These instructions are contradictory:

***NEW***IMPORTANT UPDATES!
1. We will no longer accept shops with small or large drinks or fries ordered. If asked, you need to specify a MEDIUM drink and fries to have a valid shop. If you are offered a large for no additional cost, it is OK to accept the offer.

First, "If asked" what size fries or drink implies that you ordered fries and a drink without specifying the size. What if they don't ask what size you want?

Second, if you are offered a Large size it's OK, but it's not okay to submit a receipt with anything but "M" sized fries or drink.

If I order a medium coke, and the cashier tells me that they all cost $1 so how about a large cup, and it's OK to accept the offer, and the cashier keys in a large, but it's not OK if the receipt says "L" coke and the shop can be rejected if they want to do so, because they ask these two questions in the report:

"FLAG: If a beverage was ordered, what size did you order? Mark one only:"
"FLAG: What size of Drink is listed on your receipt? Mark one only:"

If you ordered a medium, were offered a large, said yes to the offer, get a receipt that says large drink, then answer that you ordered a medium, and then answer the receipt says large, there is no place to explain that you accepted the upsize offer.

Also, some of the cashiers type large when you order medium. Does this mean that you have an invalid shop if the cashier rings up a large drink when you ordered a medium?

What is ordered is not always listed correctly on the receipt. Do you have to report that you ordered a medium but was given a large?

What's wrong with the people that make this stuff up? Maybe they should try doing some shopping instead of sitting behind their desk issuing orders.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2015 04:43PM by schristy33.

No, they're not contradictory...

Guidelines state you to order by the following: "I'll have a _____ Value Meal." If asked what size, say medium.

The report has a question asking what size you ordered: Small, Medium, Large or "Value Meal."
The following question will ask you what you actually received.
Then there's another question that'll ask you if there are discrepancies with your receipt.
And then there's a section for additional comments to address even further, if need be.

What's funny is that these "new" updates aren't exactly "new." It's like McDonald's / the MSC needed to reiterate their instructions and clarify specifically what to do if you ordered a Value Meal and / or stated "Medium," but receive a different size.

So to address your OP:

@schristy33 wrote:

These instructions are contradictory:

***NEW***IMPORTANT UPDATES!
1. We will no longer accept shops with small or large drinks or fries ordered. If asked, you need to specify a MEDIUM drink and fries to have a valid shop. If you are offered a large for no additional cost, it is OK to accept the offer.

What happens sometimes is that I order a "Value Meal," which is listed as Medium on my receipt, but I end up with a large drink (since my area's McDonald's have that $1 drink, any size promo. My guess is they just give out their large cups, as a result. Then again, this doesn't happen often to me).

@schristy33 wrote:

First, "If asked" what size fries or drink implies that you ordered fries and a drink without specifying the size. What if they don't ask what size you want?

Guidelines state you order: "I'll have a ____ Value Meal." If asked, state Medium. Your shop won't be rejected as long as you follow guidelines.

It's often that during breakfast, when I'm not ask what size, I'm automatically given "Small" and that's what's listed on my receipt. Never had issues with any of my reports, from my experience.

@schristy33 wrote:

Second, if you are offered a Large size it's OK, but it's not okay to submit a receipt with anything but "M" sized fries or drink.

No; if you're offered Large size with no additional cost, it's OK. Meaning if they end up giving you a large cup, you don't need to say, "No, I want a medium cup." Instead, you just accept the cup they give you.

@schristy33 wrote:

If I order a medium coke, and the cashier tells me that they all cost $1 so how about a large cup, and it's OK to accept the offer, and the cashier keys in a large, but it's not OK if the receipt says "L" coke and the shop can be rejected.

Again, it's OK to accept the offer. If it's listed as a L on your receipt and you were charged additional, state this in your additional comments section and state it as a receipt discrepancy on the report. Your report won't be rejected as you should order in accordance to the guideline.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2015 04:54PM by Tarantado.

Okay thanks. But there is a contradiction:

"1. We will no longer accept shops with small or large drinks or fries ordered."

