I’m A Manager At McDonalds... AMA!

[WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue]

I’m a Manager at McDonalds

I’ve worked for McDonalds for several years in different stores and have received personal awards for my customer service. I never initially wanted to become a manager, however with the support and encouragement of my business manager I went through the crew development programme to become one.

So... AMA?

If I wanted onion in my veggie burger, do you think they would do that for me? What about tomato?

AgeBeforeBeauty Of course! People ask for extras all the time (certain ones you have to pay for like cheese, sausage, bacon etc.) but it’s really common

Thank you! I'm a bit shy and don't want to put people out, but that's good to know.

I've loved this AMA, you sound like a lovely manager and I wish you well in your career :)

I've been following this thread over the last few weeks and found it very interesting. I have mixed feelings about the touch screen / cook to order system. I do like the screens, it makes it very easy to browse/customise instead of squinting at boards over the counter and trying to explain "onions but no sauce" to a member of staff when it is very noisy. However while I don't mind waiting a bit for a complex or large order, it is usually now several mins for a strsightforward Big Mac and fries even when the restaurant is not overly busy which is quite annoying.

Thank you! I'm a bit shy and don't want to put people out, but that's good to know.

AgeBeforeBeauty I know what you mean! I felt the same way before I worked here but grill (custom) orders are very common and now everything is cooked to order they don’t take any longer either.

I've loved this AMA, you sound like a lovely manager and I wish you well in your career

Thank you so much!

Meet0nTheIedge It should never be several minutes for any order and if it is something in the system isn’t working (short staffed, stock issues etc) and it therefore isn’t working how it should.

We aren’t in the mindset of fast food anymore though; we aren’t fast food and we don’t call ourselves that. We’re a quick service restaurant and we want to give our customers a great experience, so it isn’t a case of food as fast as possible, here you go, goodbye anymore.

I've just been to one of the old style ones at lunchtime. I have too say it seemed chaotic compared to the new system but I did get served immediately and my food a lot more quickly.

Can i ask a favour OP?

If you ever hear even a distant rumour of the Grand Big Mac coming back, could you post it here?

You could drop not too cryptic hints.

Just so I can clear my diary.

I loved those things so much.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. My occasional treat is getting a drive-through then eating it whilst sitting in the car listening to the comedy on Radio 4 and people-watching.

The phrase "corrective coaching" sounds so sinister though! A bit 1984!

I've just been to one of the old style ones at lunchtime. I have too say it seemed chaotic compared to the new system but I did get served immediately and my food a lot more quickly.

Meet0nTheIedge Grill Direct was very chaotic and I don’t miss it at all. It was very, very stressful for crew as you had to do absolutely everything all at once and customers were served food that was not exactly fresh, simply kept warm or of a good quality, and shoved out the door as soon as possible.

There are, thankfully, less than 100 Grill Direct stores left in the UK.

If you ever hear even a distant rumour of the Grand Big Mac coming back, could you post it here?

Nissemand I will do! It’s not the next promotion which is coming next week (so if you’re a Big Tasty fan this is your last chance for a bit!) but if I hear of it I will try and make reference to it

I've really enjoyed reading this thread.

LemonRedwood Thank you!

The phrase "corrective coaching" sounds so sinister though! A bit 1984!

Really? I don’t see it! We call it that because we have training and coaching. Training is when you first start on a station; you get trained on it and learn how to work it. Coaching is ongoing; if crew are doing X instead of Y they need to be coached on the importance of, and reason for, doing Y.

All our training and coaching is encouraging. You want and need crew to care, and they won’t if they don’t understand why Y is necessary or you just shout at them. You need to spend time with them and explain.

Yes, it did look chaotic, crowded and stressful behind the counter. However it did make me wonder if the new system has enabled them to cut staff numbers.

What's different between the US and UK stores/ processes that the US can do all day breakfast but the UK can't? Just curious.

Yes, it did look chaotic, crowded and stressful behind the counter. However it did make me wonder if the new system has enabled them to cut staff numbers.

Meet0nTheIedge Nope! Quite the opposite; we need more crew on the new system than we did on the old one.

