McDonald’s Employees Reveal The 10 Worst Things Customers Do

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Most of us drop by a McDonald’s restaurant from time to time, and the experience is usually nothing memorable. For us, at least. As it turns out, the employees have been keeping tabs on the annoying things their worst customers do.

Everyone knows that working at a McDonald’s restaurant probably isn’t the most fun a person can haveeven people who’ve never done it can guess as much. From working long and busy shifts to dealing with customers who barely even see you as another human, it’s a job that can take its toll on someone both physically and emotionally.

Have you ever wondered if you’re one of those customers that an employee can’t wait to see leave the drive-thru? Former and current McDonald’s workers like Jen Cavazuti of Spoon University recently shared some of most common things customers do that McDonald’s employees hatehopefully you won’t recognize anything you’ve done on the list.

Ordering Coffee Like it’s Starbucks

Surprisingly, McDonald’s has quite the range of coffee beverages, and most people will tell you that they aren’t half bad. What some people forget, however, is that even though they’re ordering a Starbucks-like drink, they are not, in fact, at a Starbucks.

image
iStock

“This is McDonald’s,” Cavazuti said. “We don’t have any milk besides cream or 2% for your coffee. It’s just not happening.” Unless you order a latteand even then, there aren’t multiple milk optionsyour drink is being made with a pre-blended mix.

Parents with Wild Children

It’s not necessarily when a parent has a wild child that’s annoyingit’s when the parent doesn’t actually, you know, parent their child when they’re acting up. The PlayPlace is a perfectly acceptable place for them to run free, but it’s not okay to let your child run around a crowded restaurant, bother other patrons, or throw straws and ketchup packets all over the floorafter all, those condiments are pretty valuable.

image
iStock

Heaven forbid someone actually says anything to them about their child’s behavior, though, because it usually turns into a heated lecture on why they don’t need any help parenting their kid.

image
iStock

Parents, if you’ve ever had an encounter like this, listen up. No one is saying you’re a bad parent overallthey just want your kid to stop causing mayhem. Pay attention to them and just tell them to knock it off if they’re getting out of control, and don’t be surprised when people bring it to your attention if you don’t. Fast food or not, they just want to eat in peace.

Asking for Free Food

If the food that you receive is truly subpar or just not what you ordered, you have every right to hand it back and ask for something else. However, asking for free food just for the sake of it is not cool.

image
iStock

Would you walk into one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and ask the staff for another steak at no charge? Yes, the food at McDonald’s is considerably cheaper, but it still costs the restaurant money to purchase it.

image
iStock

However, employees might throw in the occasional freebie for the customers who make their dayjust don’t go in expecting it. “I work 10 hour shifts starting at 5 a.m.,” Cavazuti said. “I’m not a happy camper. So if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice back. I won’t charge you for whipped cream on your coffee (shh, don’t tell).”

Ordering Salt-Free Fries

Alright, it’s not necessarily the act of ordering salt-free fries that annoys an employeeit’s when you order them and how you act afterwards. For anyone who doesn’t know, ordering fries without salt guarantees that they’ll be fresh, because each batch is usually salted by default.

image
iStock

The crew can easily just add salt to the rest after they’ve taken yours out, but the catch is that you’ll actually have to wait for the fresh fries to be cooked. “I’m fine with giving you salt-free fries, but if you are in a hurry, don’t expect them to be ready,” Cavazuti said. “You’re going to have to wait 3 minutes based on your request.”

image
iStock

Oh, and people who order salt-free fries right before closing? McDonald’s employees believe there’s a special circle in hell for people like you.

Complaining About Costs

If you think a few bucks is too much for a double cheeseburger, that’s your prerogative. The cashier at your local McDonald’s is not the person to take that frustration out on, though. As someone on the lowest level of the restaurant totem pole, they have absolutely no control over how much the food costs.

image
iStock

“Email the manager, call corporate, fill out a survey, but do not tell me that you think our dollar coffee is too expensive,” Cavazuti said. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Thinking Correct Orders are Wrong

Any McDonald’s restaurant has a fast-paced work environment, and there are times when the staff will legitimately mess up an order. However, you’d be surprised at how often customers think their order is wrong when it really isn’t.

If you order a black coffee and then complain that there’s no sugar in it, the problem is that you don’t actually know what “black coffee” means. Same thing with ordering something “plain.” “If you ask for a plain hamburger, there won’t be ketchup or mustard or onions or pickles because you said you didn’t want it,” Cavazuti said.

Acting Superior

Most people would consider themselves fortunate if they’ve never had to work in a fast food restaurant. It’s easy to see whythe hours are long, the shifts are busy, and there are many people who mistakenly believe they’re better than anyone who would work there. It doesn’t make sense when you think about it though. S

Someone believes the food is good enough for them to eat, but thinks the actual person making it is beneath them?

image
iStock

Without the person in that kitchen, you’d have to make that burger and fries yourself, or go to a sit-down restaurant and pay even more for it. It’s actually estimated that around 1 percent of all people in the entire world eat at McDonald’s each day, some because they want to and others because it’s their best option due to low prices. You may not want the job, but be kind to the person that has it.

Treating the Parking Lot Like a Trash Can

Aside from the obvious environmental impacts of littering, it’s also just plain rude to do it in a business’ parking lot. There’s not even any good reason to do itany McDonald’s you go to will have a trash can at the end of the drive-thru lane and one up by the entrance.

image
iStock

It just takes the small effort of walking the 20 feet to it to not be a jerkif you’re in the drive-thru, you wouldn’t even have to get out of your car! Not to mention that it’s then the job of an employee to go out and clean up after you because you couldn’t be bothered to do it for yourself. Be the adult that you should be and just throw your trash away.

Expecting Things You Didn’t Ask For

Especially when they’re going through the drive-thru, some customers always take a second to look through their bag to make sure the order is right. No problem with that, right? The weird thing, though, is when people ask questions about things that they never actually brought up.

image
iStock

Things like “Did you put ranch in here?” when they never actually asked for any to be included. If you want ketchup, dipping sauces, salt packets, or whatever else it happens to be, don’t be surprised when an employee doesn’t magically know you’d like it. They can’t read your mindask for it.

Expecting Sit-Down Restaurant Service

Yes, there really are some people out there who are surprised when their McDonald’s cashier doesn’t bring their tray to their table. Why would anyone expect that? The self-service aspect of a McDonald’s is one of the reasons why a fast food restaurant can even exist!

image
iStock

When you go to one, you’re not going there for table-side serviceyou’re going there to get cheap food quickly. The price for those conveniences is not being waited on like you would if you went somewhere more expensive.

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

Caring For Houseplants: Tips, Tricks And Products You Need

Follow these helpful tips to provide the best care for your houseplants.

How To Spot Multi-Level Marketing Scams, And How To Avoid Them

If you're on social media you've probably seen people making posts trying to sell products or asking you to join their "new business" ventures. Chances are you might be witnessing a multi-level marketing scam in action. Here's how to spot these scams and also how to avoid them.

Salvation Mountain And The Last Free City

Salvation Mountain is a man-made mountain built to spread the idea of love for one another, and visiting it is a real interesting experience.

Want to stay up to date with the latest news?

We would love to hear from you! Please fill in your details and we will stay in touch. It's that simple!