McDonald’s serves 70 million customers daily, leading to inevitable etiquette lapses. Employees appreciate politeness but secretly dislike certain habits. Former employee Ray Morrone notes McDonald’s efficiency rivals NASA’s. Insights from current and former employees reveal disliked habits and alternatives. Be aware of commonly disliked polite habits to avoid them.
Throwing away your trash
Is throwing your garbage on your way out of the restaurant helpful? Not necessarily, according to Morrone. He recalls instances where guests would toss their trash into garbage bins, but the problem was that recyclable material would often be mixed with food scraps. This meant employees like Morrone had to sift through half-eaten Big Macs and warm milkshakes to separate recyclables from non-recyclables.
Stacking your trays
Simply piling everyone’s trash into a stack isn’t the same as leaving it on the table—it may result in ketchup ending up on the bottom of trays. Norah Clark, a former McDonald’s employee with four years of experience, appreciates customers wanting to keep the dining area clean. However, stacking trays with leftover food and trash can actually make it more challenging for employees to efficiently clean up.
While eating your meal quickly and leaving promptly may open up the table for other paying customers, Gregory S., a McDonald’s veteran of 36 years, suggests not dashing without tidying up a bit. This viewpoint, however, varies among employees. Gregory emphasizes that customers should avoid leaving a mess at their table, expressing his dislike for the misconception that McDonald’s employees function as waiters or waitresses. He asserts that McDonald’s isn’t a sit-down restaurant.
Morrone recalls instances when guests would inform him about a loudly crying toddler in the play area. While he appreciates the concern for a child’s safety, he emphasizes that managers or team members would promptly check if the child needed medical attention. Fortunately, it usually turned out to be a false alarm, with the child crying for reasons like hunger, dropping a Happy Meal toy, or simply not wanting to leave the play area when their parents said it was time to go
If you consistently order the same item, you probably have your order memorized. However, if you’re changing things up, there’s no need to feel obligated to opt for a meal deal just for politeness. Morrone suggests that ordering individual menu items, even if they are part of a meal deal, is a positive thing. Cashiers are instructed to inform guests about potential savings, and customers generally appreciate the staff looking out for them, resulting in a positive experience for everyone.
After ordering your McDonald’s burger at the counter, the common expectation might be to find a table and wait for your food, right? According to Morrone, there was often confusion about where guests should wait after paying. Some would sit at a table, anticipating waitstaff service, but most guests would simply wait patiently for their order number to be called out.
If you notice a long line in the drive-through behind you, you might be inclined to skip small talk and place your order promptly to maintain efficiency. Gregory acknowledges this change in customer behavior over the years but expresses discontent, noting that people seem to be less caring and patient nowadays.
“Rounding up the change and giving it as a tip is quite annoying,” states Dan Baker (pseudonym), a former McDonald’s employee of two years. While customers may think they’re being polite, the employee still needs to ring up the total before handling the change. If you hand over a $5 bill for a $3.50 meal, saying “keep the change” and leaving requires the cashier to count out the change, process the transaction, and then personally place it in the tip jar. Baker emphasizes that this seemingly polite gesture actually makes the cashier’s job more challenging.
Baker recounts instances where customers would leave change as a tip and suggest putting it in his college fund. While the customers may have had good intentions and intended to engage in polite conversation, Baker found this somewhat insulting.
Searching through your purse for cash when it’s time to pay can cause delays and make the job more challenging for the fast-food worker. Hence, arriving prepared with the necessary cash is considered polite. However, there are instances where the condition of the cash becomes less than ideal. Morrone recalls encounters with bicyclists pulling sweat-soaked dollar bills from their socks to pay for meals. In such cases, the question arises: Would you want to touch a stranger’s sweaty money?
Employees appreciate when customers consider featured items as they are often designed for quick preparation and efficiency. Ignoring these suggestions can slow down the service, especially during busy hours.
Requesting excessive amounts of condiments not only leads to waste but also puts additional strain on inventory management. Employees find it challenging to keep up with such demands while maintaining service speed.
Leaving a mess in the condiment area creates extra cleaning work for employees and can be inconvenient for other customers. A tidy condiment area is essential for maintaining a pleasant dining environment.
Employees often face the brunt of customer frustrations over menu changes, despite having no control over these decisions. Such complaints can be demoralizing and disrupt the service flow.
This habit can be frustrating for employees who are preparing to close the restaurant. It extends their working hours unexpectedly and disrupts their end-of-day routines.
Unsupervised children can create safety concerns and additional stress for employees who might need to intervene. It’s important for guardians to monitor their children to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.
Customers who leave the restroom in a mess show disrespect not only to the employees who have to clean up but also to other customers. Maintaining restroom cleanliness is a shared responsibility.
Placing large orders in the drive-thru can significantly slow down the service for others. It’s more considerate to place large orders inside the restaurant or through a pre-order service.
Ignoring a greeting or failing to respond to employees can be seen as rude and demoralizing. Polite acknowledgment of staff efforts fosters a positive atmosphere.
While freshness is important, requesting items to be made fresh on the spot can disrupt the kitchen’s workflow and increase wait times for all customers.
Such behavior can disturb other customers and create a negative atmosphere in the restaurant, making it a less enjoyable place for everyone, including the staff.
McDonald’s serves 70 million customers daily, leading to inevitable etiquette lapses. Employees appreciate politeness but secretly dislike certain habits. Former employee Ray Morrone notes McDonald’s efficiency rivals NASA’s. Insights from current and former employees reveal disliked habits and alternatives. Be aware of commonly disliked polite habits to avoid them.
Throwing away your trash
Is throwing your garbage on your way out of the restaurant helpful? Not necessarily, according to Morrone. He recalls instances where guests would toss their trash into garbage bins, but the problem was that recyclable material would often be mixed with food scraps. This meant employees like Morrone had to sift through half-eaten Big Macs and warm milkshakes to separate recyclables from non-recyclables.
