McDonald's Skate-Thru

We've all heard of a McDonald's Drive-Thru. But have you heard of a McDonald's Skate-Thru?

Singapore's East Coast Park is where you will find this innovative concept. The East Coast Park is home to athletic-minded Singaporeans who are fast, fun, and on the go. Separating skaters from people on foot is usually a smart move, and catering to the "locals" is always a plus. In this case, the locals wear wheels. Perfect!

This restaurant really rocks! There are so many people enjoying the park - and many drop by McDonald's for a bite to eat. During this visit it was extremely crowded.

Do you know of any other Skate-Thrus? If so, please comment.

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

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McDonald's Meltdown

Say it ain't so!

Two McDonald's in The McChronicles home region are either closed or closing.

OLD FORGE, NY:
This recreation/vacation community's McDonald's went from being year-round to seasonal, to closed. The series of pictures show the sad evolution. At the top we see the store when it was rocking. In the middle we see the store as it sat, mothballed, during the winter season. At the bottom we see the store as it sits today, stripped of much of the McDonald's logo, signage, and flags. How sad.

Now the closest McDonald's is about 1 hour away.

NEW HARTFORD, NY:
New Hartford's Sangertown Square Mall has had a McDonald's for years. It was just announced that this store will close at the end of June.

This store was extremely handy - and a favorite of The McChronicles. The crew was usually very friendly. While there are other McDonald's nearby, we have lost this great option while within the mall.

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

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Cashiers in Quick-Service

QSR Magazine recently published an excellent article regarding the role of the customers' #1 point of contact, the front-line cashier.


Author TJ Schier wrote:

From a customer point of view, in a quick-service operation, and most fast-casual operations, the customer spends more time with the cashier than with any other employee. However, cashiers are often the least trained.

The article also offered this:

The cashier is the face of your brand. They are the salesperson of your brand. They determine line speed and sales and play a critical role in customer service and order accuracy. Before you put someone on the register, tempted as you might be to throw them into the position, train them on the following:

• The menu
• Customer Service
• Food Delivery Method
• Selling Skills
• The POS (cash register/computer)

Read the article here.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: McDonalds.com screen grab.

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BEYOND The Drive Thru

So , there we were, waiting in the world's longest queue at the San Ysidro US/Mexico border crossing. After a loooong week of fun in the sun we were tired ... and hungry. Especially since we knew there was a McDonald's somewhere in the vicinity.

As we waited (literally for hours) we noticed all sorts of street vendors selling artwork, souvenirs, and food. As we got closer to the border we realized that there was no mainstream fast food available for us to run to from our cars. So, we did the next best thing.

We wrote up an order and handed it (along with cash) to a vendor (in no way was he associated with McDonald's). He took off running and, in minutes, he served up an almost accurate order that was piping hot.

You can't imagine our delight after being without McDonald's for almost one week.

Next time you're caught in traffic, consider MAKING THINGS happen. It can be well worth it.

PS: If even 1% of the people waiting in that line are like The McChronicles, then McDonald's should consider setting up something similar to our homegrown "almost" drive thru.

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

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World's Longest McDonald's Drive-Thru Experience

OK - we're sure you have an even longer story to describe to us, but did you capture it on video?


The McChronicles was in a hurry - heading home when we got a call. Someone needed a couple McDonald's chicken sandwiches pronto. We wheeled into the local store expecting a two-minute detour. When we saw only two cars in line in front of us, we knew we were golden. Alas, it wasn't to be.

The culprit? Chicken!


McDonald's has been having trouble keeping ready-to-go chicken in inventory. That's one reason why they developed the Snack Wrap - to add to the demand - to keep the inventory in action. It's not working well enough.

Here's why (prepare to be bored silly, as we were while enduring this loooong, painful wait).



PS: This excerpted quote is from this week's QSR (quick service restaurant) Magazine.com:

"Two weeks ago you read about service horror stories. Many of you emailed more instances as well (see below). However, to truly create a service culture, you need to create the service legends within your company. You too can be the "Nordstrom's" of quick-service or fast casual. Here are a few great stories of customer service excellence:

• Customer gets parked in the drive-thru as the chicken tenders are "being fried up fresh" (not "we ran out"). Employee brings the order to the car and lets the customer know they brought them a larger-sized drink and fries for the inconvenience. Now that's service!"

