McDonald's complaint letter

I wrote the following letter - and mailed it - earlier this month. I've decided to post it because I didn't receive a response from the company. Maybe now I will...

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. 


McDonald's Place


Toronto, ON

M3C 3L4

October 3, 2011

Dear sir/madam:

I would like to begin this letter by making it clear that this is the first time I have written to a company with a complaint. Usually, I simply explain my grievance to as many people as possible, and hope that word of my frustration spreads. This time, however, I feel it is necessary to ensure my voice is heard.

For the last eight years, I have not eaten fast food at any chain restaurant – McDonald’s included. It is not a type of meal that appeals to me.

This past summer, I discovered your Dollar Drink Days promotion. It was an unusually hot July afternoon, and my coworker took me through the drive thru. She ordered me a vanilla iced coffee – even though I politely declined – and grudgingly I drank it.

It might have been a combination of the heat, my overall exhaustion, or the employee who mixed the drink, but I can honestly say it was the best iced coffee I have ever had in my entire life. Period.

I have driven to McDonald’s (even when the nearest location was nowhere near my destination) almost every single day since that initial encounter in July. My purchase is the same every time – a large vanilla iced coffee – and some of the employees at the branch near my home have even started to recognize me. I realize that I’m not buying full meals from you, but I am still a paying customer who likes a product.

Enter my frustration.

After work today, I drove through McDonald’s as I normally do to order my iced coffee for the drive home from work. When I was handed the beverage, I knew something was wrong immediately. The liquid was completely discoloured, and looked more like milk chocolate than the caramel tone I was accustomed to.

I asked the employee at the window if something was off with the beverage. He rolled his eyes, curtly replied “no,” and shut the window. As I explained earlier in this letter, I really enjoy your product, so I knocked on the window. When the employee opened it, I asked if he could remake my drink. He rolled his eyes again, and said “lady, there is nothing wring with it.” Then, he closed the window again.

Fuming – and slightly embarrassed at having been denied – I drove away. Sticking the straw into the drink as I entered rush hour traffic, I took a cautious sip.

Awful. Simply awful.

The coffee was either burnt or very, very old. Either way, it was definitely not drinkable. I considered turning around and returning to the McDonald’s branch, but decided against it. At that point, I just wanted to get home. I also decided against calling the branch and complaining, because I didn’t want to encounter another employee who was as rude as the one at the drive thru window.

All I purchase at McDonald’s is iced coffee. It is the best I have ever had – until today – and rivals every single high-end coffee shop I have ever visited. McDonald’s is pushing to be recognized as a coffee shop in addition to a restaurant, and I was on board with this shift. Now, I am frustrated and unsure how to proceed.

I don’t know if I will continue to purchase iced coffee at your branches anymore. I’m very disappointed – both in my treatment by your employee and in the condition of the beverage I purchased. It should have been a no-brainer – make the customer happy and mix another drink.

My email address is amanda.hope@live.com. I would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Amanda Hope

The mutant turkey from hell

I do not enjoy cooking, and the prospect of preparing an entire holiday meal is enough to make me want to hide in a closet, shut the door and turn off the lights forever.

The holiday meal preparation – in our household – is left to my mom, who is much more efficient and talented than I will ever be in the kitchen.

The “event” took place in 2003 (insert scary drum roll here). It was our first Thanksgiving in Winnipeg after moving from Calgary, and mom went all out with the meal planning…

… except for the fact that she purchased a deformed turkey.

Apparently grocery stores sell a thing called a “utility grade turkey.” Ours came from Sobeys, although I’m sure you can purchase this atrocity from anywhere. When choosing a utility grade turkey, the consumer accepts the fact that not all of the limbs are intact. An arm or a leg may be missing, and the turkey as a whole lacks the “A list” aura that surrounds all the expensive birds further down the aisle.

This is an A-list turkey. Totally ready to party...

Mom bought a utility turkey. She said she’s done it before, and only a “little bit was missing.”

Well, a little more than a few “bits” were missing from our holiday feast. As mom pulled the turkey out of the bag, we noticed right away that both legs were missing. Upon closer inspection, so were both arms. As we tried to suppress giggles of horror, mom and I realized at the same time that we were staring at nothing more than a torso.

Did we ever buy a utility turkey again? Hell no. Did I eat turkey that Thanksgiving? Absolutely not. It made a great story over the dinner table, but at the time I was horrified. Who would sell something like that? And where did the limbs go??

Now this is a happy turkey...

Maybe this incident is the reason why I don’t like turkey. Or, it could be the reason why I despise cooking. Either way, the mutant turkey left enough of a lasting impression that not a Thanksgiving goes by that I don’t think about the bird that just wasn’t good enough.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Visiting Chicago: Round Two

Almost exactly a year ago I spent three fantastic days in Chicago. I fell in love with the city and experienced so many new and exciting things. So when the opportunity arose to go to Chicago again this year, I knew immediately I was going back.

After the trip last year, I wrote two very detailed blog posts about my travels. I thought they might be interesting to those coming on the trip for the first time this year.

