Regional McDonald's Websites

The McChronicles posted about an interesting website a while back. It is called "McDonald's of Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania". Basically it is a site that combines interesting info regarding McDonald's in a geographic region.

Since then we have learned about a couple of others. So now we know about these regional McDonald's websites:

• McDonald's of Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania
• McDonald's of the Pittsburgh Tristate Area (that somehow involves 4 states!)
• McDonald's of the NY, NJ, CT Tristate Area (that involves NY, NJ, and CT)

These regional efforts seem to be focused on aggregating resources toward the goals of community, educational, and health support, along with aiding their local Ronald McDonald House, an awesome program.

The McChronicles would like to learn more from you regarding other regional McDonald's websites. Please share anything you can on this topic.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: screen grab from the McDonald's NY, NJ, CT Tristate area website.

SPECIAL NOTE: This is The McChronicles' 350th posting! Yippee!

Yes!

It's a busy, fast-paced world out there. So a quick dash into McDonald's can be quite helpful when we're out on the road. But it's not that easy.

You see, we're not the only ones out there. We're accompanied by tons of germs and bacteria. And our hands aren't always squeaky-clean when we hear the call of the Big Mac. Frankly, the sinks in the rest rooms aren't always very clean either. So, The McChronicles really appreciated this cool idea - hand sanitizer dispensers in the dining areas.

We encountered this great idea while in China recently and really appreciate the respect shown to the customers who want to be clean while they eat.

Good idea McDonald's.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

Noooooo!!!!

Come ON people. It's 2006!

The McChronicles was aghast at the sight of a McDonald's straw dispenser (in China) that offered completely unprotected straws.

Standing beside the scene of the crime for only a brief moment allowed us to witness people pawing through several straws with their bare hands. We also witnessed the full array of pre-pawing atrocities performed with those hands (details of which we need not go into). Needless to say, The McChronicles passed on the straw and drank directly from the cup.

The bigger question is this. If this level of hygiene is accepted and promoted by the store's management, what else are they allowing behind the scenes??? Was our cup even a safe alternative?

Needless to say, in this day and age, with the knowledge we all possess, this is an abomination. Out of respect for your customers, and for your brand, we beseech you McDonald's. Do away with these archaic devices.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

McDonald's Sweet Taro Pie

The McChronicles encountered McDonald's sweet taro pie for the first time in China recently.

Sweet taro is a form of yam, or sweet potato. It is very popular throughout the Pacific islands - and almost unheard of other places.

The pie tastes like ... a yam or a sweet potato!

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

New Hartford, NY McDonald's Disappoints

"Disappointed" is the word that comes to The McChronicles' mind after a visit to the New Hartford, NY McDonald's today.

Store #: 825
Time: 1:51PM
Date: 02 October 2006
Order: 1 Big & Tasty, 1 medium Coke
Customers: 1 other person in order area, waiting for order
(McShuffled)
Online Time: 90 seconds
Order Wait: 60 seconds
Quality: overdose of mayonnaise and ketchup, squirting out of
sandwich
Service: no acknowledgement of customer for full 90 seconds while crew
milled about behind counter (seemed like 5 minutes)
Cleanliness: poor, sloppy, no effort

We've seen so many McDonald's operating on "excellent" mode that, when we see such sub-par performance, it really disappoints.

With NO ONE in the store except us and one other customer (waiting), well after the lunch rush, why can't anyone tidy up the condiment area? Why do we need to clean the debris off our table? Why do we have to eat while looking at litter beneath the tables?

The odd thing is that both of these images occurred in plain view of the crew. We didn't have to look in obscure places to uncover it. The garbage/condiment area is directly opposite the counter. The crew stares directly at it while working.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Images: The McChronicles.

Veggie McDonald's

The McChronicles knows that McDonald's knows way more than we do about satisfying their vegetarian constituency. After all, McDonald's does quite well in places like India and Malaysia that have large vegetarian populations.

The McChronicles is ignorant when it comes to the needs of vegetarians, and we don't know much about McDonald's global vegetarian position, so we were interested when a veggie friend (lives on the west coast of the USA) wrote us recently and said:

"... but I still won't go until they have a veggie burger or really decent salad option. Or take the beef fat out of their fries. They could be really stupendous if they came up with some healthy options that were still tasty (i.e. not sliced apples in a cup). I've always said someone will make a lot of money if they come up with a whole, organic, healthy fast food option. How come no one listens?"

