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.

“The Most Illest, Futuristic Sandwich Ever”

CasimirN and the people from DallasPenn.com have delivered up an interesting video on the Big Mac - ahem - "The Ghetto Big Mac", aka "The most futuristic, illest sandwich ever". View the Ghetto Big Mac video.

Lest anyone take this thing too seriously, allow us to quote CasimirN:

...it's not meant to convert anyone. It's mostly intended to be funny and
celebrate the very human - borderline impractical - innovating enacted one night
by one hungry dude.

The video instructs us on how to score a Big Mac ($3.39 according to this piece) for $1.00. It takes a little work, a little time, a little manipulation, and a little bit of getting over the mess, but it seems to work.

Hey, the point is to have fun, not to save a buck, so check it out and enjoy the attitude.

Thanks to pylbug (self-proclaimed "Brand mechanic, trend bucker, agent of change ") for the tip.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: CasimirN's YouTube video - screen grab.

All Wrapped Up

It's no secret, The McChronicles LOVES McDonald's new Snack Wrap. So it was no wonder that we dropped in for a Snack Wrap lunch this afternoon.

It was raining cats & dogs and the drive thru was quite busy - as is usual when no one wants to get out of their car. We braved the rain, ran through the puddles, and entered the dining room ... only to find a long queue. We quickly discovered that there were 8 customers ahead of us, already waited on. It was a massive McShuffle. So, there we stood. And more customers were coming in.

It turned out that many people were buying the Snack Wrap - and that there was a problem. Finally a manager announced that the Snack Wrap is made with Chicken Select pieces, and that they had just had a run on these items. It seems that it would take a while to replenish the stocks.

We waited ten minutes to get served!

The McChronicles has made note of the fact that certain chicken items require special (long) preparation. This represents a bottleneck and a problem - for everyone on both sides of the counter. The crowd didn't seem to mind too much, but this issue could be a real problem for a popular new product.

Secondly, The McChronicles' sense of taste hints that the Snack Wrap may be a bit high on the calories. We reviewed the in-store nutritional info and found no data. Perhaps the info hasn't yet been updated. Next, we noticed that our tray liner was a full-page ad for the Snack Wrap - and on the flip side was a big nutritional info table. Figuring that, since they had had time to get the ad on side 1, they must have had time to get the nutritional info on side 2. Nope.

So, we went online and found nothing on the product - even after a product-specific search.

With all the hubbub over nutrition, McDonald's HAS to know the scoop on this product. We wish they'd let us know, too.

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

"This Is THE BEST McDonald's I've Ever Been In"

...those were the words that were ringing in The McChronicles' ears as we toured the Cortland, NY McDonald's (store #5365).

As we approached the store the exterior seemed almost nondescript. Yes, the store has a nice outdoor "al fresco" dining area, and yes, it is tidy.

But, when we walked through the doors it was obvious that something very special happens here. First off, the place is very clean and tidy. No litter, no brooms, no mop pails, no dust pans laying around. Secondly, this place is more like a boutique ice cream shoppe than a McDonald's. As you enter, you walk right toward an ice cream/coffee station that is simply enthralling - complete with a quaint blackboard full of specials and a counter person brimming with personality.

Then, as we looked around, we noted an almost Victorian musical instrument theme. This McDonald's features numerous musical instruments hanging on the walls ... and a BABY GRAND player piano in the extremely-well appointed dining room (this place has several beautiful floral displays throughout).

Slightly confusing, but equally as elegant and impressive, is the second dining area's "original McDonald's" theme. This section features photos of behind-the-scenes shots of '60s-era McDonald's crew frying burgers, customers lining up outdoors, etc. Very interesting.

Even the rest room was beautiful!

The McChronicles interviewed a manager who shared that this store is privately-owned by a person with a strong vision and a ton of pride. We were told that the owner petitioned to corporate, got permission to execute on a vision, and created this masterpiece. Thank goodness they did.

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

Would You Like FLIES With That?

Yuk!

What has happened to the Clinton, NY McDonald's?

The McChronicles dropped in for lunch to discover that the place was full of flies. That's extremely unappetizing and unhealthy.

In addition, the place seems to be falling into disrepair. We noted that the bathroom doorknob was missing. Good thing we didn't need to get in there!

This store is known for its neatness and friendliness. Looks like it is time to spruce up a bit.

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

Snack Wrap: Awesome!

McDonald's new Snack Wrap is great.

First reaction: it is like a small, tightly-wrapped soft shell taco. Unlike a taco, the Snack Wrap is neat, tidy, and not dripping.

Taste: The McChronicles was a bit surprised (in this day and age of McDonald's strong emphasis on a healthy choice) to find the new wrap chock full of cheese, packed with fried chicken, and well-laden with a ranch dressing. It is noticeably rich and moist - making us feel that it may be a bit unhealthy (it could be very healthy - we did NOT check the dietary stats). It really tastes great and is easy to manage & eat.

Verdict: McDonald's Snack Wrap is a real winner. Everyone that was interviewed by The McChronicles likes it.

Recommendations:

1) reduce the last one-inch section that contains 6 layers of tortilla (too much bread). Don't ask us how - it all seems necessary to keep things tidy. We're stumped and willing to accept it "as is".

