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?

Why can we get all day breakfasts her in Oz if it so difficult for the UK to serve them after ten thirty am?

PomPomtheGreat I’ve answered this question repeatedly, so I’ll just copy and paste:

It’s to do with space and infrastructure. Australia, like the US, 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.

Hey is there like a college leave management training programme? If so what are your thoughts on it?

If you was the boss of the UK McDonald's what 3 things would you introduce / change. And don't say nothing

I love this thread.

I had a very nice Big Mac meal today. Used the self service screen and customised to no onions. It came out really quickly, much better than the old system when if the order wasn’t standard it seemed to take ages!

I find it hard to deviate from a Big Mac 🍔 - nothing quite beats the sauce and pickles combo!

Hi OP!
I just spent a couple of hours reading this entire thread and found it very informative so thank you for your efforts!

I would like to see a twix McFlurry. And the option at have an egg mc Muffin at any time. And for the toys of the early 90s to come back to happy meal. Skimmed milk for the tea and the music turned down would make it perfect.

I'll always have a Soft spot for mc Donald's.

PomPomtheGreat I’ve answered this question repeatedly, so I’ll just copy and paste:

Sorry, I did read the entire thread but missed where this was specifically addressed. It's a long thread. I would say that many of our Maccas are absolutely tiny, indeed much smaller than many where I lived in the UK, or in Denmark, where I also lived for many years, yet they still do an all day breakfast, even the tiny concession Maccas in the food courts. It is a new thing and only started in the cities last year, after lots and lots of lobbying and demand, before being rolled out nationwide, so I doubt space is the only reason. Someone must have decided it is worth it financially and then have figured out the logistics.

I do love the fact that the restaurants are all automated now with the screens, unless you are the very rare customer who pays cash. Not queueing is lovely when it is busy and it's nice to be able to customise every single item at your own speed and be given the chance to round up the total for the hospital charity.

Even more, I love the app. I order in the car before going in, or even as I get near to the restaurant if someone else is driving, and then either pull in to the drive or run in with my number and it's waiting for me there.

Saving my usual order to favourites makes it very quick and getting a regular free latte on the electronic clip card is nice, plus an occasional egg Mcmuffin or fries for a dollar etc. Lots of in app offers.

Obviously it's possible to have it delivered with Uber eats but it seems to me the worst type of food for that unless you are a student in the city and your Maccas is incredibly local. Most Uber eats take up to 25 minutes to arrive and can need reheating. Fine for Indian or Chinese food but not so good for burgers and fries or hotcakes. They really need to be eaten absolutely fresh IMO.

I am making it sound as though I live at Maccas but in fact it is still somewhere I only use on average every couple of months when I have a long day and want hot food on the go, or have to drive ten hours between Sydney and Melbourne. However, as a vegetarian I never used them at all except for coffee until the advent of the all day breakfast as there is no veggie burger here. I do hope one is in the pipeline.

Anyway, the fact I can get a two egg Mcmuffin with extra cheese plus a very nice latte at any time of day means I have now started to use them in strong preference to other fast food places, as have several other vegetarians I know. The app is a lovely bonus.

There's a movie about the beginnings of Mc Donald's. Quite surprisingly I thought It was a good film

The Founder


Link didn't work

The Founder

Not really a question but more of a gripe...

When promotional burgers are advertised why do I find it so difficult to find out what is actually in them? The TV adverts don't always say, the pictures above the tills don't and the staff never seem to know. It's not always clear from the photo what it comprises or what the sauce is for example.

I recently asked at a drive thru what the Jamaican chicken burger had in it. The reply was "umm, I think it's a chicken Select with cheese and bacon". That didn't sound particularly Jamaican so I didn't order it. A quick Google later and I found that it was something completely different to what was described. Why doesn't it say on the pictures of the burgers what is actually in them?

I loved the recent spicy nacho cheese bites though and a Big Tasty, even if they're so messy to eat. Apart from the Big Tasty there's also a lack of fresh tomato in any of your burgers. I'm a massive tomato fan and think it helps cut through some of the stodginess of burgers.

That didn't sound particularly Jamaican so I didn't order it. A quick Google later and I found that it was something completely different to what was described.

It didn't taste particularly Jamaican either, you didn't miss much. Cheese, bacon, some mayonnaisey stuff and BBQ sauce. 'Sweet and spicy jerk sauce' my arse. The chicken may well have been 2 chicken Selects.

I’ve given up taking my children to McDonald’s.

The new system is so slow, takes at least 10 mins usually longer to actually get food! The staff apologise to everyone when they hand the food over so they are obviously aware of the problems. I thought it may get better with time as they got used to the system but it hasn’t as they just don’t have enough people working there.

