IamA Staff member of a McDonalds in the UK. AMA!

Why aren't you at work?

I'm on my day off. We work to when it'll be busy. So when most people are at work I'm not. When people are going to get dinner or late night food, then I'm working. Lots of afternoon/night shifts and weekends.

As an American McDick's worker, does your shake machine gp into freezer lock every other day as well?

I think I know what you mean. Our's are pretty reliable to be honest.

Let me ask you another question, did you have training, or "on the job" training?

On the job. I also now perform on the job training. I hate the way it works though, having the time to focus on the trainee produces better staff. On the job it's too busy

As a customer of UK McDonalds, I can assure you it does.

I've got no idea how McDonalds can have such a problem with milkshakes so much!

The machines have to be cleaned daily, but the time of the cleaning is usually what fucks us. I personally have given up on telling people what's going on with it.

We clean ours late at night, so cleaning isn't a major problem with our machines. Stops working randomly every couple of days though, normally mechanical.

Do you spit on burgers of "funny" customers that order things like a Whopper?

Nah, but that type of thing is something we talk about all the time. How far would a customer have to go for us to do that? You'd have to be fairly horrendous, that's really gross.

Why is it so hard to remember to give me a straw at the drive through?

A busy drive through serves a customer every 30-60 seconds, they're forgetting because they're rushed off their feet most of the time. If they're quiet, probably just someone slightly newer.

Is there something on the menu you wouldn't recommend?

Any of the 99p burgers or the snack wraps. Not worth the money and pretty poor quality meat. I always recommend anything with the Legend chicken patty in it. The Legend chicken burgers are really high quality and my personal favourite. Chicken is also more likely to be slightly fresher and it's made on the spot.

Would you like to add extra bacon to your AMA for just 1.99?

Only 50p normally

What is the worst experience with a customer you have ever had?

I'm more of a kitchen member than front customer work. However most of my issues with customers are those that complain about the minute problems they find with products that only cost 99p. If you find your bun is slightly overtoasted on a 99p cheeseburger, I don't think it's reasonable to scream at front staff. Also anyone who tells you they take no pickkle on a Big Mac because they're allergic is a liar, there is pickle in the sauce!

Something seems fishy here. Nobody in the UK calls it a pickle. Its a gherkin mate.

It's a pickle in our system. Same reason I call them fries, it's what we're accustomed to reading on orders.

What's the most annoying part of your job?

Definitely the heat of the kitchen. On a hot day, with a lot of people in the kitchen and all the grills working, the place is absolutely boiling. Our air conditioning can't handle it, so you're sweating buckets for hours without any rest and having to still produce food quickly. Very uncomfortable.

Have you/would you do any of that secret menu shit I hear so much about?

It's an urban legend. Sorry!

I fancy the girl that works early shift on a saturday in my mcds. she gives me my double sausage and egg mcmuffin. whats the best way to fire in?

Talk to her like a human probably. If you want pointers before that step? Use her name when ordering, and just be as friendly.

I used to work in a McDonald's in the UK. I've got a couple of questions.

When I worked there, we had the basic burgers, chicken side and fries, we'd sometimes do a speciality burger, like the McRib or Big Tasty. We did breakfast until half 10 (or 11?) and closed at 23:00. How does the kitchen manage to produce the huge array of items in the menu now?

Do they still constantly change and introduce things that obviously haven't been trialled properly, things like queue systems and grill patterns?

Do Jews still order the fillet of fish?

The organisation of what is where is still in place - Grill side, chicken side and fries. Breakfast is still until half 10 and my store is now a 24 hour restaurant. The modified chicken side to be a conveyor system, so now 4-5 guys will run it, and they produce everything to order. Grill side is more or less the same as you described, it's chicken that's changed the most since I started.

Not as much, the new digital system seems to be fairly well organised.

I couldn't say, but we do have a lot of Muslim families who order it.

Do you remember those kids who filmed themselves having a bath in a sink? Ever have any hi-jinx like that where you work or heard of happening doing memo rounds?

We've had lads do that joke where they bring a tablecloth and a candle in a wine bottle and pretend it's a high dining experience. It's a lot less hijinks though and more we'll find guys drunk in the toilet not knowing where they are or who they are.

Do you ever eat at Burger King, and get really critical of their meal?

And do you secretly hold the belief that BK is in every way superior?

