Working at McDonald's UK for Three and a Half Years
I started working at McDonald's when I was sixteen years old, which was in 2010. I applied for the job the day after my sixteenth birthday (16th February 2010) and I heard back from them whilst I was in an ICT lesson in school in late February. The offered me an interview the next week. I dressed smart but casual, I was myself but was nervous as I'd never interviewed for a job before and didn't really know what to expect. I was asked the basic questions - "What would I bring to the company?" "How am I working in groups?" "Do I think teamwork is important in the workplace" - I answered honestly and the best I could. I didn't have any grades at this point as I was due to do my GCSE's in about two-three months time, plus I had a three week holiday coming up to Orlando in June. We discussed how she didn't want to let me go as a possible employee and asked me to call when I got back from the States and had finished and picked up my GCSE's.
I picked my GCSE's on June 11th 2010, and left for Orlando on June 15th 2010. I came home July 6th and I called them July 7th. My heart sank when it took the lady who interviewed me a good 5-10 minutes, but once she did she offered me a date for orientation on the 11th July. I got over the jetlag fast, and arrived for orientation early in the morning. I was taught basic customer skills, the till system, drinks and other basic information. I wasn't going to be in the kitchen (which was a relief because I saw some of the burns some of the guys in the kitchen had from the grills.)
My first shift was on the 18th July 2010, I was on the Drive Thru taking orders - from the day I started to the day I left, the Drive Thru was my favourite. I learnt the till pretty fast, within weeks I was taking orders on one screen and taking money on the other till at the same time.
The store I worked at was open 24 hours, so I'd get loads of different shifts, ranging from 6am-3pm, 12pm-9pm, 5pm-10pm, 3pm-9pm and even overnights which were 9pm-6am. For the first year or so I was on solid 6am-3pm shifts, and I got used to those pretty quickly. I was only working there part time, but there was the odd time I'd be working full-time weeks, which I didn't mind too much.
I made friends there, and got on quite well with nearly everyone, but did try to keep myself to myself - after all it is work. I had a few issues as well, but that was with a colleague outside of the work place, and after it happened I did everything to avoid this individual as I honestly found him disgusting. I wish I'd gone to my boss and got us put on opposite shifts. (Definitely gonna stop going on about him now, not worth blog space.)
My shifts took a strange turn, and I got a lot of mixed ones (One day I'd be doing 3pm-9pm, the next I'd be on a 6am-3pm) it got confusing, but it was alright - as long as I was getting money I didn't really care. When I started, I was on £4.25 an hour. When I turned 18 I went up to £5 an hour. I didn't earn barrels of money, but I was contented at the time with what I was earning.
I had a lot of friends, but there was a lot of bitchy people there, people who thought they were better than the job and everybody else wasn't. You'd just ignore them and try and get on with the day.
The customers were so-so. You had your lovely regulars, you know what they wanted to order when you saw them. And then there would be the rude customers - which I physically couldn't stand but had to, after all it's my job - having someone come through the drive thru saying something like "I want a burger, with chips and a drink" *sigh* What burger and what drink? Why do you have to make my life so difficult? How about please's and thank you's? Weren't you taught any manners? So my response would be "Which burger would you like?" The reply? Well, this did happen a fair few times... "I want a cheeseburger.. With no cheese" Known as a hamburger in the normal world, but hey the customers always right... Right? (NOPE)
Then there was the uniform, I started when they still had the brown uniforms and apart from the annoying hats, they were comfortable.
Here is a photo from 2011, with a work colleague in the original uniform.
This was taken on the 21st February 2013, my first day of the new uniform (I'd just returned from my birthday holiday to New York)
The trousers were also green, like a dark yucky looking green. (Baby shit green... lol) It was horrible compared to the old uniform.
The reason I quit was my hours were cut ridiculously, I was only getting four to six hours a week, which is one shift... I couldn't afford to go to work, the cab would cost £6-£7 each way so it became a joke, plus I felt bullied by one of the managers. (Who cut my hours) I didn't ask for the hour cut, and I kept asking numerous times for them to be re-instated normally, to a comfortable 16-24 hours a week. But, nope... Never happened.
I quit in July 2013, my reasons being them cutting my hours way too much for me to afford, and management bullying.
I loved the job, and would work at another store - I do miss working there (From 2010-2012 time) from then it was bad...
Thank you for reading!
Lisa ♥
