Dear McDonalds (Again)

I would like to share my feedback I'm providing to my local McDonald's.  I understand going back was probably a mistake after my previous incident.  Especially after their response.  But, it's a completely new building with new management.  It should be better, right?

Anyway, here goes:

I would like to make you aware of my most recent visit. 

At approximately 7:45pm this evening, I entered the restaurant.  I noted who appeared to be the manager sitting at a table with a couple employees.  Based on the excerpts I heard, scheduling was being discussed. 

I was the only customer in the restaurant, as it appeared.  I stepped back as I was making my decision as is polite. 

Upon making my decision (An Angus CBO meal large-sized), I approached the counter.
I watched the one of the employees trying to make a smoothie.  I also watched the other three gathered around someone's smartphone looking at what I'm assuming was photos.  After a full 60 seconds, "Smoothie Girl" asked if I had been helped yet.  I responded with no, and walked out of the restaurant. 

Being ignored for a full minute in an empty restaurant is unacceptable.  Also, in my opinion, employees playing on their cellular devices while on the clock is unacceptable. 

This visit, combined with my previous two where my orders were given to me incomplete and weren't noticed until I got home, shows me that even though the building may be fresh and new, the employees' training is not.

Paul Ryan is an asshole. And there were riots!

This post probably is violating a lot of rules.  Some I know, some I probably don't.  Either way, my disclaimer at the bottom of the page is SUPPOSED to keep me safe if HR is right.

Additionally, I apologize for the profanity.

I would like to announce I was an Undecided Voter.  Not particularly the SNL kind.  But, I was undecided. Simply because there's things about each candidate I liked.  The keyword now is "WAS!"

So, my commute this evening took TWO FUCKING HOURS!

Yes.

Two hours to travel sixteen miles.  That's an average of what?  Eight miles per hour, math geeks?

I'm on Williams St, and get stopped around the TBS building (Although, according to those bumps on Adult Swim, I think that's where those folks are at.  I don't know... *shifts eyes coyly*) like I normally do after I turn onto Williams St from 10th.

And then, we're not really moving.  I mean, we're kinda moving as if there's a huge accident and people are having difficulty moving around.

A few more light cycles (not to be confused with a light cycle), I decided there must be some major accident.  I can't do anything about it, so I don't stress... I just chilled, cranked the music and started laughing.

Then the information started coming in.

It wasn't an accident.

I noticed that it didn't look like there was anyone at all on the interstate.  That was weird.

Then my worst fears were found.

I present you this tweet:  https://twitter.com/ajcwsbtraffic/status/261217358453018624

That ASSHOLE decided to shut down THE DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR DURING RUSH HOUR so he could raise funds to get people to vote for him and his presidential co-runner?

How many things are wrong with that?

He pissed off how many millions of voters?

Let's not mention people had no clue what was going on (in their defense, I wasn't following @ajcwsbtraffic  but I am now), so horns are honking and people are getting pissed!

I'm sitting in my truck... chilling... it's in park, I'm dancing to the music, laughing at the pissed off people.  Just enjoying it.

(Although, an Xpress bus is probably in trouble 'cuz he was in a left turn lane trying to get around something with traffic and pissed off a LOT of people behind it.  'Cuz they wanted to turn left and there was no way around.  In his defense, he probably didn't know what the congestion was and was trying to get his passengers home, but what he was trying to do was illegal anyway...  I still blame the whole situation on Paul Ryan)

The horns are getting louder.  The people are getting more aggravated.  But, Subsonic isn't letting me run out of music!

Behind me, I see people getting out of their cars.  Flailing their hands.  Cussing up a storm.

Oh, gee... Riots.

Finally, the motorcade reaches it's destination, so the Downtown Connector (and the rest of I-75) are opened.  Pissed off motorists resume their commute.  I'm thanking heaven I didn't go to Farbucks and get something that'd make me have to pee.

So, because Paul Ryan pissed me off, I'd like to publicly let it be known I'm no longer an Undecided Voter.  It takes some smarts to think to ruin millions of commuters evenings.  I'd hate to think how many day care people were late because of this.  Aren't they fined by the MINUTE for being late?