If I were to order a Large coke, how would the MSC know that I did so? By looking at the receipt, which shows a Large coke. Then the shop can be rejected at the MSCs discretion, because of "1" above.

So the MSC is using the receipt to verify the order. Now it concerns me if the receipt says anything other than "M". If it doesn't say medium, I have to explain why the receipt is incorrect in the report. But here the contradiction becomes apparent:

"If asked, you need to specify a MEDIUM drink and fries to have a valid shop. If you are offered a large for no additional cost, it is OK to accept the offer."

Assume that you are asked if you want a large drink, and assume as is usually the case that the order-taker hasn't keyed in the size of your drink when you are being asked if you want a large size instead of medium, say, because they both cost the same. Since it's okay to accept the offer, then its okay for the cashier to key in a large drink.

The contradiction then becomes one where you have to state if anything is incorrect on the receipt in the appropriate field of the report. If your reciept correctly lists a large drink because it was okay to accept the offer, then it is not correct to report that there were any errors on the receipt. But if you report that the receipt in question was correct, then answer the FLAG question which asks you what size is listed on your receipt, and since the receipt is used to verify what was ordered, then you have a contradiction in the guidelines.

I'm interpreting it this way:

"1. We will no longer accept shops with small or large drinks or fries ordered."

This is speculation, but I'm certain there are shoppers out there who weren't following guidelines (i.e. ordering "small" during breakfast could be a common example), yet the MSC accepted these shops. These "new" updates aren't "new." We have always been instructed to order a "Value Meal," then specifying "Medium," only when asked.

I do believe the MSC is only addressing the ordering instructions for the shopper. Or in other words, reiterating their instructions of ordering a "Value Meal" first, then clarifying "Medium," if needed.

WHAT!

I'm honestly too afraid to accept large on "any" fast food shops

I always politely decline....you just never know...

your misunderstanding had been noted and put into are algorithm. It will be marked as a ding against you. Expect a deactivation to follow thank you for being a shopper.

You are to order a medium value meal. The only drink that is a free upgrade to large is tea. If your afraid of being rejected don't ask for tea.

I just did one of these and asked for tea. My receipt says large. My report was accepted.

I think the solution is to decline the offer of a large. Say you only want a medium because you are cutting back on sodas, don't want to have to stop to use the bathroom on the way home, a large would be too much caffeine, it's too big for your car's drink holder.

If you don't accept the large, even though the guidelines say you can, you shouldn't have a problem unless they just plain rang it up as a large and then handed you a medium cup because they're all a dollar anyway.

There's plenty of times I have turned down the large because i just didn't want that much to drink right then.

In other words, the receipt must list medium fries and medium drink.

You have to watch what the cashier rings up, and be sure he or she has it correct.

If they mention that a large soda is the same price as a small soda, your mystery shopping expertise has to kick in. You could say something like, "Oh, I only need a medium size, and I can always get more. Thanks."

@dspeakes wrote:

I think the solution is to decline the offer of a large. Say you only want a medium because you are cutting back on sodas, don't want to have to stop to use the bathroom on the way home, a large would be too much caffeine, it's too big for your car's drink holder.

If you don't accept the large, even though the guidelines say you can, you shouldn't have a problem unless they just plain rang it up as a large and then handed you a medium cup because they're all a dollar anyway.

There's plenty of times I have turned down the large because i just didn't want that much to drink right then.

The large cup won't fit in my cup holder. Works every time.

I'm not discussing my pee-pee habits at the register.

I hate it when they call a small soda the "Senior" size...

Keep in mind they know by the price as to what we ordered. In my case it says "L" but I was charged for a medium meal. The questions make sense to me. The new warning is not so the MSC can avoid paying us. They cannot afford to lose us over the client generating inaccurate receipts. It's less obvious to accept the large for free.

Several months ago I was given a bogo extra fish fillet. The promotion was not advertised. I told them I do not want the extra sandwich. They made it anyways. I reported what happened and was paid. Now I stop and look all around for all promotions before ordering.

