 17/09/2021 21:33

Same experience last time I went - never again. Good excuse for me coz I don't really like it but kids love it.
Bella Italia in town had the same issue in terms of speed of service/cooking when we were in there too. Endless deliveroo/uber/just eat drivers and orders

Laiste · 17/09/2021 21:34

Yep the drive thru took bloody ages tonight. Hardly anyone in the restaurant itself but loads of delivery drivers haring in and out of the car park. Getting worse every week. (we go after DDs swimming).

humph.

Took longer to get the food than eat it. Surely that's the point when you can't call it 'fast' food anymore really ...

roarfeckingroarr · 17/09/2021 21:35

McDonald's as a treat... 😐🤨

Original poster

Mooloolabababy · 17/09/2021 21:37

@roarfeckingroarr

McDonald's as a treat... 😐🤨

It certainly is for my 8 year old ds, he loves it.

OP posts:

ScrumptiousBears · 17/09/2021 21:37

Ours are rammed with these delivery people as well. They also serve them first and let the rest of us stand and wait. I absolutely avoid these places now much to my kids annoyance

Wotwhywhen · 17/09/2021 21:38

I have noticed this too.

I always actually go into a McDonalds, never order it for delivery and never use drive thru.

10 years ago in Coventry
I'd go in, queue, get to the front, see the racks full of burgers and stuff, order, get it handed to me on a tray, go find a seat and, strange as it sounds, relax for 30 minutes and enjoy the burger.

Last week in Scunthorpe
Go in, get directed to a big screen, it's not very good at registering touch, but I muddle through, I pay, take a plastic stand with a number on, pass the counters and notice no rack full of food. Sit and wait. Watch as Deliveroo / Uber eats walk in, get loads of food, then leave, watch drive thru cars constantly flow pass, watch workers take huge bags of food out to cars and vans.
10 minutes pass, I ask where my.food is, on the way. I wait, watch, 10.more minutes pass, a worker brings a tray over and drops it on the table mumbling something, wanders off. My single burger is cold, the fries are limp and there's no ice in the coke.
I have to hurry as time is running short. No relaxing or enjoying, just get it eaten and leave.

It was borderline pleasant before, it is not a pleasant experience at all now in my experience. Like people.in store are the lowest on priority list, seen as an inconvenience in a lot of ways.

DroopyClematis · 17/09/2021 21:39

Too many people now( dare I say that they're probably wfh, ) are having regular UberEats, Deliveroo and JustEasts right now. Our local takeaways have queues of customers and delivery drivers queuing outside now.

MacDonald's is exceptionally popular, hence slow service and wrong orders.

Not sure what the answer is. More staff equates to a smaller working environment but a bigger working environment equates to planning and sourcing more space.

It's us, really... too much choice, home delivery, order and eat it now.

Not sure what the answer is.

Go back to the office ...NOOOO!
Make your own lunch... noooo, it'll take up my lunch hour!

Original poster

Mooloolabababy · 17/09/2021 21:42

@Duckypoohs

They will probably build delivery only restaurants eventually. I'm glad I left before the delivery service started.

Yep, was thinking that tonight, it just isn't a sustainable service. Too many orders from too many sources and only one kitchen. I really felt for the staff tonight, they were getting shit from all sides as no ones orders were ready in time.

OP posts:

Ikeptgoing · 17/09/2021 21:47

That sounds like a local problem as it isn't my experience at all even in our new mcDs that has poor staffing

No cold burgers just a bit slow service

Report it and say you why were unhappy

They will send you vouchers & fgs go to a different MCDs next time as that is a rubbish one that won't last long

Nobody wants cold burgers

ThirtyCharacterUsernamesOnly30 · 17/09/2021 21:47

Round here they don't seem too bad. But I don't go that often, so maybe I've just been lucky. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think what someone suggested above is a good idea though. We have a delivery only place near us called Woksta. You can only order for delivery, no eating in, no collection. Their menu is also relatively small too, which probably helps. It's really good, we get hot fresh food delivered relatively quickly, unless it's really busy like on a Saturday night around 8pm, then the wait is provably an hour.

