MD
Maya Dabaghi
Oct 8, 2026
I stopped at McDonald’s after a long, exhausting day at work because I wanted to do something small for myself and enjoy a meal I had been craving. Unfortunately, what should have been a simple, pleasant experience turned into something that genuinely upset me and completely ruined my appetite. I went inside to redeem my free voucher for a medium order of fries and use some of my reward points before they expired. When I approached the counter, I let the employee know that I was ready to order. The employee taking my order was a short, heavyset man with black hair. He immediately responded with an attitude and a sigh, which made me feel unwelcome before I had even said anything. I explained that I had a voucher for the medium fries, and he told me to scan it, which I did. I also had 7,000 reward points that I wanted to use for a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, and I mistakenly thought I could scan both since one was a voucher and the other was a separate rewards redemption. As soon as I scanned the second code, he spoke to me in an incredibly rude and condescending tone, saying, “Why did you do that? You ruined the order; you can’t scan two codes.” I genuinely did not know that I couldn’t do that. I wasn't trying to cause a problem, make his job harder, or be difficult in any way. I simply misunderstood how the rewards system worked. I apologized and explained that I hadn't realized I couldn't scan both codes. However, rather than responding with patience or understanding, he continued speaking to me in a condescending tone and giving me looks that made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
At that point, I decided it wasn't worth it. I told him, “Never mind, thank you,” and walked away without getting my food. What made the experience even more upsetting was that, as soon as I left, he suddenly became cheerful and friendly with the next person in line. Seeing him switch his attitude so quickly made me feel as though I had been singled out for no reason.
As someone who has worked in the food industry, I understand that customer service can be exhausting. I know what it feels like to have long, stressful shifts, deal with difficult situations, and still have to keep going when all you want to do is go home. I have been in that position myself, so I genuinely try to be understanding toward employees because I know they are human, too. However, when I worked in customer service, I made a conscious effort not to take my frustrations out on customers who had done nothing wrong.
What hurts the most is that I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable. I was simply trying to redeem my rewards and enjoy a meal after a long day. If I made a mistake, all he had to do was explain the policy politely. I would have understood, apologized, and moved on. Instead, I was made to feel stupid and unwelcome over an honest mistake.
I know this might seem like a small interaction to some people, but you never know what someone has been dealing with before they walk through your doors. I had a long, hard day at work, and stopping at McDonald's was something I was looking forward to. I wanted to treat myself to something simple that would make me happy. Instead, I walked out feeling embarrassed, disrespected, and genuinely hurt. I lost my appetite entirely, which was especially disappointing because I had been looking forward to that meal.
Customers deserve to be treated with basic courtesy, especially when they are being polite and are willing to acknowledge their mistakes. No one should have to leave a restaurant feeling worse than they did when they arrived simply because they misunderstood how to redeem a reward.
I hope this feedback is taken seriously because I hope it serves as a reminder of how much our treatment of others matters. Sometimes, a little kindness is all someone needs to turn their day around. Unfortunately, in this case, the opposite happened. I left without my food, without the little treat I had been looking forward to, and with an experience that left me feeling genuinely disappointed and saddened.