We wonder:

• What, from a vegetarian's perspective, is not to like about the existing McDonald's salads?
• Wasn't the beef fat removed already? Or is the issue here the fact that people are not SURE the beef is removed?
• Aren't apples "tasty"? What else could be offered that would be "tasty"?
• Doesn't McDonald's actively promote their vegetarian option to vegetarians?
• What is McDonald's position on offering vegetarian options?

Here we have someone saying that McDonald's could "be really stupendous" to a certain demographic by making a few changes. We guess these changes are a lot harder than they look, and we are sure that McDonald's has been down this road a million miles. So, what's up with this?

• from a customer perspective?
• from the corporate McDonald's perspective?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Image: The McChronicles

McDonald's "McGold Card"

The McChronicles just encountered something cool. Something we have never heard of before. Something, it seems, we should have encountered. We discovered the McDonald's "McGold Card". "What the heck is a McGold Card?" we asked ourselves.

OK - first off, we found the McGold Card on Flickr, in paradigm4's collection (thanks paradigm4). Not having ever heard of such a card before, we Googled the thing. Clues were found in the LiveJournal mcdonalds_talk community. It seems that some McDonald's employees have them while others have never heard of the thing. Maybe only Canadians have them???

Finally, we discovered McDGoldCard.com. This site is apparently for employees only as we quickly encountered this notation: "Only McDonald's employees are authorized to use this site". Ads flashed that told us you can "save" using the card, and that you can find "new and interesting" things on this site. A little more investgation revealed that the McGold Card provides McDonald's employees with discounts at various merchants.

Seems like a great employee benefit. But many employees don't seem to be aware of it. Can anyone offer a definitive explanation?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: paradigm4's Flickr account.

The McChronicles Manhattan McDonald's Tour: Stop #4

While in Manhattan, The McChronicles was stoked to see BODIES ... The Exhibition, so we scurried down to Manhattan's South Street Seaport.

While we were there we walked a short distance to a McDonald's. This store, at the corner of Fulton St & Cliff St., feels like a converted mom & pop corner candy store. It is small and unimpressive. It's OK to be small, but this store doesn't have to be boring. It has a great location - and a shot at a cool theme. Sad part is - it almost makes it, only to fall short.

The theme is "ships at sea", and the management has done a fair job at decorating the place. It didn't seem especially clean (though not dirty), especially cool (though not boring), or especially funky (though it wasn't cookie-cutter in design). It is a good McDonald's that has a ton of potential.

NOTE #1: This McDonald's, like many others in the world, is near a high tourist-traffic area (with all the pluses and minuses that that implies). We dropped in merely to observe (not to eat). The minute we reached, then passed, the counter, a manager bellowed that this restaurant was for customers only. He informed us that, if we didn't buy anything, we would have to leave. It was rudely done. It is understandable that tons of tourists would take advantage of a restaurant's bathroom or place to rest (all at a cost to the store) if allowed - and that's not fair. Understood. But rudeness is NOT required.

NOTE #2: After studying the lessons learned in BODIES ... The Exhibition, The McChronicles made a note to elevate our eating habits a bit. This exhibit depicts the workings of the human body like no other exhibit on Earth. Highly recommended.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

The McChronicles Manhattan McDonald's Tour: Stop #3

As soon as The McChronicles tells you the address (Lafayette St & Canal St) you know we were in Chinatown. When we tell you we were there yesterday (September 30th) you know we were there for the annual Chinese Autumn Lunar (Moon Cake) festival.

This store is cool because it reflects the local Chinese style - a culture within a culture. We didn't eat here but we did check things out. The store has a TINY order counter area. They make up for the cramped You get a workout climbing to open seating when the store is crowded (like during the Moon Cake Festival).

The cool thing here is that this store offers free delivery to the local area (just like many of the McDonald's we encounter throughout China and Asia). And speaking of delivery, The McChronicles wants to take this opportunity to remind you (again) that french fries do NOT arrive alive - so skip them if you are having your food delivered.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles. ground-level space by boasting "3 floors of seating".

The McChronicles Manhattan McDonald's Tour: Stop #2

Next stop for The McChronicles whirlwind tour of Manhattan was the restaurant at 45th & Broadway.

Tight and small, this store offers up a confusing, mixed decor. The theme combines elements from Greek history, modern intermational, and Americana. What a design mess! And what a contrast with other McDonald's in the area that have coherent and interesting themes.

