Extra Credit

Since I was a little kid I enjoyed and craved for fast food restaurants particularly McDonalds until the movie “Super Size Me” came out in theaters. This movie is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, who follows a 30-day time period during which he eats only McDonald's food. The film documents that eating McDonald’s food drastically effects on consumers physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. This movie made me realize that McDonalds is nothing but a multi-billion dollar company that creates influence on individuals by means of great marketing strategies.

I was very interested in fact how McDonalds employees and management would contribute towards my precise order. As I waited on the line I observed that only two employees were working in the front of the counter, one was working for the drive through window and about four workers in the back making the sandwiches. After about five minutes it was my turn to place this specific order; a hamburger with four pickles and small fries well done with no salt. The first and foremost step involving this order was when the McDonald’s employee recorded my order on the register. The second step was when that same employee yelled out to the staff in the back that he needs a hamburger with four pickles. The third step occurred when he went over to the counter where the french fries were cooked and grabbed a small paper bag made specifically for fries, moreover filled up that small bag with fries that were already cooked. After this the McDonalds employee went on to take care of the next customer. Once he placed the customer’s order on the register he came back to my order and last but not least, he took the hamburger that was already made by another employee in the back and put it inside a small paper bag along with the french fries.

In total two people had to get involved in this special order and receipt generation. During ordering, and while I was waiting, the employee was treating me very nice and with respectful manners. I had no problems in the way the personnel were treating me or other customers. Unfortunately as I opened the bag, my order was not completed correctly. The hamburger had four pickles inside, however the french fries were salty as I tasted them. Right after that I went up to the employee that had given me my order and requested french fries but this time I really stressed out the words “well done with no salt”. The second time around the fries were not salty at all.

Effectiveness of the manufacturing process was significantly fast however not accurate since the fries came in salty. It took the staff about six minutes to complete this special order. In a fast food restaurant, this is an acceptable wait. The employees and the structure of the restaurant were very organized. The communication pattern involved in this special order was very efficient and prompt. The employees in the front communicate with the employees in the back which was very efficient in the end result. The management challenges presented by my special order are that the fries had to be separately cooked with no salt and the hamburger had to be made with exactly four pickles. The customer service was efficient and effective in that restaurant. If I was brought in as a consultant to McDonald’s to help them improve their efficiency, the recommendations that I would make to improve the management processes during special orders are first of all complete the exact needs and orders of the customers and second I would introduce new form of communication amongst the employees by the use of headsets with microphones.