Prince Charles Has A BEEF With McDonald's

The Prince of Wales has reminded us all of just how out of touch he is with the real world.

According to a report in The TimesOnline, Prince Charles asked a nutritionist from the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre :

“Have you got anywhere with McDonald’s? Have you tried getting it banned? That’s the key.”

The article also reported that a Clarence House spokesman, travelling with the Prince and Duchess on their ten-day tour of the Gulf, attempted to mop up the gaffe by saying:

“The Prince of Wales has for a long time advocated the importance of a balanced diet, especially for children. In visiting the diabetes centre today, he was keen to emphasise the need for children to enjoy the widest variety of food and not to eat any particular sort of food to excess.”

Yes, we're sure that's EXACTLY what he meant.

McDonald's said the statement was "disappointing”, then commented that other royal heirs enjoy the occasional visit to their restaurant, saying, they, “have probably got a more up-to-date picture of us.”

The Australian reports (tomorrow, due to time zone differences ... cool!) that:

"Although he has not previously attacked McDonald's by name, the prince has had a series of standoffs with the burger giant, most of which he has lost."

Even more interesting is what is reported in the Daily Mail.co.uk. They inform us that Prince Charles:

"immediately laid himself open to charges of hypocrisy after it was pointed out that the company's signature Big Mac contains fewer calories, fats and salt than some products in his own organic Duchy Originals food range."

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

McDonald's Going Green

We're not talking about Shamrock Shakes here. We're talking "green", as in eco-friendly.

QSR Online reports that McDonald's has built a store that utilizes some of the latest in environmentally-conscious design. According to the report:

The standalone McDonald’s and a nearby Panera’s outlet are part of one of the nation’s first green-certified shopping centers, Savannah’s Abercorn Common, an environmentally friendly development where stormwater seeps through porous pavement into soil, rooftops reflect heat to keep things cool inside, and the sun serves as primary lighting most days.

In addition to numerous energy-saving and production enhancing features, the building sports a green roof. The McChronicles would love to experience this intriguing store.

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

Awesome Filet-O-Fish

We could tell, from the very minute we entered the New Hartford, NY McDonald's, that today's visit was going to be a winner.

First impression: the store was clean. Even the condiment station was immaculate. That always makes us feel good.

Next, the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Yes, that marvelous creation that rises to the top of the charts during the Lenten season.

The McChronicles enjoyed the annual rehashing of the Filet-O-Fish sandwich history (in the media every Lent) by reading a fun article by Gannett's Paul Clark. Do click over - the article includes some cool images and facts. Here are but a few cool facts:

• The Filet-O-Fish was created by a McDonald's store owner, Lou Groen, to stem the losses caused by his predominantly Catholic clientelle heading to a fish restaurnt every Friday.



• Lou opened his first McDonald's in 1959.



• Lou was a homeless teenager during the great depression.



• Lou liquidated in 1986, he owned 43 McDonald's at the time.



• 23% of all Filet-O-Fish sandwiches are purchased during the Lenten season.

OK, back to the sandwich. After reading the article we were in the mood. The order was placed (sans frommage) and then it happened. The McChronicles was delighted by the BEST Filet-O-Fish sandwiches ever tasted! Both sandwiches were prepared to perfection - EVERYTHING was done right. Kudos to the crew that prepared them.

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

Images: The McChronicles.

McDonald's: PLEASE Do Something About This

One of The McChronicles' pet peeves is when a restaurant, ANY restaurant, uses odiferous, industrial-smelling cleaning chemicals in the dining area. This is true for ANY restaurant.

We have suffered through countless table-top cleanups where the staff atomizes a chlorine-based spray onto the table and into the air. This seems to be required between customers at some places. And it really affects the customers' sense of taste, smell, and satisfaction.

We're all for hygiene and sanitary conditions, but something has to be done to protect the diner's experience.

Case in point. Over the weekend The McChronicles hosted a tasting at the North Utica, NY McDonald's. This restaurant, right on Utica's main drag, Genesee Street, and near the NYS Thruway (exit 31), is kind of cool as it is built in the retro style (complete with Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, juke boxes, and even a hot rod in the summer).

