In the past year of working at McDonald's as a service associate, I have learned a lot of things that greatly simplify how I approach order-taking and serving customers to the best of my ability. Here are a few tips for the customer on how they can aid me in providing for an excellent experience.

1. Ask for the meal when you can. If you’re ordering a sandwich, a hash brown/fries/side salad, and a drink, then simply ask for the meal. After all, that’s what you’re already ordering.
2. Ordering healthy is easier than you might think.
   • For breakfast lovers, I usually order 2 round eggs scrambled, an English muffin, and a parfait.
   • For those who prefer to get lunch, I tend to get a special sandwich. I order an English muffin with a piece of grilled chicken and some leaf lettuce. In addition, I order a side salad and sometimes add on a parfait or a couple bags of apple slices.
3. You can have regular coffee multiple ways.
   • If you want flavoring in your coffee, simply ask for it. We don’t have flavored creams, but we do have the flavors we use for iced coffee and regular cream.
   • If you want your cream and sugar on the side, please specify that.
4. If you want your sandwich specially made, please say your wants/needs while you’re ordering. If you have an allergy or dislike certain things on your sandwich or in your drinks, we will definitely try to accommodate you.
5. Ordering in is now somewhat simpler. At around 9am at my McDonald’s, we start table service. This means that we give you soft drink cups and such ahead of time. We then give you a tag number and promise to bring your food out to you. Please make sure to take your tag number with you so we know where to find you.
6. Know what you’re ordering ahead of time. If you don’t know what comes on a sandwich, just ask. We can look up this information for you so you know what you’re getting into. We can also tell you the prices of various menu items and help steer you towards items which will fit your budget and dietary needs.
7. If there was a mistake, please call in/come in and we will be willing to replace it for you.
   • If you’re in a hurry, we may be willing to switch up items (provided they’re a similar or lesser value) to send you off at a more rapid pace.
   • If you called in, be sure to write down/remember the name of the manager you spoke to so that we can replace your item the next time you come by.
8. Please don’t be rude to those trying to help you. Whether we are taking your order, replacing an item, or still preparing your food, there is no excuse to be rude. We are human too and want to make sure you have the best experience possible. That may not always happen, but that still isn’t grounds enough to be a jerk.
9. It’s okay to be indecisive. If you need a little time to look at the menu, simply tell us and we will wait for you to make up your mind. Just be sure to tell us when you’re ready, or we might forget about you in the midst of all our other obligations.
10. If there’s a long wait to cash out in the drive-thru, please prepare your change while you wait. This will make your experience at the cashier window much quicker and easier for both you and the person in charge of taking your money.
11. Please comment on how good or bad you thought the service you received was. This is helpful to us so we know how to better meet your expectations. In addition, If you fill out an online survey, the information of which is listed at the top of the receipt you get, you can receive free food for your time.

I’d like to end by simply thanking you for your time. I have met many wonderful people through my job and really enjoy serving all of you throughout the day. So, I hope you feel the same way and have an amazing rest of your day.

Naomi signing out.