When I first walked in McDonalds my first thought was, “This is going to be an experience I am never going to forget”. I have never ordered something that was so customized in McDonalds before due to me thinking that it was not possible to complete. When it was my time to order I gave a deep sigh and then started to say my order, one small hamburger with five pickles and one small well done fries with big mac sauce. After I said my order to Stacy, the cashier, she gave me a look and asked me to repeat my order. I repeated it again and Stacy said, “We cannot give you a burger with five pickles and you cannot get big mac sauce unless it is on a burger”. I replied, “Yes you can.” Stacy walked over to another cashier and asked them can this order be completed and the other cahier said that she did not know. The two cashiers started talking back and forth while I am waiting for someone to process my order. Three minutes passed by and I asked, “Can you get a manger please” and that was when Stacy went to the back and two minutes later she came back with a manager. After I said my order to the manager, he said, “Ok we can complete this order and this will be $3.45.” After I received my order and I looked at the receipt I noticed that Stacy did not place the “five pickles and big mac sauce or any indication of sauce” on the receipt. I had to go back on line and I could see that when Stacy noticed that I was back on line she rolled her eyes at me. When it was my turn and I asked for a receipt for my exact order, Stacy told me that I will have to pay again because she cannot go back into the system to print me out a receipt. I just asked back for the manager and she said that he was on break. So I insisted that someone else come to the register because I needed that receipt. While Stacy went to the back to get another manager I seen the previous manager walk by and I signaled for his attention. I asked, “Are you on break?” and he replied, “No, is there another problem?” I stated that their employees need not to lie about a manager not being there and that I told Stacy that I needed a receipt with my exact order and she said that I will have to order pay again and that is something that I am not doing. The manager said no problem and that he will take care of it.
The management process of this special order received mixed ratings. On a one to five scale I give the cashier a two and the manager a four, which is an overall score of a three for organization. Stacy’s approach was not effective because she could have done the task with no problem but choose to be difficult. She could have tried again to get the order done in a timely manner but gave me attitude and delayed in processing the special order. The manager was effective since he got the job done in a timely manner. I understand that special orders are rare but employees should still be able to accommodate me. When ordering, it is often that you can deduct items, such as having a burger with no pickles, instead of asking for more than what McDonalds usually provide. Organizationally, I would tell the cashiers to try their best to accommodate orders and if they have any problems to ask the head cashier and if the problem is not resolved to then call for a manager.
Communication was a big factor and on a scale from one to five I give it a two. Stacy tried to communicate with other employees but I think she did that in a way to intimidate me to make me look “silly” for ordering the special order instead of asking them to get answers or help in processing my order. To have me standing their while she talk back and forth was unnecessary and ineffective. Communication between Stacy and manger was effective since that was the only way I could have gotten my order. The manager was more than happy to help and she did it with a smile on his face. The communication between Stacy and I was not effective because of the attitude and sarcasm that was presented. She could have said, “I do not know if I can do this order, let me ask someone to assist me”, or something in that nature. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. With the help you can learn to communication with others better and if someone else asks for a similar order, you will be able to assist them.
The training aspect of the experience was a two on the scale. I was shocked at the cashier’s steps to process my order since I already knew this order can be made. The attitude that I received was unnecessary and I think employees was trained to keep the customers happy and try their best to get the customers out in a timely manner. One weakness that really bothered me was when Stacy was having a conversation with the other cashier while I was standing there waiting to get a response. She could have just asked the other cashier if she can assist her in the order and if she could not help then to call a manager. I should not have to tell Stacy to get a manager. Additionally when I went back to get the proper receipt she lied about the manager being on break. That just showed that she did not want o help me and was saying that because she did not want to be bothered with me anymore.
Leadership is a quality that should be portrayed in every place of employment. Desire to influence others, self confidence, organization, communication, and emotional intelligence are some leadership qualities that should be presented to a certain degree at McDonalds. The manager presented good leadership skills and put out an example of how to handle situations with special orders. Some individuals might assume that leadership qualities are not necessary because it is just McDonalds but any in every job at least one person have to be there to set a good example for others in the workplace. Reinforcement, direction, and communication are important even for the cashiers. The manager showed leadership by using those qualities while Stacy showed minimal to none.
The management process of this special order was on average of two point six on the scale. The elements of organization, communication, training, and leadership is important and when looking closely you can see that even in a fast food restaurant these skills are presented. Special orders are something that is not usually presented and for me to be the one with the order made me more observant at all the aspects.
No comments:
Post a Comment