So I can ask for extra cheese on my sausage and egg McMuffin! [shocked]

There was a really nice young man who used to serve at the window of our local drive thru and a couple of months ago I noticed he had been promoted (wearing a different shirt). I found myself feeling really pleased for him; like he had been recognised. He's always so polite and down to earth. I'm pleased the negative image of the awful term "burger flipper" is becoming outdated. Thanks for the thread OP!

I agree with comments about the sloooow service. I’ve experienced this several times but the last way was the worst. I went to Macdonalds on Sunday and ordered from the touchscreen. It took 14 minutes for my order number to make it onto the “preparing” list. Then another 7 or 8 to make it to the top and then a couple to be handed over.

I fully support the theory of better food and not served in a frenzy but the realty is I (and I suspect many others) don’t go to Macdonalds prepared to wait 20 minutes to be served.

I suspect the problem here was they were understaffed as the staff there were trying to work as quickly as they could.

If I looked through the door of a Macdonalds and there were more than 5 people waiting I wouldn’t bother now. It’s a shame as I (unfortunately) love Macdonalds food and think they do actually provide a great training opportunity and experience for many young peklle

I've got a question about the new app

I still suffer from the EOTF delay where my Number moves to the "pick up" side of the display before any fries and drinks are organised, so I have to wait 1-2 minutes until my order actually makes it physically out to the counter. Must be my branch.

If I order through the new app with a customisation, will they start cooking and bagging my order whilst I'm driving to collect it? So there's more chance of it actually being ready when I arrive, with no annoying wait? What happens if I get waylaid en route (which is possible given that my MaccyD is right by the City stadium an Asda?

You will find very few purpose built McDonalds in the UK

Yank here. Every McDonald's I've ever been to here has been purpose built. Sometimes they'll take a space in an indoor shopping mall, but I can't imagine them just being jammed into an old building.

Our local store just got the full remodeling with the ordering kiosks and then the staff brings the meal to whatever table you've chosen. I quite like it.

Sorry, I haven't read the full thread - are they doing the same remodel in the UK?

Apologies - I've just read a bit more and seen that you do have the touch screen ordering stations. My experience is that they're easy to use and the orders come out promptly.

You will find very few purpose built McDonalds in the UK

In my experience that's total bollocks. I think we have SIX McDs in my town and five of them are purpose-built. Town centre locations are obviously often in old buildings (there's one opposite Windsor Castle IIRC) but I refuse to believe that most McDonalds in the UK aren't purpose-built. And even if they're not, if you need more space you can rent a larger building.

It's not any 'shortage of space' that causes the breakfast issue, it's just company policy.

"All day breakfast" is a fairly common phrase isn't it? Do businesses need Tardis-like premises to offer all day breakfasts?

Posting this just in case the OP is still around ... I found out this evening why my McDonalds frustrates me.

I was told that they are meant to bag the grill items, press a button to say they have done so (which triggers my order moving from Preparation to Collect Order); in the minute(s) it takes me to get to the counter, they collect the fries and drinks. We meet at the desk at the same time.

What actually happens is that they press the button before bagging the grill items. They then get distracted by a colleague, my items sit there for a minute or two. Eventually they bag, collect the fries and drinks, and bring my order to the counter. But this is a small McDonalds, it takes me two seconds not two minutes to read the display and head to the counter why my order pings into the "Collect Order" section.

So the frustration is caused by the staff pressing the 'bagging' button too early, and by me being so darned vigilant about watching the Orders board. Maybe I should get distracted by Solitaire on the iPads instead ...

Any sign of the

Grand BigMac

returning @WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue ?

I started reading this last night and this morning. I've been craving one since so I just had a quarter pounder meal and 6 chicken nuggets 😍I wonder how many other have done the same

I haven’t read all 25 pages, so apologies for possibly repeating... but Maccy Dees curry sauce is HEAVEN. Where the hell does this elixir of the Gods come from? Can you please sell it in 1 litre bottles? .

Would it be possible to get skimmed milk for tea/coffee porridge in McDs?

I love the sweet chilli grilled chicken wraps. If you ask for no mayo they are only 304 calories but I was wondering how accurate the portion control is. Is it an exact amount of chilli sauce and chicken that they add? Or do the staff just guesstimate the amounts.

Can I rely on the calorie count being fairly accurate?

Also - I HATE those stupid little milk sachets. Why can't they just pour in some cold milk for you. I like my coffee with cold milk not hot but the sachets are hard work.

If I look pitiful enough the staff are usually ok to put the milk in for me (which takes them ages too! ) but I suspect they aren't meant to.

Saw a few people on here asking if the Grand Mac will be returning. It's been announced it will be. As well as a Big Mac with bacon.