McDonald's

I placed an order for an iced caramel mocha, but they didn’t put the whipped cream on top. It might be minor, but it’s a clear indication of an absence of attention to detail. About a week ago, I came to this location and ordered a filet fish sandwich with no cheese or tartar sauce. I had to turn around and go back to the restaurant to have them remake it.

During that visit, as I was standing in the lobby, a team member took a phone call from a guest who also had an issue with their order due to a mistake by the staff. I’m assuming the guest was upset, but the team member was not at all empathetic and was extremely matter-of-fact. When the team member concluded the phone call, she commented on the guest’s demeanor, stating, ‘It’s not that serious,’ when it literally was. If the order had been completed correctly as requested, the interaction could have been avoided.

The fact that I’ve had consecutive interactions where an error occurred and witnessed a team member poorly handling an interaction with another guest regarding an error more than demonstrates a need to bring attention to this pattern of behavior. It doesn’t matter that it’s McDonald’s or that it’s fast food. Guests are paying for specific requests, and it’s insulting for team members to just give guests whatever and feel it’s not a big deal when a guest lets them know they were wrong.

The interaction I witnessed was in front of a manager who said nothing by way of correction, which lets me know the behavior is both commonplace and accepted by leadership.