I have not done one in a while, but I always ordered like this: "I would like a McChicken Value meal, medium, with a diet."

I have avoided the nuggets due to the large nuggets price war with BK. The cashier will want to up sell you on the nuggets as only a shopper would pay for the 6 piece when they can get the large for the same price.

I started getting the fish sandwich for that part of the shop instead. I use the word medium before fries and drink when ordering the meal. I word the order, "I'll have a ___ value meal with medium fries and medium soda."

I have not had them get the size wrong yet.

They love to put a slice of cheese on the breakfast sandwiches. I have not gone back to the counter and asked them to remake it without cheese.

I don't get the concept of "only the shopper" would not get a larger size just because it's the same price. Lots of folks use portion control to lose or maintain weight or just because it is healthier. I have no desire to super size something to then throw it away.

@LisaSTL wrote:

I don't get the concept of "only the shopper" would not get a larger size just because it's the same price. Lots of folks use portion control to lose or maintain weight or just because it is healthier. I have no desire to super size something to then throw it away.

It's typically been the cup I've been receiving as a "free" super size upgrade; not the fries.

I guess, maybe if you have a heartache of taking a larger cup with a negligible amount of extra cup material vs. a medium cup. McDonald's isn't hurting for losing a large cup or drink vs. a medium one, I'm sure.

This just happened to me 1 hour ago. I ordered a medium diet drink but the receipt says "1 L Coke." I sure hope my shop isn't rejected. I even repeated my drink order twice but they still got it wrong.

Scan man specifically referred to chicken nuggets and people in the drive thru aren't given an empty cup to fill themselves. If someone is limiting their portions the size of the cup is a factor. If you want to have 8 ounces of soda you want a cup holding 8 ounces not 24 ounces so then it's a guessing game where to stop filling.

@Shop Suey wrote:

This just happened to me 1 hour ago. I ordered a medium diet drink but the receipt says "1 L Coke." I sure hope my shop isn't rejected. I even repeated my drink order twice but they still got it wrong.

Did you contact the Helpdesk or put it in your report? If they flub up our order, we just need to report that in our report

One day a scheduler called me and I could actually understand him so I asked about the Medium requirement. He said to order it as a medium meal. For example, "I'd like a MEDIUM double cheeseburger value meal."

@Shop Suey wrote:

This just happened to me 1 hour ago. I ordered a medium diet drink but the receipt says "1 L Coke." I sure hope my shop isn't rejected. I even repeated my drink order twice but they still got it wrong.

Because you did this, your shop shouldn't be rejected and it should just be noted as a receipt discrepancy.

Bump!

Looks like there's an update to the shop guidelines regarding the large size drinks.

Sounds like I'll have to use the whole 'the large cup won't fit in my cup holder in my car' excuse now.

Yep, I got the new guidelines too. I immediately tried to call the MSC, too busy, please leave a message. I sent an email. No reply yet, and I don't expect one soon. I'm going to have to wing it this evening. I will order medium and if the receipt is wrong I'll just make a note in the comments. I record all my shops so if there is an issue I will have proof that I ordered medium.

Ours was running a buy one get one free sausage biscuit but I had to turn it down because it says not to accept any additional items even if they're free. What? To me that screams Mystery Shopper as what normal customer would turn down a free sandwich?

I think we've discussed this before, but there are regular customers who would turn down an extra sandwich or a super size beverage. If you are dining alone or don't have anyone to give it to why would someone take it, free or not?

I've only been offered a larger drink after ordering the medium which I never refused. Now that we have to refuse, I decided my best excuse for refusing would be that the large is too much caffeine for me.

@MelanieOR wrote:

In other words, the receipt must list medium fries and medium drink.

In my part of the world, the receipt doesn't list a size for the fries; it says something to the effect of "BIG MAC ML" and then lists "M COKE" underneath (even though I almost never actually order Coke, but that's a whole other issue). I always end up having to write an explanation for the FLAG question that asks about the size of fries listed on my receipt, since no fries are listed on the receipt at all.

Yet another reason why I prefer breakfast visits.