I do, and I prefer Burger King's food but it's just so much more expensive! We have discount cards so a meal for me at McD's is only about £2.40. Can't be spending 6 pounds on a BK when that's an option.

Do you want to progress through the ranks to manager or whatnot, or is this a stop gap to something for you?

I'm currently a trainer, if they offered me manager I'd take it but it's really only been a stop gap for me while going through university.

What do you guys call a quarter pounder with cheese?

A quarter pounder with cheese. But in France, it's a Royale with cheese. It's still called the Big Mac but they call it "Le Big Mac". I didn't go to Burger King.

In america the Food is beautiful on the menu and advertisements but when you open the wrapper it looks like shit. Is this the same in the UK?

It gets better the more expensive the burger. I've never made a cheeseburger that looked as good as the promos, but the special burgers we're forced to be a lot stricter on how they look and are presented to the customer.

In the UK, is McDonald's viewed as a trashy place the same way it is in the US?

It's regarded as cheap and easy. They've worked really hard to promote this idea our food isn't just fast but actually quite good quality. Our chicken and salad products are being pushed more, so it's definitely trying not to be seen as trashy.

I live on the northern ireland / republic of ireland border. Why does it taste much better in the north compared to the south i though it was all the same ?

No clue man. We hear stories about certain chemicals being banned in other countries and them changing recipes to ensure they meet regulations within certain countries, but those are only rumours I can't really guarantee are true.

when i go through the drive through and you ask me what sauce i want, why do i never get it?

Sounds like you're just getting bad service honestly. Is this on a sandwich or just for your chips?

usually dips for nuggets/fries.

You're getting bad service then, we're required to provide it.

What compelled you to work at McDonalds?

I started when I was 17, and really it was because nobody else was hiring people who were so inexperienced. While I was at university they were really flexible about when I got shifts, so I've stuck with it because of how easy they made it for me to keep earning while also getting my education. Leaving soon though.

Did you had any work experience before?
I'm going to be 18 soon and thinking of getting part time job but I got no work experience.

I did some retail stuff. Top tip - push any experience you have with teamwork on your CV. Teamwork is what all HR McD's staff are looking for, as long as you can work hard, work well with others and learn quickly you'll have no problem.

At Christmas time two years ago I had a Maccas after a night out and had some kind of seasonal special. It was a sort of posh version of a quarter pounder - evidence of McDonalds experimenting with raising their game. It had a bun that was more of a brioche, and the meat was noticeably better than normal. It also had a pepper mayonnaise I think.

Anyway, I enjoyed it and was looking forward to having one again sometime, but I have never seen this thing since. Honestly I've started to wonder if I imagined it. No one else I know ever saw it. Was it real?

Could it have been the Winter Warmer burger? They're really good, but it's a cheese sauce not pepper mayo. Sounds about right though. The meat you're talking about is on most special burgers (Big Tasty, Great Tastes etc.)

I think I did have that one last xmas to try to recreate the experience but it wasn't as good. Maybe it was the shock of the new! And possibly 8 pints of lager.

It was the lager

Hi~ Any hacks for customers to get some better service or freebies?

For example- Is it true that if a customer asks for no salt on their fries they will get freshly cooked ones..

Have you ever come across this?

That is true, it's the only way we could give you unsalted fries. Better food? If you ask for any one item off a quarter pounder or the special it has to be made fresh. Doesn't work with 99p burgers, as we make plain in bulk the same way we do the regular ones. Other than that, know if you have any problem with your food or service the manager will just give you a new version of the problem product just to get rid of you. It's not worth the hassle trying to debate it and costs nothing really to replace.

Hey I also work at McDonald's and the salt thing isn't true. We make the fries with no salt, then when people order them we salt them. Usually we salt them in huge batches though so if we're running low, we will probably need to make more to get some without salt but other than that it doesn't guarantee freshness.

Guess our stores do it differently. The guidelines say salt immediately though.

Have you been to a McDonald's in America?

Are there any differences that stand out?

I've not, but the major thing I do know is that all of our sizes are one down from yours. A Large over here is your Medium, and your Large is actually unavailable over here (although our machines still have the buttons for them).

So, how much is your salary per month? And how many hours do you work per day?

I''m on about £7 an hour, which is decent for the work. Hours per week is all over the shop, sometimes I'm doing 24, then 40 the next week. Really difficult to get full time consistently if your managers don't think they need you.