What wasn't cool was the fact that, right in the middle of our otherwise awesome lunch, a crew broke out a mop bucket and began swabbing the decks with the most pungent fluid we have ever experienced. Unfortunately, this diligent young man was not simply touching up a mere spill. No, he had his sights set on a total washing. The mop water simply reeked of who knows what. Everyone in our group was unable to continue eating. Note, in the picture, the woman across from us had to cover her nose while reading her paper.

Everyone wants things to be clean. But is there a way to keep the mop water from smelling incredibly disgusting?

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

Custom Creation Starting With a Big n' Tasty

After getting psyched by Adam Kuban's McNugget-enhanced Cheeseburger, The McChronicles set out to see what an infusion of McNugget would do to a Big n' Tasty.

You might ask, "Why begin with the BnT instead of the Cheeseburger, as Adam did?"

Good question. See, The McChronicles enjoys the sesame seed bun, the lettuce, and the larger chopped onions. It was felt that the greater contrast in textures and flavors might make this idea more interesting.

So, how did we like it? Well ... it wasn't that great. While it was fun thinking about it, the taste was
kind of blah. We could detect every element, but the overall result was kind of boring.

Better luck next time. Any recommendations from you?

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

Custom Connoisseur Creation

The McChronicles recently posted about Custom CREW Creations. You know, the concoctions that inspired insiders make when they are working at McDonald's. We figured these people have the inside scoop on popular custom combos, ingredients, and the all-important permission to mess around.

We overlooked one of the world's most creative fast food lovers - the man behind SLICE and A HAMBURGER TODAY. . . Mr. Adam Kuban. Adam is a well-known food blogger and writer.

Adam recently posted a crazy image on Flickr (shown here) that really got The McChronicles crazy. The image is of a creation he calls a McNugget-Enhanced Cheeseburger.

Adam says he ordered the elements and hand-crafted this beauty (versus ordering it and having the McDonald's crew assemble it).


Well, we asked McDonald's crew to tell us some of THEIR favorite off-menu creations. And we reported on The Most Illest, Futuristic Sandwich Ever. Let's open up the lines to customers. Are you like Adam, as creative as can be? If so, what do you put together?


The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: McNugget-Enhanced Cheeseburger, from SLICE.

QSR Magazine Drive-Thru Study

• 40% of Americans use a fast-food drive thru weekly??!??!? Wow!

• McDonald's is experimenting with tandem Drive-Thru lanes to speed service. Cool!

The 2006 QSR Magazine Drive-Thru Study has just been released. They probed for answers to these questions:

• What do customers value most?
• How is the industry responding?

In this quick and interesting online slide show we learned that McDonald's ranks very high (in top 5) when it comes to Drive-Thru speed of service. And much more.

Check out the interesting slide show report that The McChronicles found on QSR Magazine's website.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: QSR Magazine Screen Grab.

Custom Crew Creations

Interesting comments on a recent McDonald's Snack Wrap posting got The McChronicles wondering... Since McDonald's crew have access to all the ingredients, have training on how to make everything, and get to see the cool customer creations that are ordered, what are some of the custom CREW creations?

Hey crew! Since you are the most knowledgeable, and have the opportunities, share some of your favorite custom recipes with The McChronicles.


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

On The Go Packaging

According to a November 2006 posting on QSR Magazine Online:

In the Middle East, McDonald's serves a regional version of its chicken wrap. The McArabia features not only a flavored flatbread holder, but also the type of on-the-go packaging more quick-serves should be employing. It is possible to eat the flatbread sandwich without spilling, even when writing and dining.

The McChronicles is pretty sure they are talking about the same packaging that we enjoy when we consume the succulent FANtastic sandwich. And it sounds like what we see in the cool McShawarama ad. If so, we say - cool!

Harken back to the day The McChronicles invented the McPamper. Born of necessity, the McPamper was our way of minimizing the collateral damage done when trying to consume a Big Mac. Why did we invent this? Because many sandwiches are messy! That good and gooey sauce/condiment/juice has to go somewhere - and it usually manages to land on our clothes.

An alternative answer is because the existing packaging is inadequate for our needs. So, now we know that McDonald's knows the issue, and that they can do somethng about it.

We imagine that this packaging is a lot more expensive (both money- and time-wise) for McDonald's. And, admittedly, it may be a bit of overkill for some sandwiches. But ... watch what happens when you initiate a candid discussion (amongst people who are comfortable being honest) about eating a Big Mac. It always seems to go to the mess.

