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?

I like the new ordering machines too.

One of my children always wants a plain hamburger.

Now we can just order it with the other food, and not have to wait ten minutes after everything else has arrived.

And we can order without talking to anyone. So no one looks at me funny if my own self wants a big Mac, two fries, nuggets, and an apple pie. For lunch.

the whole “ice cream machine is always broken” thing

I've been told this 3 times at my nearby branch. It's always been late at night so I suspect something like it needs cleaning and the crew can't be arsed. I'm sure it's not your lot though OP!

Never had the sauces problem though. They always get handed over cheerfully.

I've been told this 3 times at my nearby branch. It's always been late at night so I suspect something like it needs cleaning and the crew can't be arsed.

Butterymuffin No McDonalds store would ever accept anyone “not being arsed” to clean anything. They are exceptionally strict with hygiene; we have scheduled cleaning and maintenance tasks and they are always completed and always have been in every McDonalds I’ve worked in or visited.

Crew don’t clean the machines anyway, managers do. They have weekly and monthly cleans and they are always scheduled for the same time.

When you are told the machine is broken, I can pretty much guarantee it’s on heat treat which is a daily deep clean the machine does itself that takes four hours. It’s usually done overnight, but if they forget to fill the mix up and it fails, or someone puts it on by accident, it has to be done at a more inconveniant time.

It is easier for crew to say it’s not working than to go into detail about heat treat.

This has happened between 10pm and midnight, so it sounds like this crew are starting the deep clean a bit too early. Thanks for the insight.

Butterymuffin What time does your store shut?

I have to say despite tge longer waiting times I do prefer the touchscreen ordering too, I have a family who like to customise and it is a lot easier than having to explain everything to a staff member.

I am really enjoying the insights on this thread, thank you OP.

I last visited McD’s in June/July (not sure exactly) and was disappointed, I ordered one of the signature burgers and four of the listed ingredients were missing. Unfortunately DH had queued at the service station branch and then come out with all the food to the car, so we carried on our journey. I complained via the website and was told it was a franchise and therefore down to the local manager, who never contacted me. So in this instance customer service was lacking I’m afraid. It’s put me off and the kids aren’t happy!

My favourite is breakfast - can I ask a quick Q.
If I order at the drive through or the counter and get a breakfast meal with an extra hash brown I pay a smaller amount for the extra HB (40p ish) but if I try to order the same at the self service kiosk I have to pay the full single item price for the extra HB(89p ish)

Is there a reason? I love the self service machines but I love a cheap potato product even more Thank you!

I am really enjoying the insights on this thread, thank you OP.

ChoccyJules Thanks! And you’re welcome

I apologise you had a bad experience! The fact that the store is a franchise is completely irrelevant; customer services should have sorted something for you.

However, I would always advise phoning the specific store straight away as we can do a lot more then both in terms of rectifying the problem and trying to see how it came about in the first place (nobody will get bollocked or anything, but it helps us identify where more training might be needed to hopefully ensure it doesn’t reoccur).

If I order at the drive through or the counter and get a breakfast meal with an extra hash brown I pay a smaller amount for the extra HB (40p ish) but if I try to order the same at the self service kiosk I have to pay the full single item price for the extra HB(89p ish)

Is there a reason?

MyYoniFromHull The price of a singular hash brown is 89p, so you should never be charged any less for it and I am unsure as to how that would even happen as the price is standardised across tills and kiosks.

Oh dear. Well I shall keep it to myself and just keep ordering at the counter then

It's definitely a thing at my local one (purpose built fairly new one and a franchise) i do love my carbs

24 hours I think OP! For drive in at least.

I haven’t read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been asked! Any plans to do a vegetarian happy meal? I know you said the veggie burgers aren’t very popular, but it still seems bizarre to not offer it!

MyYoniFromHull That is weird! I’m really intrigued. Next time you go, can you keep your receipt? I’m really interested to know what it is they’re putting it through the till as...

