McDonald's Mountain Highway — Restaurant in Melbourne

Ignorant, ill-informed, dangerous and HIGHLY-ILLEGAL after-hours waiting bay policy:

Around 9:00pm Saturday night, 16 July 2016. I place an order and propceed to the delivery window. Part of my order is delivered (hot chocolate — without the tray I requested).

Me: "I'd like a tray with that, please."

McD-1: "There's a short wait on the apple pie you ordered. Please just pull into that striped area to wait — we're not allowed to use the waiting bays around the back at night for safety reasons."

Me: (after looking at the striped Shared Access Area adjacent to two Disability Parking Bays, which also protected access to the south entrance to the building.) "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. It's illegal."

McD-1: "That's where we ask everyone to wait at night. It's okay."

Me: "It certainly is NOT okay. If police drive in or past and see me parked there, I could be fined for several offences. It's a declared no-standing area."

McD-1: "No, no… we do it all the time. We're not allowed to use the waiting bays around the back after dark."

Me: "So you'll pay any fines I incur? Because THAT is the single MOST ILLEGAL spot on your entire premises for anyone to park. Not only does it break State laws, it also breaks the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the UN Convention on Human Rights for People with Disabilities — I'd be denying disabled people access to your premises. And so would YOU — as well as breeching your planning and development permits. The potential consequences of me complying with your illegal instructions could cost McDonalds hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, penalties and costs, closure of their restaurant and termination for whomever made the dumb decision to adopt this policy — and I can guarantee it wasn't anyone from Head Office!"

McD-1: "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but that's the only spot we have for customers to wait."

Me: "Well, why don't I just wait in one of those Disability Parking spots?"

McD-1: "That's illegal, sir."

Me: "Not when I have a valid permit on display — which I have right here."

McD-1: "We'll bring your meal out as soon as it's ready."

Me: "Thanks — and please don't forget the tray I asked for with my order."

I proceeded to the nearest DPB, permit displayed correctly. A minute or two later, McD-2 appeared with a bag containing my order. He apologised for the delay with a cheerful smile. I thanked him – and asked where the tray for my drink was. He apologised and went to fix the oversight.

Shortly after this a young lady, McD-3, emerged with the overlooked tray and a further apology.

Comments:

All staff members were polite and well-presented. Not one of the total of FOUR staff members I dealt with remembered the drink tray I requested at every contact. All had been well-drilled in how to explain the after-hours illegal waiting-bay policy.

The problem is obviously not with the staff members. So it's either the franchisee or some ignoramus from corporate (State or National) who came up with this lame-brained "policy" which places their customers, themselves, their staff, their store and McDonalds Australia at risk of MULTIPLE prosecutions under State, Federal laws and UN Convention for EVERY customer they instruct to follow this abysmal policy.

Not a great outcome — but then it never is when unconscious ignorance and incompetence are the basis for expedience in on-the-fly policy and procedural decision-making.

John Counsel Executive Director Accessible Parking Australia Parking...

Usually what people in our obese society say is: "Look there is the nearest Mcdonalds!" and obviously we drive by and drill a big mac and large fries down our mouths. Most Maccas i have visited seem to be found this way, but every time i drive by yours, i say: " Don't go near that Mcdonalds it is going through Quarantine treatment for an unlimited time!" But before this, it was a afternoon where you wish you could eat even metal! I was starving like mad and needed a quick bite so i, turned in to Maccas had a lot of time spare so... i went in. As soon as i got to the queue to line up, it was massive until... i noticed it was loads of angry customers still waiting! I ordered a large Big Mac meal and the queue was slowly going down by a percent a time! After 20 mins i tapped my feet, bit my lip and swore aloud i was definitely getting impatient i could feel it! Each customer including myself in the waiting zone, were giving the look of: "turn back, turn back!" and "don't come here at all" but, still the customers didn't listen and then gave the dirty look like we didn't warn them. during the making of the food, i noticed young customers weren't doing their job properley e.g. a young girl and young boy were flirting mid way of making fries which took about 2 mins of the time while, managers chucked on beats and pumped tunes mid preparation! At this moment i had it, i started to create an empathy team in line; it was like we were work safe crossing the hundreds of boxes this maccas didn't achieve! Finally, i got my big mac meal, as i opened the box in anticipation as i waited 20 mins+ for i expected it to be damn good but as i opened the burger and inspected i was shocked to find a long strand of hair in my food! In anger i slammed the lid of the box, shoved it into the paper bag and went to the front counter just for the cashier to say: "Sorry we didn't mean for this to happen and we will do the best we can to fix this" which, is what all members say when things go wrong. Suddenly the manager taps the guy who served me to say: " we're going to have a quick meeting since there's not many here" and so they carried my bag to the back with half dozen or so of members. Then the person with my bag carried to the meeting, came back with it like 3 mins later and who knows if they all played 'pass the parcel' with my big mac taking turns spitting in it! as i snatched the bag in disappointment, i went down the stairs to find that my drink was a fanta and not the coke i asked for so with that, i said: "stuff that im not going back ever".

In conclusion, do not ever go to this Mcdonalds because it is will be forever under quarantine going through different chemicals and hazards that they always put in your food! NEVER GO TO...

I ordered two "Chocolate McFlurry with Oreo Cookie", notice how much the cup is filled in my attached photo below. Photo taken in their drive-through exactly as it was displayed on the advertisement screen, and it shows the ice cream filled all the way to the top of the cup.

Well, I received the two cups only 30% full!!!

I wasn't sure if they ran out of ice cream or the machine broke, or someone ate a few spoons out of them before handing us the cups! Seriously, you have to look deep inside the cup to confirm it's not an empty cup!

For about $5 each, What an absolute joke?!

I parked my car, and went inside asking to speak to the manager, and was faced with an atrocious customer service. He said that what they're told to fill them at. Then grabbed the two cups from my hands, went and added a tiny bit more, about 50 cent sized blob on top, and chucked them back on the counter, turned around and walked off on me while I was still talking.

So damn rude, didn't even acknowledge what I was saying, no apologies even, disgusting!

I don't go to this McDonald's anymore, by far the worst one in the area. I had three issues with them this year, alone! There seems to be a management issue going on there.

Edit: Funnily enough, if you read other people's reviews here, many are commenting about lack of sauce quantity on their burgers, and all sort of small serving quantities issues haha, they're so stingy, just go to any other Macca's in the area, you get more food for your money and a much better customer service...