With increasing numbers of McDonald's customers using the drive thru, this packaging could be a real point if differentiation when a dining decision is considered. According to a 2006 article in selfserviceworld.com:

Drive-thru sales account for more than 60 percent of the overall revenue and more than 80 percent of the lunch revenue at a typical McDonald’s.

Think of the averted dry cleaning bills! Maybe this packaging should pop up everywhere the Big Mac is sold.

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

Snack Wrap Update

The McChronicles loves the McDonald's Snack Wrap. In fact we posted on it not once, but twice. Now here's an update.

According to a report on this week's QSR Magazine Online:

McDonald's today introduced a new snacking options for customer (sic), the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap. In addition to the new flavor, McDonald's portable wraps are now available in both grilled and crispy choices.

The new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap, made with either grilled or crispy, chicken breast meat, cheddar jack cheese, crisp lettuce and a sweet and tangy Honey Mustard sauce, wrapped inside a soft flour tortilla, will be offered for a promotional period at $1.29 at participating McDonald's restaurants nationwide.

That makes for several options. Sounds good!

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

McDonald's Super Bowl Ad?

What does the 2007 Super Bowl have in store for us? The McChronicles doesn't know.

But we do know that, according to MSNBC, the 6th-best EVER Super Bowl ad was from McDonald's. Their review of the legendary, previously-posted-on-The-McChronicles Super Bowl 27 spot goes like this:

#6. McDonald’s “The Showdown” (1993): Michael Jordan and Larry Bird engage in a physics-defying hoops-shooting contest for a Big Mac and fries.

What worked: Every basketball fan knows that Bird would win this contest 10 out of 10 times, but it was still a clever idea with a catchphrase that continues to pop up in “Horse” games. (“Over the second rafter, off the floor … nothing but net.”)

The results: This commercial seems to have blessed everyone involved. Jordan won three more championships and Bird transitioned into a solid career as a coach. And while salads and chicken products have been killing off the rest of the menu, the cholesterol-heavy Big Mac value meal remains an untouchable fast-food staple.

Honestly, we're still hankerin' to see Ronald bust the Burger King. Let's REEBOK BK! It would be so sweet.

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

Video: YouTube.

BusinessWeek McDonald's Cover Story

Check out the very interesting video on the BusinessWeek.com website.

The magazine article is refreshingly positive (heck - you WOULD expect the people at BusinessWeek to recognize a good business, right?), and provides some pretty interesting insights. For example:

• Over the course of an average day, 1,500 people—the equivalent of 1 out of every 16 people in the middle-class suburb of 24,095—drive in to the Garner (North Carolina) McDonald's.
• The $21.6 billion company now feeds a record 27 million people every day, 1 million more every year since 2003.
• McDonald's dominates mornings. It owns a quarter of the $25 billion market for fast-food breakfast.

Then check out the accompanying slide show.

And there's even a podcast available (these BusinessWeek people have really got the communications thing sewn up!).

The video and article promote a fun, online quiz, too.

All in all, BusinessWeek has provided a very insightful glimpse into McDonald's.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles (thanks to McChronicles fan, Tim, for sharing his copy of BusinessWeek).

Beijing's 1st McDonald's Drive-Thru

Big excitement in China last week!

McDonald's opened Beijing's first drive-thru restaurant on Friday, 19 January 2007 to great fanfare.

McDonald's has experimented with drive-thrus in China in the recent past. The McChronicles has been fortunate to experience some of the activities - more than once. Given the burgeoning middle class (replete with new cars and places to go) and the drive-thru is a guaranteed success in China.

But hang on. While this is McDonald's first drive-thru in Beijing, the company already has "15 other drive-throughs in China, in Shanghai and the southern cities of Guangdong and Shenzhen" according to an article published in US NEWS & WORLD REPORTS website.

The article goes on to say, "McDonald's speeded up its plan to open drive-throughs (sic) in China after seeing strong demand at the first, which opened in December 2005 in the southern city of Dongguan near Hong Kong. 'We thought we were two to three years early, and once we opened it, we thought we might be two to three years late, because of how successful it was,' Schwartz said." (McDonald's China CEO Jeffrey Schwartz).

