All these years, I thought McDonald’s was in business to make money. However, over the years I’ve started wondering. The was the time the woman at the counter took my order and immediately went to back. I wondered what the reason. Then I found out. I heard her call out, “We need nickles!” This of course she did while I was in a hurry to get to work.

Then there was the day I went in to get some breakfast. After one of the employees stood there and talked on her phone for four minutes. I gave up and went somewhere else. It gives a new meaning to “Fast Food.” I actually wrote a letter to their headquarters over that one. I got a free sandwich over it. No real apology, just a sandwich. By the way, I did remind them that there were three other places nearby where I could get breakfast. They didn’t seem to care. It seemed to be a “So what,” attitude.

I guess they have gotten too many customers. they have this method of thinning them out a little.

Then the other night I ordered Diet Coke with my meal. Guess what, no Diet Coke. They wanted me to buy tea instead. If there is one thing I have learned about dining out — don’t buy what you don’t want just because they don’t have what you do want.

In this day where many of us are diabetic, I cannot understand any restaurant of any kind running out of their only diet drink. It is a triple whammy. It is almost as bad as a place that specializes in hamburgers running out of hamburgers. It’s kind of dumb.

In this case, it left me without a drink for my meal, which irritated me. This discourages me from returning. Moreover, it greatly decreased the profit of their sell. Soft drinks are very high profit items in fast food restaurants. It might seem odd, but they don’t make nearly as much off hamburgers (about 40 – 45% gross profit). Where their real money is made in the soft drinks (about 95 – 96% gross profit).

I don’t think the employees care. They draw the same pay regardless. Most employees, especially new one likely think they make more money off the hamburgers.

The third whammy is a little more long range. When I got my food, I went to a convenience store and bought the drinks, Diet Pepsi, which I prefer. Now I know I don’t have to rely on McDonald’s for Diet Coke. I can buy bigger better sodas for about the same price at a convenience store just down the road. Not only that, if I want, I can buy my sweets at the store instead of from McDonald’s.

Now, if word gets around, McDonald’s just might wish they had an adequate supply of Diet Coke for me.

Then again. I might be wrong. McDonald’s makes a lot more money than me. Moreover, they will likely never hear my complaint. If they do, they will likely assume their “so what,” attitude.

However, if they keep trying to thin out their customer base, they just might find out it works.