The crew had no problem keeping up with the crowd and did a good job.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

The McChronicles Manhattan McDonald's Tour: Stop #1

You know you love McDonald's when you blow off a lunch with a friend at one McDonald's so you can go to another McDonald's! But let's not get into that right now. Let's just say that The McChronicles took advantage of an opportunity to romp about in Manhattan over the weekend, and seized the moment.

Stop #1 was at W33rd and 7th Avenue. This is the McDonald's that greets you as you emerge from Penn Station or Madison Square Garden. Like many big city McDonald's, it is small, tight, and busy.

This store offers nothing special, nothing more than convenience and the expected food & service. Still, we were glad to take advantage of the opportunity.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

Chengdu McDonald's Interview

The McChronicles interviewed another McDonald's manager recently. This time we were in Chengdu, China - on Wen Wu Lu (Wen Wu Road) and were lucky enough to meet Duty manager Miss Zhong Xiao Li.

Right off the bat we knew this interview was going to be a bit different. Miss Zhong started out interviewing us! She was curious as to how we had become such McD fans, why we cared enough to spend time with her, what we thought of her store, etc. We LOVED sharing our story with her.

"We treat kids with respect and learn to serve them better."

Zhong Xiao Li

With her curiousity satisfied, Miss Zhong told us she has been a manager for 1 year and has worked at McDonald's for over 5 years. Her store, in Chengdu, sports a nautical, undersea, theme and is typical in most ways. All of the following responses were translated, and The McChronicles takes full responsibility for any errors in the translation.

McChronicles: How has your 5 years at McDonald's helped you as a manager?
Miss Zhong: My longevity with the system helps me understand my staff's challenges very well. I can help them better because I know what they are facing.

McChronicles: Describe the well-advertised "Moms Panel" program.
Miss Zhong: McDonald's tries very hard to service the family. Our Moms Panel crew members provide special service to make families happy. We help moms take care of their kids, we chat with them, make them feel comfortable. This program gives us invaluable feedback on our customers' experience. As a result, we develop special programs for families. We treat kids with respect and learn to serve them better.

McChronicles: Tell us about the McDonald's Open House program (promoted in this store).
Miss Zhong: We want parents to understand our processes and know that our products are wholesome. Parents, families, anyone is welcome to take our tour.

McChronicles: Who is your typical customer?
Miss Zhong: We serve mostly families and students.

McChronicles: What is the hardest part of your job?
Miss Zhong: Hmmm? I don't enjoy working late on weekends. But, other than that, I have no problems.

McChronicles: What is the best part of your job?
Miss Zhong: The most rewarding aspect is knowing that my job is important. When I am at the restaurant I feel energized. The crew are my friends, and there is no social hierarchy here. The company is very fair with all of us. The policies are transparent and applied evenly. The company cares about each employee. This inspires me to go the extra mile.


The McChronicles was VERY impressed with Miss Zhong's positive attitude, enthusiasm, and energy.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

FREE COFFEE!!!

McDonald's was sampling their Premium Roast Coffee throughout New York City today. Treating commuters to a taste of FREE coffee is a great effort at reaching out to the community and at trying to expand the company's share of the morning coffee market.

McDonald's has a pretty big stake in this market ... according to information in a recent press release, they have 675 McDonald's located throughout the NY, NJ, CT tri-state area.

Sampling teams are scheduled to be back on the streets tomorrow (Tuesday, 26 September) from 7AM-10AM and from 12PM-2PM at:

• Union Square
• Metro North Station, Harlem 125th St.
• Hoboken Station
• Journal Square Path Station

If anyone manages to grab photos at any of these events, please send them on to us: mcchronicles at gmail dot com.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: screen grab from McDonald's press release.

Cazenovia McDonald's Looks Abandoned

Apologies for these poor quality images (taken with The McChronicles' low-qual phone cam). The intent is to depict the sorry state of affairs at the Cazenovia, NY McDonald's.

Top image: an entire section of the front (main view) roof is all ripped up and torn off.



Middle image: the posters droop off the windows as if no one maintains the interior.



Bottom image: the landscaping is so overgrown that it looks like no one has cared for it in a year.



So, is the Cazenovia,NY McDonald's abandoned? Nope, it is just so poorly cared for that it is an embarrassment.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles (sorry about the quality).