The McChronicles' experience with China McDonald's drive-thrus reveals that the local element includes some "extra help" for customers who may have never experienced a drive-thru before. An extra crew person mans a window, ready to answer any questions. Excellent!.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: AP Photo/NG HAN GUAN

Mega Mac

According to an article in Japan Today, McDonald's is launching the Mega Mac. The article is dated 12 February and it says the promotion (availability) will run to 04 February. It reportedly sells for 350 yen.

In a 17 January follow-on article Japan Today tells us, "... that sales of the new Mega Mac for the first four days since its debut have far exceeded the expected amount of 1.68 million burgers with 3.32 million sold."

"Mega Mac, a hamburger with four patties, was originally to be a limited time offer, but the fast food chain announced that it will extend the period in order to meet the demand."

800,000 Mega Macs per day. Wow!

The Mega Mac has a history in Japan, Canada (called Double Big Mac there), and in the UK (among other places). The McChronicles closes this Mega Mac report with two YouTube videos that clearly indicate that people find this sandwich both amusing and difficult to eat.





The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: Japan Today.
Videos: YouTube.

Woodbury Common (not so common) McDonald's

There is a very high-end outlet mall just north of New York City called Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. The McChronicles enjoyed perusing the Wikipedia entry for this facility. The aerial photography gives a good sense of the size of the place.

McDonald's fans will be pleased to hear what is common about Woodbury Common: it has a pretty typical McDonald's in the food court. This restaurant boasts multiple plaques for Outstanding Manager - Mr. Manuel Medina (2001, 2002, 2004) , has a photo display of their Employee of the Month (strangely only 8 months are listed), and offers a seemingly clean & happy crew. The McChronicles noted an abundance of smiles and camaraderie during our visit. The order area seemed oversized (perhaps it is designed to handle the huge crowds that occasionally deluge the place) - and the interior only seats 22 people. There is an outer McDonald's seating area that accommodates 40 more diners. And then there is the common food court area, too.

So, we shopped on, enjoying all that this huge, upscale mall had to offer, when we were confronted with something we'd never seen before. Something we call Woodbury UNCommon. We encountered a McSnacks!

This tiny "shop" reminded us of the small kiosk McDonald's we frequent while in China, Singapore, etc. This particular store occupies a tiny sliver of a building (approximately 100 square feet). Service was outdoor counter only.

And, most UNCommon, is the fact that their very limited menu includes NON-McDonald's products. The 2 items that we've never seen sold at a McDonald's are: Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, and Klondike bars.

Googling "mcsnacks" we learned that there is at least one in Baltimore, MD, USA, one in Bergen, Netherlands, and a bunch of uses of the term to describe generic, fast-food snacks.

What a fruitful trip!

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

QSCV WATCH

McDonald's subscribes to the QSCV motto: Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value. In fact, that's what we, as consumers, have been sold for years. So why do we rarely ever receive the entire package?

Right before New Years The McChronicles dropped into a local McDonald's that was offering Egg Nog shakes on their sign.

Problem #1: The reason we were doing this is that a friend was complaining that, in spite of the promotions for the Egg Nog shake, he had received a slew of excuses from various McDonald's in the region as to why they didn't have them. He actually began dropping into every McDonald's he passed, trying to get this product. On our travels we noticed a store-specific sign, so we took our friend there for the shake. This store had them - and they were awesome! Excuses instead of product is bad service.

Problem #2: We arrived in the evening. The drive-thru was slow, and there was one other small group eating at a table. The place was empty. The dining room was just short of a shambles. Dirty floor, newspapers and debris on tables, the condiment area all messy, garbage overflowing. This is poor cleanliness.

Sadly, this seems to be getting more and more common.

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

Presentation Counts

If it happened only once it would be easy to overlook.

When it happens repeatedly it is perceived to be OK with McDonald's. In fact, after enough repetition, it IS the product.

In this case The McChronicles has received another sandwich (Filet-O-Fish this time) packaged in a greasy, smeared cardboard clamshell. The fingerprints are particularly appetizing.

Assuming that presentation matters, we'd like to see this completely eliminated. It's so wrong, and it conjures up bad images. In fact, it kind of falls into place with the constant drumbeat of (often unfair) attacks on McDonald's. Kind of like throwing grease on the fire. It reminds us of:

• trans fats issues
• cancer-causing acrylamide issues
  
• unhealthy eating/obesity issues
• poor sanitation issues
• uninspired crew issues

Hey, WE didn't start this. The people who handed us the fist-full of grease started it.