Do you have anything on your menu that I wouldnt find in the states? Also... Japan has a mega mac. Do you have a mega mac?

Our speciality burgers are new every month, the ones I'm certain you don't have are the Great Taste of America burgers. They're gimmicky and based off weird stereotypes about certain states, my favourite being the New Mexico, which was a massive burger with tortilla chips in it. No Mega Mac unfortunately

oh, my god is that a burger on a bagel. New York burger. ...

Nah, New Yorker if I remember was pretty boring.

What's the deal with the wrap of the day? How come they're no longer deli of the day and who on earth thought a pulled pork wrap was a good idea?

Deli of the day got scrapped because it wasn't nearly as popular as the wraps - makes the job easier for us. Pulled pork wrap was no doubt designed by the same guy as the McRib - they're both nightmares to make.

Do you have fish and chips or just the regular Filet-o-fish?

Just the regular filet.

What's your most and least favourite item on the menu?

Also why stop breakfast at 10:30? I love dem pancakes and would buy them all day everyday.

Most favourite - Chicken Legend with Spicy Mayo.

Least favourite - Cheeseburger

We stop it because it's the same machines we use to make burgers. And your pancakes are microwaved mate, sorry!

What's your favorite waffle?

We don't have waffles, we only have 1 pancake option. They're pretty good though.

If I asked for a mcGangBang would you understand what I wanted?

Double cheese with a mcchicken patty in the middle? I know what it is, but I can't sell you it. We can however sell you the parts of the burger so you can make it yourself. I've seen a few people do that, they seemed happy with the result.

Why do you get an AMA, when Bad Luck Brian had his removed? Doesn't really seem fair.

Dunno what you're talking about.

What is the general reaction among employees when goofballs try to order a crabby patty, diet water, whopper, etc.?

Smile and be casual about it. Those people want a reaction so most of us know to just shut it down by acting like they're request was a simple mistake. they hate that

why is the McFlurry/milkshake machine always fuckin' broken?

There's a really in depth discussion about this further down somewhere.

I am currently a crew trainer at a McDonalds in the US. How has your experience been on wages and position promotions? Mine has been a roller coaster.

Mine has been glacial. I got crew trainer after 2 years, barely a pay rise and no sign of a manager offer. We're just given raises to match inflation, so barely anything special. Also get an increase based on performance, but it's pennies.

Have you ever dropped a burger (meat part) and still cooked it? If not does it happen?

I've seen it done once the entire time I've worked there, and I'm pretty sure that guy was lucky to still be standing after our manager found out.

At my location we'd be reprimanded just for touching the meat without gloves before putting it on the grill. Dropping a patty and actually tossing it on there would cause a fucking meltdown.

It requires a scrub down of the entire grill before anything else can happen.

Any idea why some stores no longer do the Big Breakfast?

I like the pancakes and sausage but I miss the variety of the egg, hash brown, and the pancakes are a little carb heavy so I feel bloated all morning after.

I now have to get a sausage and egg mcmuffin without the cheese, but it's not quite the same. Loved the scrambled eggs :(

I really think it was to do with the effort it took. Other items are much easier to produce. I'm sure if you asked for the items seperate they'd do you it

Why is the McRib not a permanent meal? It was absolutely fantastic I wanted it practically every day.

Because it's a nightmare to produce probably. It involves both grill and chicken staff, and the sauce makes a serious mess when the Rib's are being kept warm.

If I go through the drive thru occasionally ill be told to wait parked up for them to come out with my food. I really hate it, it always takes a very long time and seems like i could walk in there and get my order on foot more quickly. How can I stop this from happening to me and why does it take so long?

If it's a special order then its simply a cook time issue, if it's not though it might be the in-store is really busy. It can be hard for staff sometimes to leave the store with a queue without customers acting like it's some slight on them. To stop it happening? Make sure your order is simple.

How would you rate your pay scale and/or benefits compared to similar local companies?

Many people see McDs as a bad job due to dirty work and low pay, I am wondering your take on the idea.

Edit: just saw this was asked 20 minutes ago. I apologize.

NEW QUESTION!

Do you think Devo is a pissant? That is shit for entertainment.

Devo?

are there any tricks for getting free stuff?

Not really man, although try ordering no ice in drinks for more Coke.

ChimCham? Is this you?

No

Why is the standard for burgers with the onions and pickles? And is it a pain to make a whole new burger if someone asks for one without?

