To the editor:
First, let me say that I have known and truly respect the owners of our local McDonald’s for many years. I understand the virus has changed the world and the way we do things everywhere.
On Thursday evening, Aug. 27, my wife and I arrived for inside dining at 6:12 p.m. to join another group at the register. After a 5-minute wait with only the young man at the drive-up window visible, I ask the man ahead in line if he had been waited on, “No, we haven’t seen anyone.”
I whipped out my flip-phone and called 4452 and said that there are people waiting at the front counter.
Five more minutes passed (I timed it!) and a young lady came around the corner where the soft serve machine is located. She took their order and ours in a timely manner. She returned to the hallway around the corner. We filled our drink cups and looked for seating.
Three people were seated in what was clearly marked “no seating” (due to virus concerns). We passed, and at that point, we knew we were doomed, as there seemed to be no CLEAN tables. I again called the number and she said, “We will be right out to clean the tables.”
As we waited another 11 minutes for our food, several guests arrived and left for lack of service. We were stuck; as we had paid our $14 plus, they had us by our …!
My wife finally walked to the counter, and in a loud voice, asked, “Is anyone here?” With no response, I said in a louder voice, “IS ANYONE HERE?”
At that point, the young man left his post and assembled our order from the warmer where our order lay for over 10 minutes. We watched as he managed to get fries for one of the two on our order (several minutes old and cold), and in a few minutes, returned with the second fry to our table.
While we ate, we saw and heard another guest yell out, “IS ANYONE BACK THERE?”
There is even more, but I am tired and want only to say that, of the last 10 trips of an evening to McDonald’s, we had similar problems, many resolved quickly.
If this involved a medical emergency in the back, 911 was not called.
I think that many people — as did I ‘til now — overlook these problems and say nothing.
As of the time we left, not one table was cleaned.
One trip, 52 minutes.
I think that four kids with no manager were running the show that night.
Buzz and Linda King, Nashville
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