Here’s a quick breakdown. So before, on the old system Grill Direct you’d have on average:

• Five counter crew all on a till doing several orders at once
• Four kitchen crew; two chicken side two beef side

On the new EOTF system you need:
• Fixed till
• Flex till
• 2 x crew in beverages and desserts
• Fry person
• 2 runners minimum

• Side 1 initiator
• Side 1 Grill batch
• Side 1 assembler
• Side 1 finisher
• Side 2 chicken batch
• Side 2 initiator

(If it’s busy you also need a fixed presenter and an expeditor on front counter and at least one more on side 2 in kitchen)

Then of course EOTF also have the new position of Customer Experience Leader.

None of those positions are managers either, as managers shouldn’t be stuck to a station, so you should have at least two managers if not three or four.

The new EOTF system pretty much doubles the amount of crew required due to the way it works.

What's different between the US and UK stores/ processes that the US can do all day breakfast but the UK can't? Just curious.

VimFuego101 It’s to do with space and infrastructure. The US, like Australia, has a lot of land so they are able to build newer, purpose built larger McDonalds to accommodate this. The UK is comparatively smaller and many of our buildings were built hundreds of years ago.

You will find very few purpose built McDonalds in the UK; they are placed in old existing buildings which cannot be adjusted to allow for the space and room that would be required to host all day breakfast.

Still enjoying this thread OP and you sound like a great manager who aims to get the best out of their staff through mutual respect. Despite being a hard worker who meets store targets and receives good customer reviews, I am largely ignored by one of two managers because I'm not loud or jokey enough for them. It's a shame for they don't get the best out of me because I'm always on edge around them. I'm going to suggest this thread to my colleagues - they could definitely learn a lot.

Still enjoying this thread OP and you sound like a great manager who aims to get the best out of their staff through mutual respect.

MonsterRehab23 Thank you! I definitely do that. At the very least I want each shift to be a good one. A good manager learns a lot about their staff; they talk to them and take an interest in them not only to build a relationship with them but to get the best out of them too.

I immediately notifice if one of my crew walks on shift and something isnt quite right and I’ll work to accommodate it. It’s a shame two of yours aren’t like that!

You will find very few purpose built McDonalds in the UK; they are placed in old existing buildings which cannot be adjusted to allow for the space and room that would be required to host all day breakfast.

Slot on retail parks but there I guess they would be limited on space they can buy?

Slot on retail parks but there I guess they would be limited on space they can buy?

Hairytangerine Even so, McDonalds likes consistency across the country. They won’t allow some UK restaurants to do all day breakfast while others can’t.

Yes, I was wondering about the retail park ones, most around here are those type. They are still quite cramped though.

Why when you ask for sauce after they hand you your food does every employee look personally offended as if they are personally paying for the sauce sachets ?
Seriously this is every McDonald's

I don’t mean to be rude, but are you sure you’re not just putting an emotion there that isn’t NoLogicInThis? Because I’ve never known any crew member to mind giving out sauces!

Seriously it's every time through the drive through even when you order at the screen then when they hand you the food the sauces are never in the bag .
So when you ask politely it's like you are stealing from them or wasting their time as they lob the sauces at you without even glancing at you before turning to their screen to prepare the next order.

Yeah, I’ve never come across that I’m afraid

I get that about the sauces. When I ask for three for three meals it is like they are coming out their wages!

I think what’s happening here is that it’s a meme (just like the whole “ice cream machine is always broken” thing that is also wholly incorrect - I’ve only ever known it to break once) that crew hate giving out sauces. They don’t; it’s really not a thing customers just perceive it because they think that’s how crew feel.

Sorry I have to disagree about a swift and smooth service since adopting the new 'argos style'. I've been to 3 McDonalds over the past few months and it's soooo slow. After waiting 15 mins at one and hearing that peopke had been waiting for 30 mins and where THE FUCK was their order I asked fir my money back. On top of self ordering in the store you have deliveroo and uber eats coming in online. Not fast food! Am I alone in this?

SlimDogMillionaire As I mentioned above, we aren’t fast food. We’re a quick service restaurant - quick, not instant. We’re all about the customer experience now; it isn’t just here’s your not-exactly-fresh-poor-quality-lukewarm-food and off you go anymore.

We want to give out good quality food quickly, so yes 15 or 30 minutes is unreasonable, but three isn’t so much.

You are welcome to disagree as much as you want, but having seen many different stores diagnostics, the new EOTF system runs much more smoothly, wait time is lower on average and customers are happier.

I think the new Argos style service is much better. A more efficient use of staff, I would think.