2) create a new "Snack Wrap Value Meal" giving us two wraps, fries, and a drink. The McChronicles would gobble them up!

Good job McDonald's.

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

Images: The McChronicles.

A Great Ice Cream Stop

Several friends were gathered for some hot summer fun. It was getting late and we all were preparing to go home. The suggestion arose that we stop for ice cream before heading our separate ways. It was unanimous, we would drop by a McDonald's.

After thinking this over for a minute it became clear why everyone was in agreement:

• McDonald's represents LITTLE RISK. Everyone knows what to expect. This is especially important when a person is in a strange location, or, in this case, when kids are present.
• McDonald's is convenient - and on main roads.
• McDonald's offers good (not awesome, not bad) food.
• McDonald's has fair to very good prices and value for the money.

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

Image: jacksonlocal.com

Oneonta, NY McDonald's: Really Bad

The McChronicles was on a jaunt through the Southern Tier of New York State and came upon the McDonald's in Oneonta. The timing was perfect so we dropped in for a late lunch. Expectations were high - only to have them dashed by poor service, insects, and below-par food.

Store: Oneonta, NY
Online Time: 45 seconds (no one was in line ahead of us)
Order Wait: 2 minutes
Service: not rude, but unprofessional
Quality: fries were stale
Cleanliness: store was slightly messy and was full of flies

Our first impression was from the road. The store has the typical big PLAYPLACE building/sign right out front. It felt good going in. As we entered, the restaurant looked fairly OK, but we were immediately surrounded by flies. Not a billion, but a noticeable amount. That always gets our mind running (why are they here? where else are they (on the food)? is it a cleanliness issue? etc.). Upon looking around a bit we noticed that the layout of this store is a little bit funky. The restaurant area is small, and seems to need another table or two. The PLAYPLACE seems plenty large.

The counter person seemed a bit stressed even though we could not detect anything happening. She wasn't rude, but she clearly needs some training on how to speak with people.

We then waited a little too long, only to end up with some of the worst fries we have ever encountered. We know - you're saying, "just take them back, exchange them". Well, people don't like doing that, although The McChronicles HAS done it in the past (and the staff is ALWAYS eager to please). And we were kind of put off by the whole experience up to this point, so, disappointed, we just wanted to eat and get out.

We all felt that the chairs and other items in the dining room seemed just a bit cheap.

Overall, this ranks among the worst McDonald's experiences we have ever had - not for one big reason, but for numerous small reasons.

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

Wicked Cool McDonald's Sundial Billboard

The McChronicles was perusing all things McDonald's when this image was discovered. It appears on danzden's Flickr account and just blows us away.

It is an image of a McDonald's billboard (in the USA - learn more here) that is also a sundial. But not just any sundial. This timekeeper lets us know which McDonald's item we should be eating at the current moment. Just brilliant!!!

McDonald's fans LOVE to see the company doing really cool things. Kudos to everyone involved with this genius ad.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: danzden on Flickr, protected by a Creative Commons license.

Shaka Shaka Potato

The McChronicles was tipped off to an interesting Japanese activity by Craig Maginness' GOING GLOBAL blog. Bruce links to an interesting review of the Shaka Shaka Potato by Japundit. Interestingly, this "technique" is something The McChronicles has been doing for years. But we've never taken it to this level.

In a nutshell, Japanese McDonald's seem to have rebranded and expanded the interest in the french fry by promoting a technique for adding spices. Quite simply, a person orders the fries, dumps them into an empty take-out bag, dumps in some spices, shakes the thing, and enjoys. Of course, they gave the whole procedure a cool name, make it sound snazzy, etc. This whole affair is a common occurrence with us when we add more salt to our fries (sometimes we get a batch with little or no salt - yuk!). The concept of providing a variety of different spices sounds great, and reminds us of how other restaurants are enabling product customization via spice addition by the customer. It sounds like a very low cost way to create a cool buzz, and to provide a valued product. The McChronicles likes it!

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

Seasonal McDonald's

The McChronicles has never heard of a McDonald's that is open only for certain seasons throughout the year - until now.

The Old Forge, NY McDonald's (located in the heart of New York's Adirondack Mountains) is nestled in a community that caters to summertime hikers, boaters, swimmers, and the like ... as well as to skiers and snowmobilers who enjoy the winter. During the off seasons, the village is empty.

Accordingly, their McDonald's is only open during the summer season.

We've thought about this a lot, sometimes taking a negative view of the "undependability" of the schedule, and other times appreciating the fact that, for at least part of the year, this small community gets to enjoy a McDonald's.

In the end, The McChronicles proclaims that this is a good thing. Better some McDonald's than none at all. And we give KUDOS to the management for providing a regionally-appropriate decor theme.

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

Haight-Ashbury McDonald's

The McChronicles was feeling a bit groovy, so it dropped into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, birthplace of the hippie revolution.

Many McDonald's offer a unique theme, suited to the locale or region. We hoped to enjoy a hippie-type theme, or something celebrating the psychedelia that Haight-Ashbury is so famous for.

Imagine our disappointment when, upon entering, we discovered that this store had NO particular theme, and was decorated only in crooked wall sconces and nondescript wallpaper.

Regions with far less (of note) to brag about do a much better job of reflecting their tradition or community than this store does. What should be a landmark is actually a disappointment.

Bummer, man!

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