Richfield Springs, NY McDonald's: The McChronicles Has A Bad Experience

The McChronicles drove across Upstate New York to visit "the birthplace of baseball", Cooperstown, NY. On the way we dropped into the McDonald's at the intersection of NYS Rts 20 & 28 in Richfield Springs, NY.

This store is the kind that is tacked onto a convenience store/gas station. The McChronicles has posted about this set-up before (we feel it is a bit "below-brand", yet we'd rather have the opportunity to eat at McDonald's vs. forego it). Overall we give the concept a thumbs-up. We dropped in all excited to have the luxury of a McDonald's way out in the middle of nowhere - and then it hit us. This place was really batting below average.

First were the flies. WAAAAY too many (coming in from the back door, the main entrance, and the convenience store). Flies NEVER make customers happy. Minimizing flies in a restaurant should be a top priority for EVERY restaurant.

Then we encountered the always-impressive condiment/straw/Sunday paper insert "heap" on the counter. People hate putting things in their mouths that have been pawed over by strangers and that are displayed in obviously careless disarray. Additionally, the first impression should be a nice one. It is set up to be a nice one. It's actually kind of hard to mess this up. But they did.

Finally, we were less than inspired by the semi-swept-up debris, broom-in the-food scenario in the food prep area.

The management of this store needs to get some "religion". Customers may have to accept this low-level treatment when the nearest diner is a country mile away and they're hankerin' for a quick cup of Joe at Flossies Diner, but no one should experience this at a McDonald's. Especially after so much money has been spent to provide us all with a pleasing experience.

Store Manager Dean Colby (so proudly displayed on the store's door), where's the pride? The hygiene? The respect for the McDonald's brand? The respect for the customer? The McChronicles is betting that your crew just had a bad day. We know that you're one small step from delighting the customer in every way. Please take that step, make this little diamond in the rough something to be proud of. We'll be back and we're sure we'll be impressed next time.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

McDone-Media

The McChronicles enjoys perusing a seemingly factual and fair website focusing on ... McDonald's. It is called McDone Media and is said to be written by, "Elke, a European girl who is fascinated by the success of McDonald's. "

Here's what you will find on McDone Media:

• The latest news and press releases regarding McDonald's
• Popular info (including "The Freaky Universe of McDonald's")
• a reader poll
• McDonald's facts (on every page)
• more

On the site Elke says she started this website, "because I'm interested in the company, their image and products. At first I just took pictures of every McDonald's restaurant I came across, which I then posted on the internet. But I soon got this idea for a big McDonald's website that could inform everyone (whether you like the Golden Arches or not). So that's how McDone Media came to be... "

Good work, Elke. For those who are interested, your site is very informative and professional. We like it so much we're adding it to our blogroll.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Image: screen grab from McDone-Media

The Guardian Article

The McChronicles has received yet another mention, this time in the UK's esteemed Guardian website. The Guardian article, titled COMPANIES WAKE UP TO BLOGS' BARKING, discusses how several major corporations are addressing the activities in the blogosphere.

We were a bit confused by the section that mentioned our work - and think that the author took a cheap shot at McDonald's while misrepresenting our efforts a wee bit. Here is what they published:

"McChronicles aims to "discuss the brand experience of the world's largest fast
food chain from the customer point of view". Postings can be as bland as the
food, describing in detail the likes of a restaurant in New York state ("we
noticed an almost Victorian musical instrument theme"). A video clip shows "most
illest, futuristic sandwich ever". It isn't slavish in its support, though:
Detroit airport was apparently a disappointment."

What we don't understand:

• if our descriptions are "detailed" and (assummedly) interesting, then they are not "bland". That's not to say that all our postings are gems. We admit to varying degrees of literary quality. It just felt like the example was the wrong one to select.
• if a restaurant interior has a nice Victorian musical instrument theme, then it is not "bland".
• when we deliver ours, and others', videos online, then we are not "bland".
• SO ... why did they bring up the word "bland"? It just feels like a cheap shot at McDonald's, and it feels like we were used, to some degree, to deliver it. We cry, "MINOR FOUL!"

What we did like:

• it was mentioned that The McChronicles is not "slavish in its support". TRUE. We aim to "chronicle the McDonald's experience from the consumers' point of view". We are not a shil for McDonald's, nor are we a self-appointed policing service, nor a hate site. We aim to be honest, fair, and professional at all times.
• this section was very fair. And well-written:

"Then there is McChronicles, which offers detailed accounts of visits to
branches of McDonalds - recently describing a fly infestation and missing
lavatory doorknob at the Clinton, New York, outlet of the fast-food chain."

