McDonald's Blue Downs Drive-thru — Restaurant in Western Cape

I am writing to express my disappointment with the service I received at your Blue Downs store on Friday, 4th July at approximately 17:25. What started off as a smooth experience quickly turned into a frustrating and time-consuming ordeal that left me extremely dissatisfied.

After placing my order at the in-store kiosk, I received a notification within 10 minutes that my order was ready for collection. However, upon approaching the counter, I encountered a staff member (we will call her “Z”) who was scanning QR codes from customer receipts. I showed her my ticket, and she informed me that my order was still being prepared—despite the store monitor clearly showing it as ready for collection.

Initially, I gave the benefit of the doubt, assuming things were just running a bit slow due to the busy atmosphere. However, after an additional 10 minutes of waiting, I asked Z again, only to be told that one of the items had to be remade due to a problem. During this time, I observed several other customers waiting just as long, if not longer, for their orders.

What struck me was the complete lack of urgency or enthusiasm from the staff. Z, in particular, seemed disengaged and unwilling to help beyond her immediate task. I also noticed that only one person was handling both drive-thru and in-store orders, and the packing area was overwhelmed with uncollected orders. When I asked Z why she couldn’t help out with packing or expediting orders, she flatly said she was doing her job—scanning receipts.

By now, I had been waiting nearly 30 minutes. I asked if there was a manager on duty, and Z simply said they were “busy,” before disappearing into the kitchen. I then asked another staff member for help, who initially tried to assist but also vanished shortly after.

Eventually, after 30 minutes, a third staff member located my order, but it was incomplete—only 2 of the 4 drinks I ordered were included. Only then, was I informed that the Lemon Litchi McFizz was out of stock. I was incredibly frustrated that this wasn’t communicated earlier. I chose another beverage just to move on, but even then, had to request the fourth drink that had also been left out, despite this staff holding my receipt in her hand.

At approximately 17:55, I finally left the store with my full order—cold burgers and all.

Whether it was the result of unmotivated staff or poor management presence, this experience was far below the standard I expect from McDonald's. The lack of communication, accountability, and visible leadership was concerning, and if this continues, I imagine many other customers will feel compelled to take their business elsewhere.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously, and that corrective steps are taken to address the operational and service issues at...

Absolutely — here’s a strong, direct review you can use to publicly call them out:

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⭐ 1-Star Google Review:

Terrible service from both McDonald’s and Uber Eats. I ordered food through Uber Eats, and it was marked as delivered — but I never received anything. When I went to the McDonald’s branch to ask for help, the manager flat-out refused to assist me. I was told to “call Uber” and left waiting in my car while the manager deliberately ignored me to avoid confrontation.

No apology. No basic customer service. Just arrogance and finger-pointing. McDonald’s — your staff represents your brand, and this was embarrassing. Uber Eats — your refusal to refund me for food I NEVER received is unacceptable.

This kind of treatment makes customers feel powerless. If you care at all....

Horrible service. I had to wait extremely long for my order as they are just assisting drive thru. Whilst waiting I had to assist a customer who was directed back to the ordering screen as there was no one on the floor (she was directed back by an employee). I then enquired about my order to 3 different people and nothing still. When I finally got my order, it was incomplete. The employee (did not get his name) gave me an extremely bad attitude. My order was also incorrect, I didn’t realise I also now need to open packaging to check if my order is correct. My ice-cream was also half filled, the new kitkat ice-cream, and when I complained, they said it was just because it’s not closed. Horrible service honestly and yes it close by and convenient, I would definitely...