In Reply to: My experiances in McHell posted by C. Jensen on January 03, 1997 at 05:36:32:
> Reading the posts in this room is like re-living the nightmare.
> I've worked at three fast-food restaurants in my life.. Two
> years in high school and 1 during college.. The 1 year during
> college was at a McDonalds.. Funny thing is I VOWED never to
> work fast-food again after high school, but over time I must
> have repressed the memories, money was tight, and hey, they were
> hiring.. (they always are) I'll just start numbering stuff
> off...> 1. Most employees did wash before "clocking in" but that was
> the extent of personal-hygene.. During an eight+ hour shift
> and a few trips to the restroom, it didn't take long for hands
> to get dirty again..> 2. My biggest complaint (and a helpful hint).. Food was almost
> _never_ fresh, if you could call it that in the first place..
> Of course, MCD's has STRICT rules and regulations for the
> preparation, storage, etc. of all their food products..
> Unfortunately for the customer, these rules are only followed
> when MCD's 'Brass' are around, and that's only a few times per
> year..> 2a. Food is only supposed to sit in the warming bins for 10-15
> min. if I recall.. On a regular basis the product would be in
> the bin for 60 minutes+.. The food ends up dry and hard, and
> on sandwiches with mayo and lettuce, you get some real nasty
> brown-slimy crap.. But this has been standard proceedure at all
> of the joints I've had the displeasure to work in..> 2b. For all you people who thought 'special ordering' a food
> item meant it would have to be cooked fresh.... WRONG! Even
> before the food sits in the heating bin and petrifies, it is
> all already cooked, just waiting to be assembled.. Buns are
> done in mass quantity and put into a compartment where they
> should be kept fresh for a limited amount of time.. Same for
> the beef patties, chicken, fish, etc.. So when you special order
> they take the pre-cooked-been-sittin'-around food and just
> assemble it with say 'no ketchup'.. It's still the same old
> crap though.. And that wouldn't even be so bad, had the time
> limits for freshness been observed at that level of preparation
> as well, but, of course, they haven't.. You end up getting a
> chicken sandwich that is all nice and warm, except for the
> chicken, which has been sitting in a warming tray for 6 hours,
> and is about a quarter-inch thick, bone dry, and hard as a rock..> 2c. Oh yeah, that hint I promised.. First, never eat at a MCD's
> or any other fast-food pit.. Second, if you do eat at a MCD's,
> make sure it is busy! It is the only way to reasonably guarantee
> that your food was made within the last hour.. Of course, the
> flip side to this is that your burger was made in haste, and
> therefore it is smashed, has too much mustard and not enough
> ketchup, and the beef patty is hanging half out of the sandwich.
> If you enter a MCD's and notice no one at the counter (employee
> or customer) and few customers in the eating area, LEAVE
> IMMEADIATELY! You have been warned..> 3. Even though it's not supposed to happen.... Fish gets
> cooked in the same grease vat as the chicken.. and vice-versa..
> Mmmm...> 4. Even though it's not supposed to happen.... Grilled chicken
> gets cooked on the same grill as the beef.. Healthy!> 5. Many times have I witnessed food on the floor being picked
> back up and served..> 6. Even though it's not supposed to happen.... Employees
> (especially when under stress, which is constantly) do 'bad'
> things to the food.. Spitting, wiping the floor with the bun,
> insects (use your imagination), etc.. I've seen days where the
> fry vat collected more trash then the trash cans themselves..> 7. Ever wonder why most MCD's manager's phone numbers are
> unlisted?> 8. Ever wonder why the turnover rate is so high?
> 9. Oh yeah, for those who never saw this comic, and I don't
> have it, but I do remember the gist and I think you'll like it..
> This is an employee explaining to a customer why MCD's has a no
> smoking policy in their stores.. He goes on to tell the customer
> how smoking is not healthy, and how MCD's cares about the health
> of a customer, then servers the customer his 'high-fat extra-
> thick shake, his artery-clogging double quarter-pounder with
> extra-cheese, and his large greasy fries, with extra-salt..'
> I guess you have to see the original.. It's a classic..> 10. Geesh.. there's so much more.. But I must quit, for the
> memories are becoming far too painful.. Sorry I got a little
> off the subject in some areas, but I hope you've enjoyed it..The McD's I work in had some similar attributes:
When I was crew esp. at night when the GM had left for the day it was nothing for Big macs to stay in the bin for an hour or two, fillets to stay in the warmer for a couple of hours or so.
Now that I'm mgr, we never have food in the bin over 10 min max, good or bad I throw it out, time cards are always kept in w/food. Fish/chicken are never mixed in fry vats and meat (cooked) is not held past time (25 min).
Ofcourse there's bad news too, other mgrs don't operate the same way and you might get a 45 minute old Big mac, or come across a quarter pounder that aged an hour or more in the staging cabinet and then another 45 minutes in the transfer bin. As above, if there isn't anyone at the counter when you walk in, leave immediately. As for private owners, most are worried about labor costs and therefore try to account for every nugget or half slice of cheese in inventory. I think McD's as a whole is more concerned with hot fresh food its just Corporation may be the few restaurants able to consistently provide it.
None.