Elderly Customer Was Dismissed; Management Failed to Properly Investigate
Very disappointing experience at this McDonald’s on July 25, 2026.
My elderly mother, who does not speak English, placed order #211 and paid $14.15 in cash. She waited for more than 20 minutes while much later orders, including orders around #230, had already been called and served.
My mother did not simply sit and wait. She approached different employees twice to ask about her order and request help. Both times, she was simply told to continue waiting. No one took the time to properly check what was happening with her order.
When I arrived at approximately 7:10 PM, I asked to speak with the manager. The manager asked an employee about the delay and was told that the fries were not ready. This explanation did not make sense given the circumstances. It was during a busy dinner period, yet significantly later orders had already been completed while order #211 remained unfulfilled.
What was even more disappointing was the lack of a genuine investigation. The manager did not appear to question the employees involved in detail, verify the order records, or review surveillance footage to determine what actually happened. Instead, she repeatedly apologized and focused on explaining that my mother did not understand English and that her order number had supposedly been called several times.
That explanation did not match my mother’s experience. She knew that later orders were being served, and she had already asked employees twice for assistance. The issue was not that she simply failed to hear her number being called. The issue was that she repeatedly asked for help and no one properly addressed her order.
The attitude of the other employees was also extremely disappointing. They appeared indifferent to the fact that an elderly customer had been waiting for more than 20 minutes and had already asked for help twice. When I spoke up on behalf of my mother, the overall attitude felt dismissive, as though we were unreasonable for questioning the situation simply because we eventually received our food.
This is not simply about waiting for food. It is about how an elderly customer who does not speak English was treated, how her repeated requests for assistance were handled, and how management responded when we raised a legitimate concern.
I am also concerned about possible discriminatory treatment. My mother is an elderly Asian customer with limited English proficiency. I am not claiming that discrimination has been proven, but given the circumstances, I believe her age, race, national origin, and limited English proficiency should be taken seriously as part of any investigation.
A genuine apology is not enough. Management should determine what actually happened, review the relevant order records and surveillance footage, speak with the employees involved, and provide a clear explanation rather than simply dismissing the situation.
I hope McDonald’s takes this complaint seriously and ensures that elderly customers and customers with limited English proficiency are treated with the same respect, attention, and fairness as everyone else.