Very Bad Service in Endicott

A small contingent of Team McChronicles dropped into the Endicott, NY McDonald's (store #4860) for an early-evening snack.
We were hoping to dart in, grab something light, something quick, then get back on the road. The exterior seemed nice - a very quaint English Tudor style treatment. This was feeling good.

Upon entering we saw a very small crowd at the counter so it looked like we would receive speedy service. Then it all started.

After our eyes adjusted from the outside darkness, we could see that this store was not in the best of conditions. The basic wall, ceiling, floor situation looked like it hadn't been updated in over a decade. The one attempt at trying to match the interior to the exterior really came off poorly. When they tried to add some "wood" they simply nailed up some paneling, then painted it. Well, the paint is peeling and chipping so badly that fuzz from customers' clothes is stuck in it (see image). Obviously this isn't a new development. How long has this been ignored? It reminded us of the Canastota McDonald's and the Little Falls McDonald's.

On top of that, the service was very poor. With no line at the counter (when it was our turn), and with minimal drive-thru demand, the counter person seemed quite smug. He appeared to derive great pleasure out of pushing a charity promotion (add $1 to your bill for ...). Too bad he didn't greet the customers (at all, no words, no smile, etc.). And he attempted no explanation when two hamburgers took about 5 minutes to arrive (no exact time was recorded this time). Even when we stood there, face to face, with no other people around, locked in the wait from hell, he simply didn't say a word. It was like we weren't even there. And time dragged on, and on, and on ...

We walked in excited to have found a convenient and inviting McDonald's. Our "high" was quickly converted to a "low" by a manager that seems to care less about customer satisfaction, a crew that couldn't deliver the company's signature product on time, and (seemingly) by management that isn't investing in this property (physical facility or staff enablement).

McDonald's knows that there are people out there (like our team) who LOVE the whole McDonald's experience. Why don't they simply provide service to meet our expectations? The result just might be a swelling of our ranks. Who wouldn't want more raving fans?

Images: The McChronicles

McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.