After so many repeat performances, we imagine that some people hold it in their hearts that a McDonald's sandwich IS food within a smeared, greasy box that you really don't even want to hold in your hands. That's called "brand". Is it the brand that McDonald's has worked so hard to avoid? Yup.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: A grossed-out McChronicles.

The McChronicles TOP 10 BEST McDONALD's EXPERIENCES OF 2006

2006 has been an awesome year - so what better to do than look back and remind ourselves of The McChronicles' very best McDonald's experiences.

The rules are simple, The McChronicles had to have some form of direct experience with the store/event during 2006. Here goes:

1. Best Store (building): Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico: From the "curb appeal" to the building design to the materials of construction, this facility is VERY impressive. It reminded us of a museum. After we enjoyed our meal, we didn't want to leave - it is that nice!
2. Best Owner/Operator: Dennis Stabile (store #13058) Rosemont, Illinois, USA: The minute we walked into this store, we knew it was different. It's not the looks, it's the PEOPLE. And the people are top-shelf due, in part, to what seems to be great management from the top. It also appears that Mr. Stabile has a knack for hiring great people. Elements like respect, empowerment, and appreciation all come together - ultimately creating the customer experience. Great job Mr. Stabile! We'd love to meet and interview you someday.
   
3. Best Surprise Appearance: Pop-Up McDonald’s, Shenzhen, China: Imagine our delight ...we were seeking sustinence at a trade exhibition with very low expectations ("show food" is usually abominable). When we found this mobile-McDonald's we were delighted!
4. Cleanest McDonald’s: Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico: That's right - Zapopan appears twice. That's because, in addition to enjoying a very cool design, the facility is kept impeccably clean - inside and out. This category receives special attention since CLEANLINESS is one of the key elements that McDonald's focuses on - and sells to the consumer. Zapopan really excels in this category.
5. Best McDonald’s Web Offering: McDonald’s Senior Director of Web Communications - Steve Wilson’s “The McDonald’s You Don’t Know”: The McChronicles likes Steve's style - simple and to the point. Nowhere throughout the site do we detect defensiveness or corporate-speak. And some of the links are really fun, too. Keep it coming, Steve.
6. Best McDonald’s Blog: Olympic Champion Crew Community: It's simply hard to beat the combination of The Olympics, people on a really cool trip to Italy, and the exuberance of people on a mission. It all comes through here.
7. Best McDonald’s Mashup - Cortland, NY: This is not the BEST McDonald's restaurant of the year, but it has so many interesting elements that we made up this category. At first blush, the store appears typical. But, when you walk in, you are surrounded with a great classical music theme. Then there's the McDonald's history stuff, then there's the Hershey's ice cream parlor. Phew!! So much stuff to enjoy.
8. Best McDonald's Billboard: Wrigleyville (Chicago), Illinois: The combination of simplicity, complexity, artistry, and ancient principles had the McChronicles shouting, "Wicked Cool" You've got to love this one on so many levels.
9. Best McDonald’s Image on Flickr: Kate Blood’s “Mood Indigo”: Here is one for the fans, from the fans. Kate really used her artistic eye (and photographic skills) to create this awesome image. Thanks for this, Kate.
10. Best McDonald’s Ad: McShawarma ad: A ton of work went into this effort - but it was well worth it.

And here is a special year-end bonus to The McChronicles TOP 10 BEST McDONALD'S EXPERIENCES OF 2006.

Since we are committed to chronicling the McDonald's brand experience from the CUSTOMER'S point of view, we want to honor the person that has so much to do with our experience: the store manager. The store manager kind of reminds us of an Army sergeant - caught between two worlds (management and the rank and file). These people struggle to keep both ends of the equation happy - even when they have conflicting agendas. In addition, they are responsible for transferring the teachings and skills to the people that have EVERYTHING to do with the customer experience - the frontline crew person. In other words, these are the people responsible for the interactions that we, the consumer, have with McDonald's - every visit.

BEST MANAGER 2006:

• Team Spirit: Jean Si Jean really impressed us with her appreciation of, and dedication to, working with and learning from her team of local managers. The result is a store that adheres to the corporate principles, runs well, and delivers on the McDonald's promise.