If you would like to read the first post, click here. And, if you would also like to read the second post, click here.

In just under a week I'll return to the Windy City, and I can't wait! Get ready Chicago. I'm baaack!

Inability to eat initiates 2011 menu plans

Yesterday, I had my last wisdom tooth removed.

Yes, only one, but it was impacted (which meant I needed to be put to sleep for the surgery). I don't like being knocked out - as I'm sure most people don't - but for some reason I was especially nervous yesterday.

Well, the surgery was fine. My mouth is swollen and I'm exhausted, but otherwise I'm in good spirits. I can't drive and am supposed to relax, so I've spent the last 24 hours reading, writing, sleeping and watching way too much television. It's not a bad way to spend a winter holiday, if you ask me.

The only downside to this situation is that I can't really eat anything yet. My diet currently consists of pudding and jello, and I am unimpressed. Normally, I don't really think about food. I'm usually too busy to care. I eat because I need to, and over the past few months while in school I have eaten whatever had been put in front of me.

As I lay in agony last night, I started thinking about all the meals that I love but haven't had the time or energy to create. Things such as pesto pasta with freshly sauteed vegetables, or shrimp and spinach salads, have completely fallen off the menu. They have been replaced with instant lasagna, Subway sandwiches, and chicken fingers, and it is time that I put my foot down.

My resolution for the coming year is to start cooking again. This doesn't have to be a huge process, as there is only Jeff and I to worry about. It also doesn't have to be an expensive process, as fresh vegetables are actually quite cheap. I am not going to let my hectic schedule interfere with the finer things in life in 2011, and I have already begun planning what I will try prepare first.

All it took was a surgery and the inability for me to eat to come to this conclusion. Go figure.

Searching for the Perfect Greek Salad: Boston Pizza

Over Christmas, I went to Boston Pizza for dinner. I saw that there were Greek salads on the menu, and decided to give one a try. I know that every restaurant makes their salads differently, and I was prepared for that. Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to report.

The real, Greek way to make a salad DOES NOT INCLUDE LETTUCE. I tell everyone this, and no one believes me. I understand lettuce is used in North America, I have come to terms with that, but I still do not like it! Vegetables are expensive, and lettuce is needed to ensure the recipient of the salad gets more than a small plate of cut up stuff...

BUT, there still needs to be at least a few vegetables, and the salad I received barely had any. There also was not very much feta cheese, and way too much oil and vinegar dressing. I left feeling a bit cheated. Until my next taste test at another restaurant, I will have to be content with making my own Greek salads at home.

My Quest for the Perfect Greek Salad

Last week, Jeff and I were making tacos, and I was explaining to him the details of my love affair with tomatoes. It began as a mild flirtation this summer while I was in Europe, and evolved into a complete, passionate, all encompassing infatuation. I could probably eat tomatoes every single day for the rest of my life, and be completely content. That being said, I also have a great love for Greek salads.

My love of tomatoes is the reason why I started eating Greek salads in the first place. I was in Greece, and "salad" was the only thing I could somewhat recognize on the menu. I had heard about Greek salads before, but never actually tried one.

A REAL GREEK SALAD is nothing like what the majority of restaurants serve here in Canada. There are THREE main differences, which are as follows:

1. The salads consist of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onion, and NO lettuce! (If they are putting lettuce in there, it's a filler because they are too cheap to buy enough fresh vegetables, and it is NOT a "Greek" salad!)


2. Oil, vinegar, and oregano are the only acceptable dressings (except maybe another type of seasoning.)


3. Feta cheese MUST be present in some way, shape or form. I mostly saw a large block of feta placed on top of the salad, but already crumbled and mixed in is also acceptable, yet not recommended.

If a salad does not follow all three of the above criteria, it is not a traditional Greek salad.

MY QUEST: Over the next two years, as I plow my way through CreComm, I will rate every Greek salad that I eat. I will try as many restaurants as possible, and I will report my findings, both positive and negative. I will provide a "quality analysis" of each salad, and will then provide an overall score out of 5. My quality analysis will take into consideration the following aspects:

• Vegetable usage (variety of different kinds)


• Oil and vinegar presentation (is it already put on the salad, or do I have the opportunity to do so myself)


• Feta organization (large cube or small pieces)


• Freshness (are all of the ingredients fresh, or do they look like leftovers from other dishes or other days)


• Presentation (does this look like a salad I want to marry)

After going through the above checklist, I will give a final rating out of five:

• 5 - the salad is absolutely fabulous, and I forgot that I was back in Canada while eating it


• 4 - above average, no complaints


• 3 - fine, it's a salad


• 2 - could use some work


• 1 - i'm slightly depressed about my salad experience


• 0 - i'm going to slap the chef and cry in a corner

If you know of a Greek salad I should look into, please send me a comment and let me know. I visited the Princess Street Breakfast & Lunch place a few weeks ago, and tried their Greek salad. Unfortunately, I would only give it a 2 out of 5. Not a great start...