All in all, we truly appreciate the mention in the article - an article that presented both good and poor examples of how major companies are affected by their own, and by outside, blogging activities. We really appreciated the extra goodies that appeared at the end. Check them out for links to:

• Guardian weblog links
• A handful of online general weblog resources
• Links to several weblog software reviews

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Wai Gao WOW!

China's Wai Gao Qiao free trade zone is the home of McDonald's 2nd drive-thru in the country. It opened on 12 January 2006 (The McChronicles is proud to have covered that event) and has been providing great service ever since.

We stopped back in to see how they were doing now that they have had time to settle into their groove. We are very pleased to report that this store is exemplifying a great commitment to, and success with, the principles of Quality, Service, and Cleanliness (QSC). We found the store to be VERY clean and the service to be excellent.

One big reason for this success is store Manager Steven HOU Yan Ping.

The McChronicles interviewed Steven on the progress of this store, his view of McDonald's in the community, and his future. Here is what he had to say (all translated - not Steven's exact words. Any errors are totally attributable to The McChronicles' linguistic limitations):

Describe the typical Wai Gao Qiao Drive-Thru customer:
We serve a lot of local office workers and taxi drivers in this industrial zone. 90% of our business comes directly from the free trade zone. Many times one person will drop in and purchase lunch for everyone in the office. We also serve a high number of international travelers, especially at lunch time. Since this is a business zone, we serve most people at lunch time. Our night business serves night shift workers.

Do you deliver?:
We have no formal delvery program, but we do deliver large orders to nearby locations.

What are the challenges you face in this industrial setting?:
The business challenges are minimal because McDonald's corporate gives us so much support. My personal challenges are two-fold:

1. executing the process of converting a new staff member who, initially, may have absolutely NO knowledge of, or exposure to, the McDonald's brand, into a very productive member of the team.
2. providing GREAT customer service.

What do customers like about this store?:
They really like the value, the service speed, the free internet, the food quality ... 'QSC'! (laughing). Our 'Made For You' program is very helpful when it comes to customer satisfaction. I really like being able to provide our customer products that are made-fresh and delivered fast.

Tell us about the upcoming Olympics in China, and the McDonald's sponsorship:
Just like when the world's McDonald's sent crew members to work at the France Olympics, we will be doing the same in China. This store hopes to send crew to the China Olympics. I would love to be selected for involvement.

The McChronicles can vouch for Steven's sincerity and authenticity. This guy is the real deal. He truly is lovin' it as a McDonald's Manager. We would love to see him selected for the Olympics crew program. Good luck, Steven. Thanks for the interview, and for such a great store experience.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

Old Shanghai

The restaurant on East Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China is a typical, nondescript McDonald's. It has many of the "standard" features that we have all become accustomed to, including the faux "wood grain" tile floor.

The McChronicles dove into this haven during a particularly hot (38C, 100F) day. We needed the air conditioning as well as the icy-cold refreshment during our stroll down the pedestrian mall.

What struck our fancy was the theme. This store is adorned with several photos of Shanghai in the "old days".

If you're ever in the neighborhood, do pay this McDonald's a visit. Especially if you're in need of refuge from the intense summer heat.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

Connecting With Customers

McDonald's held their Q2 2006 Earnings Conference Call last week - read a transcript. In this open discussion with the investment world, James A. Skinner, Vice Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's said (among many, many other interesting things):

"We are connecting with customers on their terms, whether it is through
internet blogs, text-messaging, or conventional advertising."

The McChronicles is aware of several consumer-written blogs about the company (and we guess that there are a ton more that we don't know about), but we are aware of only two corporate McDonald's blogs. They are:

• Open For Discussion: McDonald's Corporate Responsibility Blog, written by Bob Langert, Vice President for Corporate Citizenship and Issues Management at McDonald's.
• The McDonald's You Don't Know, written by Steve Wilson, Senior Director of Web Communications at McDonald's (a guy we think we'd enjoy meeting).

Bob's work is a bit dry, sparse, and defensive, while Steve's site seems more relaxed, fun, varied, interesting, etc. This makes total sense when the goal/purpose of each blog is understood. Both are well-written & passionate, and each has a clear, specific point. Neither is updated too frequently.

Anyway, if you know of a corporate McDonald's blog that we're missing, please do COMMENT and bring it to our attention (we LOVE this stuff).

Thanks!

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.