• Passion: Steven HOU Yan Ping Steven LOVES McDonald's! And he totally respects what the corporate program can do for both the employees and the customers. Steven, we're still hoping that you get selected for the Beijing Olympics McDonald's crew - you deserve it.

• Personality: Jays C Jays is blessed with a great owner/operator - and vice versa. This manager found time to be interviewed, take drive-thru orders, cheer on a colleague who was mopping the floor, explain a new entertainment system to us, and more. Her energy, enthusiasm, brains, and smile add up to an excellent managerial style.

• Positive Attitude: Zhong Xiao Li Miss Zhong can do ANYTHING! At least it seemed that way during our interview. Her McDonald's training seems to have empowered and encouraged her - but her "can do" attitude is all hers. The combination makes for an excellent ambassador for McDonald's, and a super manager for her team.

Each of these winners really stood out. The McChronicles had an easy time conjuring up the great feelings and/or experiences that each delivered. What a pleasure it is to bestow these accolades. They are all well-deserved.

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

I'm INVISIBLE!!!

The McChronicles has noted a trend in several McDonald's recently. Here's how it goes:

1. the crew person at the counter says, "Who's next?".
2. the customer steps up and places their order.
3. the order is taken, the customer pays and receives their change.
4. the customer suddenly acquires super powers, becomes invisible, and the crew person acts as if the customer evaporated.
5. the crew person says, "Who's next?"

The McChronicles is kind of "hip". We "get it". So the first time this happened we accommodated it as we sought to understand what was happening. The behavior was attributed to inexperience or rudeness on the part of the crew (or maybe it was our breath). Then it happened again ... and again ... and ... you get the point.

Imagine the customer experience of someone who doesn't visit McDonald's a lot. Imagine the customer experience of someone who is a little slow. Imagine the perception of someone who is used to a slightly more respectful dignified level of treatment. Virtually ANYONE is going to wonder:

"Did I just become invisible?"
"Is my order in progress?" "Am I supposed to stand here or move somewhere else?" "How will I know when my order is ready?" "Who will tell me when my order is ready?"

Now, this is bad enough when things go to plan. But when an order ends up going into overtime, then a person's mind starts getting crazy. We won't attempt to list the things that may occur to a person while they're in that zone.

Needless to say ... STRIKE THAT ... we'll say it:

McDonald's crew:

1. Do expect to be respected and treated kindly - by your peers, management, and customers. You deserve that.
2. Real, warm-blooded human beings are your customers. We're ALL not jerks/rude/outrageous. Some of us are actually decent, nice people who are hoping for a nice meal and a modicum of acknowledgement.
   
3. Please act as if you are waiting on a human being. Act as if your Mom/Grandma/favorite teacher/coach/guru/friend was on line.
4. Be aware of the fact that virtually none of us know what you are doing when you type on your register - and we certainly don't know the protocol or the system. We assume that we will order, pay, and be handed food. If there is a minor delay, we expect that you will SPEAK TO US LIKE WE ARE HUMANS (remember your Mom/Grandma...?), tell us what is happening, and keep us informed as the unexpected (unadvertised) delay plays out.
5. Customers should know that you don't know, or care, about what is going on in our lives. Customers have no right to blow up at you because their marriage sucks, their car is falling apart, and their kids don't respect them. We are to be civil and respectful.
6. Please don't take it out on us if your manager is a jerk, or if anything else in your life is irritating you.

In short, please tell us what just happened, what you want us to do next, and what we are waiting for. We'll be OK with it. Please.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: One of the BEST customer service moments encountered by The McChronicles in 2006.

The Holiday Rush

The Holiday season really packs people into the shopping malls. So, The McChronicles dropped by New Hartford, New York's Sangertown Square Mall to see how their McDonald's was holding up.

As expected, the crowd was thick with hungry shoppers. And the queue at the McDonald's was long. The crew seemed to be handling things fairly well. But there was a bit too much confusion behind the counter to say things were going "perfectly". The stress must be quite high back there (but it isn't like the crowds are unexpected, either).

During our long observation we noted no surly customers, and the crew did a great job handling the business.

When you drop by McDonald's during your holiday shopping trips be sure to give a word of encouragement to the people behind the counter. They'll appreciate it.

Any holiday mall McDonald's stories to share? Add them to our COMMENTS section, below.

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