I leave this with three hypothetical questions:

1. Who's idea is it to actually shut down the interstate for a political figure?  Leaving them as the ONLY target for miles.  *insert random NCIS, CSI, etc scenario here*
2. Who's bright idea is it to shut down a major Interstate used by millions of people DURING RUSH HOUR?  Much less, shut it down well before he even leaves the airport?
3. And, finally, why the hell couldn't he have landed at Dobbins ARB since he was heading to the Cobb Energy Center anyways?  Shutting down a small portion of Cobb Pkwy (or even 75S from there -- reverse from rush hour traffic) would have been a better idea.

And, if other Undecided Voters have this same experience, I know who's going to win the election!

I got a new pen!

And, it's Social Media related, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Isn't it so cute?

When you hit the button, the saying changes. They say:

• Company posts need company approval.
• Keep business & personal posts separate.
• Protect privacy: yours and others.
• Follow company policies.
• Social Media: think before you post.
• Don't post confidential information.

Wow -- really? People have to be reminded of that?

But, my pen here at work ran out of ink, so I needed a new one. Nice temporary one!

(Notice how I managed to keep all of The Company's logos out of the picture by strategically taking the shot? :D)

Happy End of the World Day!

I am bad.

I sent Office Boyfriend an email reminding him today is the recalculated end of the world (from familyradio.com since they got May 21 wrong).

He replied "I can't respond right now, too busy ascending havenward. So long, sucker!"

So I replied "So THAT'S the reason I won't be ascending!"

(You'll get it later if you don't get it now)

Damn Debbies

I hate Debbies.

I hate them with a passion!

You see, I went to see The Lion King 3D this evening at my local AMC Theater. It's my favoritest movie in the whole wide world. It's the ONLY movie I've ever paid to see in theaters after I owned it on video.. and now TWICE!

Anyways, I go to the theater and understand that there's going to be children there. It IS a Disney movie, afterall [even though I went to the 8pm showing expecting it to be past most of their bedtimes, but I digress]. I'm "OK" with the occasional chatter of a child when I'm at a Disney movie. I understand that they don't always know better, but sometimes their parents want to see a movie as much as they think the kids do.

Anyways, this group of three Debbies came in to the theater... loud and obnoxious, and wanted to turn the movie into a sing-along. A F'N SING-ALONG! AND THEY WERE MORE TONE DEAF THAN I AM! [Note, if you don't know my voice, it's a cross between William Hung and the Ken Lee girl]. Now, mind you, these were either high school or college aged Debbies. Old enough to know better, but obviously not old enough to appreciate things.

Now, let's think about this. The price of a ticket is $11. Add $4 for the 3D glasses. I was talked into the $12 Stubs program. And I bought $11.50 worth of concessions. So, that's $38.50. I could sit in the cheap seats at the Fox Theater of a live show for that price. But, I digress.

So, these Debbies were talking through half the movie, and singing along, and jumping about. Completely disturbing the enjoyment of the movie. And, at the end, they decide to squeal!

While I understand that everyone sitting in that theater probably has seen the movie before, and some of us can quote it line for line, there's a simple appreciation for a film being able to see it on the big screen. Especially at the prices movies have gotten to be.

I partially blame AMC Theaters for this. While they can't screen every patron that comes through their doors to ensure the movie experience will be enjoyable for everyone, they CAN have their ushers "patrol" the theaters to ensure people are being quiet [it wouldn't have been polite to other patrons for me to yell across the theater to demand they shut up, especially in front of children*]. Apparently the "Please be courteous to others" segment before movies isn't doing enough.

And, for that matter, opening your cell phone to look at the time or check messages, or whatever you do should get you banned from theaters.

So, AMC, please patrol your theaters during showings. At these ticket prices, I'm sure you can afford to hire someone to sit in the theater to keep people quiet. It should not be up to a patron to exit a movie, spend time to find someone who works there to correct the problem. You MISS pieces of the movie that way.