The savoury component is there to create depth of flavour. If it was just sauces, bun and meat they''d be quite sweet.

Is it common in the UK for people dining in to leave their trash at the table? Last time I was in England and Ireland people never did, but it seemed completely normal to the staff. At least in the US it's common to throw away our trash at a fast food restaurant, although this isn't always followed of course.

It's expected of customers to put their own away, but of course if a customer forgets/doesn't do it then of course the staff deal with it. Fair few customers seem to expect it done for them though.

Fair few customers seem to expect it done for them though.

American tourists?

Nope, English

any plans in the works to extend breakfast serving hours to all day? Are there any breakfast items that are possible to serve any time of day if I ask extra nice?

I've heard rumours, and no, the same grills are used to make burgers, so we'd have to reset to make that product.

Not sure you can answer this but, why do some McDonalds in the UK sell the Sausage & Pancake breakfasts and others don't?

My local Maccy D's doesn't sell them and I want them, dammit!

I couldn't tell you, we don't serve them.

How many Americans come in and order a "Royale with Cheese" with some shit eating grin on their faces?

None really, cause it's still called a Quarter. Plus I'm in a little town in England, so not many Americans come through.

Sorry if this has already been asked but I've heard rumours of a secret menu in the US, does this exist in the UK?

Nope, it's all whispers

What is a dead giveaway that a customer is a GAPBuster?

Check their watch frequently, if you see them taking notes on their phone and if they ask for a receipt. Nobody usually asks for a reciept from McDonalds apart from them.

How do you get paid? Is it a bullshit corporate "pay card" or do they give you actual money-checks?

Cash into bank account.

did you read your social media agreement before signing it, does this AMA conflict with that?

It does indeed. But I'm not saying anything incredibly nasty or slanderous about the store, just my experiences and personal opinions. The social media agreement is grey in a lot of areas because it means they can throw the book at you, but I don't think expressing mostly positive sentiment and my own experiences should be allowed to be censored

What is the worst thing you have seen/done to an order from a customer who mistreated you or your co-workers?

Nothing. The worst that'll happen is you'll get spoken about after you leave. You become a story that server will tell to everyone for the rest of the week.

Why are you doing an ama? If i wanted to speak to someone who works at maccies I can just ask 90% of college students

I fancied it

Whereabouts in the uk do you work?

I work in a small town in the North of England. Trying not to be too specific though.

When it's busy why does everyone run around like chickens with their head cut off?

The customers will wait, there's no need to work yourself to death to feed their fat asses in seconds.

I worked in fast food service for almost a year before I found a real job and never once did I rush myself to serve people like that. I got bitched at A LOT for it but I never forgot anything/messed up an order. I wasn't slow by any means but worked at an even pace through the whole day.

It's not the customers,, but the managers and their expectations that have us running about. The company has set time rules, no exceptions. Personally though, most of the staff I know prefer and making sure you get what you want the way you expect. That's what people really care about.

Why does 99% of McD's food have salad in?

Can I order standard items off the menu but ask for no salad?

In the USA they did a double quarter pounder... as a fan of the quarter pounder (no salad whoop!) I'm always tempted to ask for a double quarter pounder - what would happen if I did this?

Also when I get a large meal I feel fobbed off as the chips and drink got bigger but me quarter pounder didn't change to a half pounder.

I'm eternally grateful for you answering these questions which I have held for a long time but never had anyone to ask <3

Dunno why they have salad, but you can request it off in any UK McDonalds.

I hear you about ordering the large, maybe order the bigger special burger large if you want more burger?

Do you think it's healthy to eat food from McDonald's?

As long as you focus on chicken and salad based products, yes, I think its possible to eat healthy as Mcdonalds. If you're eating special burgers and large fries, it's not so good.

Are the women's bathroom worst than the men's bathroom in the UK?

They're both normally pretty good, we have a really great lobby staff that clean it regularly. I hear from them the one that needs the most work is the women's though.

Have you or have you seen a colleague spit/mess with an order?

No. It's a massive misconception that that happens. Most of our staff are pretty happy with what we do, and appreciate that if you're buying the burger, it'd be pretty awful of us to mess with it.

Is your work life as boring as this AMA?

Pretty much. It has it's moments when fryers and other stuff catches on fire or the power or water goes out and everything falls apart. Those are the interesting bits.