Woman complained to manager about DD

[Bearaque]

So my DD works at McDonalds whilst she’s at sixth form and today she’s come home upset. She was working at the window, handing out the food.

This woman made a complaint to the manager that DD didn’t say a single word to her or look at her when she passing her the drink and food and that she was too busy talking to her friend. Complained to manager who had words with them both.

DD said this was true but at the end of the day it’s McDonald’s, it’s full of teenagers, as long as you get your food quickly does it even matter what the service is like?!

Acknowledging the person you're serving isn't even customer service, it's just common courtesy. Her manager was correct to speak to them about it.

I'm not sure why you're so annoyed, you brought her up, if its anyone fault that she doesn't have the most basic of good manners, it would be yours.

I’m struggling to understand why you are so annoyed about this?

Your daughter was rude and has been called out on it - surely when she comes home upset you just tell her that she was wrong and to learn from it?

I mean it’s not something I would have bothered to get out of my car and go and complain about but at the end of the day she’s in a customer service role so needs to be aware of that.

Whether it’s McDonald’s or a 5* restaurant she’s serving customers so needs to be giving good customer service. Your DD was extremely rude and hopefully the manager will discuss this with her and she will learn from it because it doesn’t sound like you’ve any intention of teaching her any manners. The woman had every right to go complain, if I was the manager I’d want to know. Hopefully as she was upset by this she cares and will correct her behaviour

I actually went to McDonalds drive thru this week and the girl serving us didn't look or talk at us at all and I did actually find it v rude! I didn't say anything but not acknowledging the people you're serving at all makes them feel like they're a ghost and isn't really on. She's lucky it wasn't an undercover customer - I remember serving one as a teen when I worked at Sainsbury's and they were brutal it you messed anything up! Surely you can see your daughter has got it wrong here.

So the attitude is, it’s only McDonalds so the customer isn’t important?

DD needs to learn that manners should be from the ground up, not reserved for the more elite.

Yes it does matter !

this happens at my local machines and they never acknowledge us, I have to get their attention to ask for salt, sauce etc.

it’s basic customer service.

raise your kids better.

I have to say your attitude is poor to feedback. You asked a question and just because you don’t like the answers doesn’t mean you have to get super defensive and rude.

She wasn’t giving an acceptable level of customer service and hopefully she will take the feedback and will try harder in the future. Eye contact, being polite, well mannered and having focus on the customer are quite basic expectations for a retail/service environment and if she was on my team I would have done (and indeed have done) had words with her.

Exactly this! DD is in the real world now, and there are consequences to rudeness. Astonished you can't see this, tbh.

Your Adult daughter is rude and you are a snob. Why the hell you think everyone should have sympathy for her her i don't know.

It doesn't matter how low your pay is you are still expected to engage with people. It's good for you anyway. It really makes my day if I can make someone else's day.

I wouldn’t complain to your DD’s Employer - it’s a good life lesson that she has been given.
Support her by telling her that this won’t be the last time she is “re-trained” in the workplace, and the correct response to such an incident, is to apologise to her Manager - and make sure she works on her Customer-facing skills.
Regarding the customer who complained: sometimes it is easier to complain to the Manager - after all, they need to know if their employee’s behaviour/demeanour is not appropriate, and offer guidance in response. It’s not the customer’s job to tell your DD how to behave…

I prefer it when staff carry on chatting. I hate having to talk to strangers. Keeps them busy from asking me pointless questions 😂

Your daughter is just a typical teen learning the ways of the working world. She got a deserved slap on the wrist.. she should learn from it and move on. The issue here is you.. you’ve clearly brought her up to be entitled and continue to encourage that behaviour.

You are the issue here. I actually despair.

Your daughter sounds like she has no manners

If the customer had just complained to your DD would your daughter have taken it on board and not done it again or would she have ignored it and carried on her rudeness with other customers? My guess is the latter. She will now think twice and maybe change her attitude that the issue isn’t that it’s ‘just McDonalds’ but that the customers are actually people.

I’ve been to McDonalds and I’ve also eaten in Michelin star restaurants, I’m still the same person. McDonalds customers are not some sort of homogenous blob of people.

Shes only sixteen and still learning how to navigate life. A life lesson you can teach her is not to reserve her manners for people she deems economically worthier.

It's not even about customer service, looking at someone and not talking to someone else when interacting are just basic human manners. It doesn't matter where she's working, or what she's getting paid, it's ignorant and rude to behave in that way.

Ahhh, yet another 'my darling kids would never' mum.

Tacky parenting at its finest.

No, OP is not like that at all.

Her attitude is more "yes, my darling kid would ABSOLUTELY do that ... and who gives a fuck anyway?"

I never said it was ok, my point was it’s McDonald’s

You absolutely are saying it's ok though that's the problem. You're giving your daughter the impression that because it's Mcdonalds she should be entitled to behave how she wants and put as little effort in as she wants.

Whether it's Mcdonalds, the small cafe down the road or a 5* restaurant she's being paid to provide a service and represent somebody's livlihood. If she's ever going to survive in the working world the first thing she needs to do is respect this. Even from a selfish perspective she needs to realise that she will get out of this what she puts into it. She won't develop any transferable skills as per pp or have any prospects for promotion if she's constantly of the mindset that this is beneath her.

I would fully support Mcdonalds in this situation OP. They're asking her to simply be mindful of a customer's presence not lick their feet clean. It's a totally reasonable expectation

What's troubling about this thread, OP, is that you don't like the answers you've been given (currently 462 so a reasonable sample size) and you're being defensive. I have a feeling that you'll continue to side with your daughter over this, so she won't learn, and nor will you.

Basically a health care assistant, they are on National min wage and the person was asking would you like the same treatment in manners off of them the same way your dd was with the McDonalds customer

Yours is a shoddy attitude.
Whatever your job is, you do it well.
This is a good lesson for your DD to learn.

You sound like you think she shouldn't care as it's McDonald's. This isn't a good example for her. She needs to learn the right way to behaviour to stand her in good stead for the future.
Not caring or being able to be arsed because she's a teenager or it's a fast food restaurant is poor.

@Bearaque bottom line op, bad manners/poor service is no excuse , if we want a better society then regardless of the profession we should all try to be professional and have good manners.

Your daughter is in a public facing role. She needs to slap on a smile and engage with the customers instead of rudely chatting with other staff.

At least your dd will now understand what constitutes acceptable behaviour in her workplace role.
TBH if she were mine, I’d have told her it was entirely her own fault that she was upset by an evidently well deserved ticking-off.