McDonald’s

McDonald’s is McDonald’s it’s good tastes the same everywhere you go, this one’s always busy with school brats but whatever not their fault! Got good space inside it so it’s good I guess

Our trip to this particular McDonalds took place towards the middle of a week-​long break from work, we just wanted simple, inexpensive food to fill the void after a long day.
It was the 22^nd of July, the middle of the school holidays — just before rush hour, so we were expecting the restaurant to be relatively busy but staffing would reflect this at such a peak time… Surely? Okay, rookie error on my part. The queue tailed right back to the entrance and there were only two colleagues serving across a desk with four till points. I don’t particularly enjoy waiting, but my partner and I did so patiently — people watching as we slowly progressed towards the order point.
A little fact from my time in retail and food prep… Hands should always be washed upon entering a food preparation area and hair should be tied back with a cap or net worn to protect the surfaces and food. Imagine my distaste when I observed one colleague (there will be more on this colleague later) admiring another’s haircut — touching and looking at the female colleague’s ‘new do’ and cleaning some tables before returning to assist in the food prep area; she didn’t wash her hands. Disgusted.
We ordered our food; I picked the large Big Mac Meal and my partner opted for the Chicken & Cheddar Classic as they had heartbrokenly advised my boyfriend that the company no longer did the BBQ McLegend (judging by the website this turned out to be a lie), a side of chicken nuggets and two McFlurries of the flake variety — one raspberry and the other chocolate.
However… Being incredibly fussy, I fancied some sweet chilli sauce which I expected to be included with the chicken nuggets but no, once again I was proved wrong. 20p for a small tub of sauce that offered flavouring for all of 4 nuggets.
Just as I was begrudgingly paying the 20p cost of the sauce, the aforementioned — with a poor awareness of the level-​2 food hygiene standards — colleague took umbrage to the presence of a group of three younger guys who had come into the restaurant to order. Yes they looked like they’d cause trouble in an empty house. Yes they probably have given the restaurant some grief in the past but they were perfectly well-​behaved on this occasion. Most importantly; No it doesn’t give any colleague the right to bawl over paying customers and make them feel like they’re caught in the cross-​fire of world war 3. I actually felt embarrassed and a little nervous about the whole scenario, I just wanted to get our food and get out.
The entire situation made the — usually relaxed and informal McDonald’s atmosphere — feel like the apocalypse.
Now for the important part;
The Big Mac was, as expected, the most awesome creation to ever leave the McDonald’s kitchen. Somehow, a burger from any other fast-​food restaurant just doesn’t cut it! The proportion of salad: sauce:burgers:buns was well calculated — I didn’t even make a mess when eating it. The chips were — in all fairness — cooked well with that slight crunch to the outside complementing the light and fluffy potato inside. A gold star for the person who prepared this delight!
Chicken nuggets are — across the board — always cooked well at McDonald’s. They almost excel in this arena compared to another fast-​food brand who specialises in just poultry. There’s a novelty to their presence in any meal, and between my boyfriend and I, the box was demolished pretty rapidly. A testament to their deliciousness!
The McFlurry was as poor an excuse for a dessert as I’d ever witnessed. The ice-​cream was effectively warm foam which disintegrated immediately into a white gloop. I love soft-​serve ice-​cream; I love McFlurries. I tell no lies when I acknowledge that I was left feeling completely disappointed by these, as they should have been the easiest component of the meal to create! The only saving grace: Cadburys Flake pieces.
I think it’s very easy to dismiss the likes of McDonald’s when it comes to service and quality, but I struggle to find a reason not to want people and places to do better. Customer service at this restaurant was appalling and it really translated into the atmosphere. A casual observance, but the desserts (the one piece of our order that wasn’t prepared by the guys behind the scenes) reflected a lack of training for front-​of-​house staff which is simply inexcusable.

McDonald’s, oh how you clog my arteries and make me feel bloated with your disgusting but tasty food.
Nothing much to say about McDonald’s, everyone knows what it is. Good staff, but a bit incompetent most of the time (how hard is it to make a cheeseburger plain?!), good facilities but this specific McDonald’s is always absolutely mayhem and the drive thru is very rarely empty.

I have used this restaurant on dozens of occasions but the true test of a good restaurant is when things go wrong. Last week one of the customers had parked over both disabled bays. On passing the car to go and get a coffee I saw there was no disabled badge displayed and was quite upset about it. Inside my friend and I had a couple of problems with our lattes which were both replaced without a problem. That night I got home and emailed McDonalds to complain. The Owner contacted me by email and offered to meet me an offer which I accepted. When I met with him he explained how he had followed up my complaint and also talked about the measures he has been going to, to stop people abusing the disabled bays. Sadly he and his staff have been assaulted by customers who have parked in the disabled bays but have no right to. He has asked many to move and every time he does has to put up with couldn’t care less attitudes from them. I have also seen this happen where someone swore at me for mentioning they weren’t displaying their disabled badge.
Overall the way my complaint was resolved and the speed with which it was resolved was exemplary. The restaurant itself is constantly kept clean and tidy and is enjoyable to sit in with friends for coffee and a burger. The Owner also puts a huge amount of effort and help back into the local community and does his best to speak up for those who otherwise can’t.
Personally I feel respected as a customer and also that my complaint was not only resolved, but resolved in a way which exceeded my expectations. I would happily recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Locate in the retail park it is easy to find at the bottom of Hamilton. This is a very popular branch it has a small restaurant and a busy drive through. The only thing that annoyed me was when we went it was busy so there was a member of staff walking up the drive through line to ask what you wanted as I had not been for a while I did not know what the specials (so to speak) were so ended up choosing from what is standard ie. beefburger, cheesburger, mcchicken sandwhich etc. We had to wait in a waiting bay slightly defeating the drive thru theory but it was not a long wait. The staff are friendly enough and the mcflurrys are really good. It is one off or treat food however you want to look at it though!