I have written before about my past McDonald's experience which involved a problem in my order and an uncaring employee. I wrote to the company and received an apology and a promise to pass the complaint on to the district manager. I did not receive any coupons for free food so I decided to boycott McDonald's especially the establishment where the incident occurred. My boycott lasted longer than my kids expected, but the lure of their iced coffee and frappes at half the price of Starbucks lured me back. I did still avoid the troubled McDonald's, which was difficult giving its location to all sporting events and my house.
When we arrived home from our summer vacation and we were out and about we decided that we needed McDonald's for whatever reason (it's been too long that I don't remember) and I was even willing to pull into the 'horrible" McDonald's. When I started to turn into the parking lot I was stopped by an orange construction barrier and found to our amazement the McDonald's that had caused me a night of sleep and a several hours of my life was gone. Kaput. Mowed over by a bulldozer. I took credit of course assuming the district manager had checked out my complaint and was more than irritated by the lack of response from the same employee. Only thing to do...destroy the franchise.
I found out a couple of days later that alas it was being rebuilt as was a McDonald's near the high school that I have been known to pass through. It all was not really such a big deal since our favorite establishment near Darcy's school and our grocery was still standing having gone through renovations some time ago. But as luck had it after an especially trying orthodontist appointment of tightening, new bands, and impressions for yet another appliance, I was talked into running through a McDonald's drive thru for a frappe to cool and relieve Darcy's aching mouth. We were near the high school and more than halfway there before I remember that the McDonald's was under construction, but I assured Darcy that I thought another one was just down the road from that one, and I was right. We called Madison to see if she wanted anything and I got into line at the drive thru.
Her: "Welcome to McDonald's would you like to try a (insert whatever)."
Me: "No thank you. I'll have 2 small mocha frappes and 1 chocolate chip frappe and a small fry."
Her: "If the total on the screen is correct, please pull forward to the first window."
I followed the directions and pulled up to the first window to find two girls working. One appeared to be training the other and both had on headsets. The first girl leaned her upper torso through the window, told me my amount owed, and then quickly recoiled when I handed her my debit card.
Her: "Huh uh. Cash only."
Me: "What?"
Her: "This is a cash only. I told you that first thing. Cash only. First thing I said when you pulled up to the drive thru box. We only taking cash." (She was pointing and waving her finger back and forth tsk tsk-ing me.)
Me: "No. No one said anything about cash. I don't have any cash."
Her: "Well, we taking cash only."
She shook her head at my stupidity and turned away from me as the trainee beside her said into her headset, "Welcome to McDonald's would you like to try our...." Annoyed once more at this company I pulled around the cars at the second window and sped off, ranting and raving. Darcy agreed that no one had mentioned cash only to us at any time during our ordering process. I mean, really, what business doesn't take credit? I suppose something was wrong with their credit machines, but if that was the case then make a sign and post it in the drive thru. How much energy would that take? I ranted all the way home once again saying I was done with McDonald's.
A few weeks later I recanted my stance and decided that the only McDonald's I would go to was our favorite down the street near my grocery. At different times over the years they have had the best guys working the drive thru window. I even got out of my car once to tell the manager how good the one guy was as a customer service representative. Now there is another guy that works the window who is just as great as the first one. I joke around with him every time I see him and he holds his own and makes me laugh. I ordered, we chatted, and I paid and moved up to the next window where I got my bag and frappes. Off we went. It wasn't until I got home that I discovered they had given the kids their large fries, but not my hamburger. I ordered nothing but a tiny hamburger because I was starving and just needed a little something something to take hold me until my next meal, and I was craving a damn hamburger! I was not a happy camper, and even more annoyed when I could not get anyone on the phone to voice my displeasure. I did not say I was done with McDonald's as I knew my kids were waiting for that to come out of my mouth so they could then remind me of how I don't follow through on that statement.
Fast forward to this week when I decided after dropping off Darcy to get a black coffee on my way to my mother's house. I had brought a cup of my flavored creamer with me so that I could use it in my black coffee. McDonald's was offering a free small coffee this week for some reason and what the hell they owed me. I got my coffee and traveled on until I could pull over in a parking lot to fix my coffee. When I pried the lid off I found myself staring down into, not a black pool of liquid like it should have been, bit a butter colored pool of liquid instead. Someone - an employee of McDonald's - had put cream and sugar into my ordered black coffee. Oh, the horror and rage that cursed through my body.
I'm done. Done from driving through this place. Done with their Southwest Chicken Salad. Done with their iced vanilla coffees and dollar sweet teas. Done, done, done. McDonald's has screwed me over for the last time. That has been four strikes from this company this year, the last three in the last month. I don't care how good their crappy fast food tastes or how quick it is for a pick me up. I'm going to start carrying a little cooler in my car for moments like that. And this time I'm serious. I mean it. No more ordering through the drive thru at McDonald's. From now on I only deal face to face with their employees.
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