As you saw from the video, there were no legends created on this day.

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

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Nutritional Information: McDonald's Be A Leader

So, the whole nutrition thing was heavy on our mind as we entered a McDonald's this week.

We were thinking about how packaged grocery foods display nutritional info on the package, so we can make informed decisions BEFORE we purchase. Then, we recalled the requests for McDonald's (and all other fast food purveyors) to provide nutritional information on their products' packaging. But some people say that it would be too late to affect a purchasing decision if it was on the burger wrapper, for instance.

And, we also know that people want nutritional information regarding fast food in-store, prior to the purchasing decision. McDonald's already offers that. In fact, in addition to the occasional wall poster we have encountered, we frequently find nutritional info on tray liners.

Well, we walked up to a McDonald's counter and asked for nutritional information (pre-order, in time for a good decision) and wondered what would happen. Within three seconds we had a tray liner laid out in front of us, with a smile. Shockingly fast, easy, and friendly.

So there you have it. McDonald's is doing exactly what people are asking for, and it still isn't good enough (according to some people). Here's a suggestion to rise above the noise, to be a leader, to set the bar to a new height, and to really help the customers.

Put a nutrition kiosk in every store. Hook it up to the internet (or some othe centralized database). Make it a touch-screen device and dedicate it exclusively to nutrition.

This device would allow people to search for nutritional information on every single menu item (similar to the tray liner), but it would do much more. It would also:

• provide the ability to sort by nutritional criteria, such as sodium, carb, or fat level for examples



• provide nutritional info on value meal packages



• provide nutritional info on customized meals



• recommend the most nutritional meal (after the user defines the key criteria) for meals based on (you pick: chicken, beef, salad, etc.)



• provide nutrition tips



• list the full range of condiments, bevergaes, meats, dairy, and produce offered at McDonald's


• offer tools for health professionals


• heck, let's even throw in advice from a noted personal trainer and from a famous nutrition MD.

All the data could be managed from one central database back at HQ. The customers would receive info and service, in-store, prior to purchase, in a manner unheard of in the industry. And the industry would have a new level of customer service to point to.

Sound wild? Heck no, many of you already know that The McChronicles is simply describing something that already exists. Most all of this is readily available on the McDonald's website - in the food, nutrition, and wellness section of the USA version.

The question is, why doesn't McDonald's get out in front of this issue? They already do something similar with music videos.

The McChronicles suggests that McDonald's test market this nutrition kisok and see how it goes. We bet it would be highly-valued, and that it would serve as an example to the rest of the industry.

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

Image: McDonald's website screen grab.

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Atlanta Airport McDonald's

In October 2005 The McChronicles rattled about within the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, looking for a McDonald's. Problem was, there wasn't one. So we filed a complaint.

Step two: we received a form letter in reply.

Step three: A McDonald's appeared! Coincidence? Definitely.

Anyway, we are glad to see that travellers can now eat at McDonald's while traipsing through the Atlanta airport.

The Atlanta airport McDonald's sits within a food court way out at the end, Terminal E. But don't let that put you off. The terminal shuttle train is fast and efficient. So, no matter which terminal you are arriving or departing from, it is only a few minutes away.

The food court features a handful of dining alternatives as well as a piano. Many times you can catch a real person (in a tuxedo) playing for people as they grab a quick bite between flights.

As you can sort of see in the image, this McDonald's employs a serious McShuffle policy. Customers enter from either side of the counter. Once the order is taken, customers are McShuffled into the center area. While there, you wait until your order number is called. Your order number appears on your receipt. This technique is used at many high volume McDonald's. If the order takes too long, customers end up feeling like they are living on The Island of Misfit Toys while they wait.

The food court is well-lit, bright, and clean. There are many places to sit, and napkins, etc. are readily available.

This McDonald's was opened this past Spring. We noted it during a trip through the airport, but absent-mindedly deleted the photo we took. So, we waited until we grabbed this image before updating.

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

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