Kinda makes me wish I lived near the Alamo Drafthouse:




*Yes, I understand that I don't normally think of things like this, but I DO TRY not to be a bad influence on children.

What's the difference between jelly and jam?

WARNING!
WARNING!
THIS POST IS MORE OFFENSIVE THAN NORMAL
WARNING!
WARNING!

So, we were doing our regular lunch routine.

Office Boyfriend, Other Gay, and I were watching Family Feud in the break room while we ate our Subway sandwiches.

And a Smucker's commercial came on.

And, Office Boyfriend innocently asked, "What's the difference between jelly and jam?"

I covered my mouth instantly. For good reason -- other people were in the break room.

When it cleared, OB & OG wanted to know what I stopped in my tracks for.

I innocently said, "You can't jelly your cock up someone's ass."

The sheer looks of horror....

Then, I had to explain that it was a joke on How I Met Your Mother that Barney said that offended Lilly so bad she stayed away for like five episodes (while Alyson Hannigan was preggers)

Still more McDonald's

So, after the response from the General Manager of the local McDonald's, went back (not with my "free meal letter", rather as a regular customer) to see if anything has change.

After my experience, I replied to the GM with this:

Ms. General Manager,

I would like to let you know I revisited the 1305 Powers Ferry Rd McDonald's location again today by way of the drive through. My visit was in the heart of the "dinner service" at 6pm. There was no line in the drive through. Below are my reactions (as a continuation of my previous feedback through McDonalds.com):

- I ordered a Mickey D's Sweet Tea as my beverage with the hopes the "automated beverage machine" wouldn't underfill my beverage. Again, my beverage was underfilled -- almost 1/2" below the "fill line" inside the cup.

- The ice in my beverage was filled as if the Sweet Tea was freshly brewed. This made me feel more cheated out of my beverage as I was able to refill the cup full of ice with my 16.9oz bottle of water and it filled higher than when the cup of Mickey D's Sweet Tea was presented to me. So, I got less than half the amount than the advertised 32oz.

- My fries were cold and tasted stale (I live 1.4 miles / 4 minutes from the location. Not enough time for them to get stale OR cold)

- My quarter pounder with cheese was equally cold and stale tasting.

Please do not feel I'm singling out this McDonald's location in my complaint. I receive similar customer service at most McDonald's locations I visit. This is weird to me as Chick-Fil-A is my fast food restaurant of choice. They don't have automated machines to fill beverages. They don't have pre-cooked foods sitting in containers for who knows how long. They don't have "self-serve" machines for their beverages. Chick-Fil-A employees handle everything on the food/beverage side of the customer experience. I RARELY wait longer than 2-3 minutes after placing my order before my food is in hand. And the times I do, there's a restaurant full of people, so it's expected it could happen. And, no matter how slow the Chick-Fil-A location is, my food always makes it home HOT -- and I am more than twice as far away from the nearest Chick-Fil-A as I am from the Powers Ferry McDonald's.

Unfortunately, the McDonald's philosophy seems to be the opposite - get machines to greet you at the drive through; Get machines to dispense beverages (poorly); Let food set until it's cold and still serve it; Make the customer fill their own beverage when dining in; Have extended wait times when there shouldn't be. Taking the "service" part out of "Customer Service"

So, why is it I have 110% satisfaction at Chick-Fil-A, yet have a significantly lower satisfaction at a restaurant that has so many "efficiencies" in place? (And how are they "efficiencies" when I've seen Chick-Fil-A serve more customers per register during a busy lunch rush than McDonald's) There are many items on the McDonald's menu I enjoy, but am reluctant to enjoy them due to the experiences at McDonald's in general.

Thanks,

Smply

Seriously -- I know I love Jesus Chicken even though I'm supposedly not allowed to (I don't support the previous link), and I eat there WAY too much (a friend of mine says I'm there "more than any church-goer [he] knows"). But, the reason I go back is because their customer service ROCKS! And their food tastes AWESOME! You're not treated like another dollar that needs to be ensured via food cost. The problem is Jesus Chicken isn't open on Sundays (a philosophy I'm not completely against).

Why can't other places be like that?