Why McDonalds Has Gone Downhill

 I've been a big fan of McDonald's. Not nearly as much now. Here is why.

1. You Can't Fill Your Drink - Its been a fun part of the experience for me. Plus I have a certain amount of ice I want. I don't anymore, but I used to fill my cup with part Coke and Part Diet Coke. Not possible now.

2. You Can't Refill Your Drink - I have gone to McDonalds and worked on writing my books. I might be there for 45 minutes and would like to refill my drink while I'm working. Its 95% water, so I would think they're not losing that much money if I get a refill.

3. Ordering at a Kiosk - If you order at the counter, you have some personal interaction. It makes for a more pleasant experience. That's gone. One time I needed a straw and went to the counter. No one would wait on me. I was there at least two minutes. They were all faced away making food. Fine, but seems like at least one person could be stationed at the counter full-time.

4. No English - I can't help it - if I'm in a room where everyone is speaking a language I don't understand, it kind of freaks me out. I felt like that when I was in France and I feel like that in most McDonalds.

5. Vagrancy - Because their stuff is fairly cheap, they attract vagrants (the nicest word I can think to use). Typically, you can find someone at their entrance with a sign asking for money. Inside, its common to see someone just sitting there with no intention of ordering or with their head on the table sleeping. I'm sure there are some potential customers they lose because they do't want to deal with that. Each McDonald's needs an enforcer to take care of those issues. Their restaurants might say they have the right to refuse service to anyone, but it doesn't seem to happen. 

Some of these issues I'm sure stems from them trying to save money - kiosks, no refills, etc, but I'm not sure its working for them. I keep hearing about how their nummbers are going down. Mr. McDonald, consider my about thoughts.