The McDonald's Economic Indicator

[dsrtao]

No, not the Big Mac Index (although that's interesting, too) -- the service index.

If you go into a McDonald's (or other chain fast-food restaurant) and you are served by a half-trained high-school student who is being bossed around by a slovenly mid-20s manager, the local economy is fine.

If the service is quick and accurate from a properly uniformed mid20s adult behind the register and the manager appears to be on the ball, the economy is in serious trouble.

Comments

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

Well, based on my experience at Domino's last night, the economy in Methuen is the best in the country by this indicator.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Need more data points, I think.

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

prior post from this morning.
I love Methuen, and yet one thing I have not been able to find is Pizza that qualifies to have the name, pizza. We have these various crusts that range between cracker, to cake, white bread, but no actual crust. I'm not even going to start on the sauce aspect. The closest thing we have is Domino's and once a year or so I get one to see if there has been any improvement even there.



I decide to check out the new online ordering system and found that until you get to the very, very end there is no way to know what the price is of what you're ordering so I abandoned that idea.

I call up and ask about the 3 pizzas for $4.00 each special that I saw and the girl says, "No it's $5.55 each when you get three."
Me - Ok, can I get a deep dish if I do that?
Her - That's a $1.50 more per pie (which now puts it about normal price)
Me - Ok, I'll call back
(time passes - Ring - Girl answers)
Me - Hi, I'd like to place and order for pick up, A large deep dish MeatZZa. Can I substitute the ham for bacon?
Her - Can you repeat that?
Me - repeated
Her - You want ham instead of bacon? (first warning that she has no clue)
Me - No, I WANT bacon, no ham (followed by much back and forth of Who's on First until the idea is conveyed)
Her - So a large MeatZZa with no ham, right?
Me - Almost - Pan pizza, and BACON!!!!
Her - OK, Thin crust pizza, no ham, add bacon. (I'll give the benefit of the doubt ehre as Thin and Pan almost rhyme depending on accent.)
Me - No, Pan....ah Deep Dish. How long until I can pick it up?
Her - 10 minutes
Me - And what's the price (as there is no way to find that out from where I am)
Her - I'm not really sure. I won't know that until I put it in.
Me - (heavy sigh) Ok, I'll be over soon

Time passes

I'm going to condense this next bit as it actually turned into a haggling session. I go there and the pizza price came to near $18.00 which I had no intention of paying. Her reasoning is that they added $x.xx for each topping. I made mention that it's one of the specialties and not one that's an every topping priced individually.

The store - no prices displayed AT ALL. I did however point out to this girl the $4.00 special sign that even a blind person can't miss I originally called for. She acted as though she (the manager, and only woman it tuns out) has never seen it before. I looked at the fold up menu - nope no prices. No way to figure out anything on an individual pizza unless I got a combo special. She and two hourly were sctratching there heads over the cash register trying to figure out what to do. Gradually the price came down, again without rhyme or reason as to where they were getting the number from. The pizza was the wrong size, I pointed out as well and managed to get them to a more than fair price of just under $12.00. They were all sorts of confused of course and honestly very nice about it. There was simply no training apparent in this store.

In the end we got the pizza home, it was hot, it was as tasty as a Domino's can be exepcted to be and of course.....

Me - Dan, is there any bacon on your slices?
Dan - Nope - yours?
Me - Nope

Sigh....I'll try again next year.

[be-well-lowell.livejournal.com]

But... do they speak English?

[robertdfeinman.livejournal.com]

I don't know about linking from LJ, so I'm just going to cut and paste your original observation on the Walmart specific blog I participate in.

Here's the relevant link:
http://thewritingonthewal.net/?p=4020

(I'm not responsible for the video.)

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Sorry -- I was too terse.

I meant "you have a good datapoint there, but we need to blanket the state to complete the sample."

Nonetheless, that is one fine mess you were treated to!

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

LOL - There are far, far worse things in life to call messes. This was just merely a crash of ignorance followed by and endless wave of stupid. : )