I would definitely keep it to yourself Sometimes when we do favours for customers that we’re not technically supposed to and another manager says no they’ll rat you out and say “but X always lets me” and it’s like “not anymore I won’t!”

Butterymuffin Ahh. I don’t work in a drive-thru or 24 hour store so I’m not sure as to when they would schedule the clean I’m afraid. If they shut at 10 or 11 I would say it’s too early and should be after they shut but I don’t know about overnight stores.

It is a very complex process to clean it! That’s why only managers do it. It takes a long time and the entire thing has to be taken apart and put back together again; there’s a lot of small parts. If you’re not great at DIY you’re kinda screwed

Any plans to do a vegetarian happy meal? I know you said the veggie burgers aren’t very popular, but it still seems bizarre to not offer it!

Bellatrix14 I have answered this a few times I go into more detail further upthread but the upshot is McDonalds recently did some extensive market research on a new happy meal offering and the grilled chicken wrap was overwhelmingly the favourite; a veggie option was considered but they found it just didn’t have enough demand to justify it.

Well now I'm starving thanks OP 🍟

MamaJune Apologies

Disappointed to read upthread about milk alternatives “not being viable”. Even for tea and coffee would be easy to implement; 99% of the coffee shops I go to have soya milk available.
On a different note are franchises given autonomy to run things how they wish or do head office have any control?

Disappointed to read upthread about milk alternatives “not being viable”. Even for tea and coffee would be easy to implement; 99% of the coffee shops I go to have soya milk available.

superoz Coffee shops specialise generally in one product, so it makes sense for them to have lots of options for said coffee.

McDonalds sells good coffee, but it doesn’t specialise in it. It wouldn’t be viable both on storage and waste costs to have milk alternatives.

On a different note are franchises given autonomy to run things how they wish or do head office have any control?

Franchise McDonalds have very little control. McDonalds prides itself on being consistent across the board, so franchise McDonalds cannot change, alter or add to the menu.

Anything franchises do have control over customers won’t ever see directly and won’t know about.

Thanks for responding to my comment, OP, it does seem as though I was fobbed off by customer service. As it was in a service station we may never return to, it didn’t feel right to have to contact the specific branch, plus I would have felt as though I was making too much of it.

I miss going to McD’s now though. But my snubbed pride won’t let me..!

I'm delighted to see this thread is still active and you should be commended for your commitment to it @WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue Interesting answers, always polite and great to work with / for by the sound of it!

Thanks for responding to my comment, OP, it does seem as though I was fobbed off by customer service. As it was in a service station we may never return to, it didn’t feel right to have to contact the specific branch, plus I would have felt as though I was making too much of it.

ChoccyJules Oh no, you wouldn’t be making too much of it. You should receive what you paid for; we have Gold Standard product expectations and that is unfortunately not what you got so you are entitled to complain, though I understand why you didn’t contact the specific store.

I miss going to McD’s now though. But my snubbed pride won’t let me..!

That is indeed a shame

I'm delighted to see this thread is still active and you should be commended for your commitment to i@WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue Interesting answers, always polite and great to work with / for by the sound of it!

QueenieMum Thank you so much I hope my crew do like to be on my shifts as I would definitely feel I was failing them if they didn’t.

Another drinks question (sorry if this has been asked already). Why don't McDonald's offer decaff coffee?

Sorry not read the whole thread so not sure if it’s already been asked! Do you work in a franchise or company store and which do you think is better to work in? Hope I’ve got the terms right, been 5 years since I worked there

Another drinks question (sorry if this has been asked already). Why don't McDonald's offer decaff coffee?

goygoy It’s another too low demand to justify the storage and waste costs it would incur I’m afraid.

Sorry not read the whole thread so not sure if it’s already been asked! Do you work in a franchise or company store and which do you think is better to work in? Hope I’ve got the terms right, been 5 years since I worked there

Breezebutter I work in a franchise store In my experience they are much better to work for as the franchise group becomes like a small family and a great team.

How about you, which did you work in?