57carol Wrote:
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> I've never done one, always been too afraid of the
> intimidating timings, etc.
57carol the time points required are intimidating at first. The problem with the timings for McDonald shops is that performing the timings can cause you to not pay attention to what else is happening. But if you can get a digital voice recorder here is a good way to do a McDonald's shop. I did one this week.
First, do the drive thru first. And wait until there is no line, because you want to give the employees a chance to meet McD's time to serve requirements. And if there are 6 cars in line at lunch then not only will you spend more time waiting but there is no way the location will get a good rating from corporate. McDonald's rates the performance on a 100 point scale. They have some formula where they take the report you make and assign scores. I know this because I shopped a McDonalds and just two days after my report was filed the location manager announced on a handwritten sign that she placed where anyone could read that the location got a "perfect 100 score." I even took a picture of it. But what corporate didn't know is that when I got there to do the dine in a woman from a Latin American country did not know how to count USA money and the clerk was kind enough to spend 4-5 minutes counting her money for her, and she couldn't speak English. So wait until the line is short or non-existant if possible.
Then, start your timings using your digital voice recorder. Just enter the line like the guidelines say and at that moment start your recorder. These recorders have built in clocks and they will keep track of the time for you. Then when you order your food hold the recorder so that it can't be seen but so it will catch what is said.
Then as you proceed to the window to pay speak to yourself on the recorder--things like "Remember to get a receipt" because it's happened to me that I forgot to get the receipt and I had to go back through the line and buy another meal. Then as you approach the window and are ready to stop countdown 3, 2, 1, stop. Keep recording but now when you playback you'll know where to end Timepoint 1.
You keep recording until you get your order at the pickup window. As soon as the order presenter is about to give you your food just turn the recorder off with one hand and take the order with the other. Now you have all the timings for the drive thru saved for when you play it back and get the times from the recorder.
Pull over and take a picture of your drive thru receipt. One less thing on your mind. Taste the food and feed the fries to the birds that are always hanging out at McDonalds. I love feeding the fries and the buns to the birds.
For the dine in section, drive your car to the other side of the McDonalds so the employees working the drive thru don't see you go inside. Now go up to the counter but again, wait until you see a register with nobody in front of you. Just act like you are looking at the menu from 10-15 feet away until you see an opening. Because the better the employees do the easier the report will be and I think this MSC likes to submit good reports to this, their biggest client.
Just start your recorder when you enter the line, and keep it out of the line of sight of the order taker by using the register to block their view of your hand with the recorder.
Also, always take two $5 bills with you to McDonalds shops and order something that will cose $4 and some change, so that when they hand you the change you will be able to catch the coins in one hand and not have to fumble around with bills, like if you had paid with a $20 bill and got $15.43 back.
Stop timing when you get your order. Make sure your time in and out of the location is synced with the timestamp on the receipt.
Probably others have good tricks too.
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Expert investigator and evaluator with PV-700, PV-500EVO, AstroScope 9350NIKS-3PRO, B&H DNV16HDZ-M Full Infrared Night Vision Camcorder
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2014 02:34AM by aggiejim72.