Original poster

Mooloolabababy · 17/09/2021 21:48

@ScrumptiousBears

Ours are rammed with these delivery people as well. They also serve them first and let the rest of us stand and wait. I absolutely avoid these places now much to my kids annoyance

Yeah i nearly left when I couldn't park (wish I had now!) said to ds that we won't be going to that one again, there's another we could try, not sure I can be arsed with the faff of it all for shit, cold food!

OP posts:

PiddleOfPuppies · 17/09/2021 21:53

I'm glad it's not just my local McDonald's that's like this. I waited 20 minutes for two meals in amongst a crowd of Deliveroo drivers. While I was waiting, two people came in to return their orders because they were wrong! My meal was cold when it finally arrived so I complained and got a refund. It's not a sustainable model. I suppose they were expecting Deliveroo to reduce once lockdown ended and people were allowed to dine in, but it hasn't happened.

Original poster

Mooloolabababy · 17/09/2021 21:58

@PiddleOfPuppies

Yeah I just sat in there today thinking "what is this shit?" It's not fast food anymore, because it's too slow, it's not convenient as I couldnt even park up! (Nowhere else to park!) so really what is the point?! All in all, it was completely crap and I'll not be in a rush to do again anytime soon.

OP posts:

FelicityBeedle · 17/09/2021 22:02

If you want hot food (and slightly quicker I think because it doesn’t get given to the delivery drivers) customise your burger and fries, ask for no salt on the fries and extra salad or no gherkins or something. Much fresher

Ohdoleavemealone · 17/09/2021 22:05

This isn't my experience at all. We are a small city though with 4 Mcdonalds within 20 mins of our house.
Never too full for a parking space and although we occasionally find our food isn't warm it never takes longer than 10 minutes to arrive.

Ohpulltheotherone · 17/09/2021 22:07

Having a McDonald’s delivered is just grim.

Mcds is alright as an occasional visit, I do like the fries and milkshake but having a cold greasy burger delivered to you - or worst still, a cold breakfast. Rank.

Totally agree, the good thing about McDs is that it was quick and hot and you could be in and out in 5 minutes. Now it’s just full of drivers to cater the absolute lazy rotters who can’t even summon the energy to sit in their car and go to a drive through

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 17/09/2021 22:10

Sit at a table and order on the app. Even quicker if you line up your order before you arrive and press go when you find your table. Relax while you wait for your burger to come to you. I normally customise too - maybe that’s why I haven’t noticed anything to be cold.

Trumanshow · 17/09/2021 22:10

We went to kfc the other day and it was the same! Loads of deliveroo drivers in there waiting to pick up. We ended up not being able to get what we wanted; waited half hour for food and when it arrived it was horrible. And they locked the front door whilst we were in there to stop anymore coming in… and the toilets weren’t open!!

SpittinKitten · 17/09/2021 22:11

@FelicityBeedle

^ this

gardeninggirl68 · 17/09/2021 22:13

well we weren't moaning when the restaurants were shut and we were in lockdown......it was a solution then

and people have got used to delivery.

camelfinger · 17/09/2021 22:18

I used to go regularly as a teen in the 90s. It was a fascinating place, a hive of activity. You could see everyone working together in the kitchen and the food sliding down on the server side.
I hadn’t been for years. Last time (and probably the last time) I had a similar experience to others on this thread. Hardly any customers, had to wait ages. My kids didn’t see what all the fuss was about, just another burger.

Wotwhywhen · 17/09/2021 22:24

I used to go regularly as a teen in the 90s

My home town McDonald's on the 90s was a mysterious place that we only went into when there was a birthday.
I remember smoking was allowed in there.
We'd see Ronald and the HamBurgler and kids cakes and such.
That all seemed to vanish by the end of the 90s tho and McDonald's changed from Kids Birthday place, to adults and a regular place to go. Before I turned 20 I can count on 1 hand how often I visited a McDonalds, these days people seem to go weekly or daily.

Flip

1 2 3