<br> <a href="http://www.fotolog.com/heif">my fotolog</a> - <a href="http://scott.heiferman.com">my notes</a><br><br><br> ਍㰀瀀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀　　　　　　∀ 猀椀稀攀㴀∀㔀∀㸀椀 眀愀猀 愀 ㈀　ⴀ猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 搀攀琀栀爀漀渀攀搀 搀漀琀挀漀洀 挀攀漀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀渀琀 琀漀 眀漀爀欀 琀栀攀 挀漀甀渀琀攀爀 愀琀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 洀挀搀漀渀愀氀搀✀猀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ഀ
਍㰀瀀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀　　　　　　∀㸀戀礀 猀挀漀琀琀 栀攀椀昀攀爀洀愀渀 ⠀㄀㈀⼀　　⤀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ഀ
਍㰀瀀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ഀ
਍㰀瀀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀　　　　　　∀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀昀爀礀开最甀礀㐀⸀樀瀀最∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㈀㜀㈀∀ 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㌀㘀　∀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ഀ
<p style="line-height: 100%;">&nbsp;</p> ਍㰀瀀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀氀椀渀攀ⴀ栀攀椀最栀琀㨀 ㄀　　─㬀∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀　　　　　　∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀㔀∀㸀戀愀挀欀最爀漀甀渀搀㨀㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㔀⼀㤀㐀㨀 最爀愀搀甀愀琀攀搀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 甀渀椀瘀攀爀猀椀琀礀 漀昀 椀漀眀愀㰀戀爀㸀 㔀⼀㤀㐀ⴀ㐀⼀㤀㔀㨀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀猀漀渀礀挀愀爀搀⸀栀琀洀∀㸀∀椀渀琀攀爀愀挀琀椀瘀攀 洀愀爀欀攀琀椀渀最 昀爀漀渀琀椀攀爀猀洀愀渀∀ 愀琀 猀漀渀礀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 㐀⼀㤀㔀ⴀ㄀　⼀㤀㤀㨀 昀漀甀渀搀攀爀⼀挀攀漀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀椀ⴀ琀爀愀昀昀椀挀⸀挀漀洀∀㸀椀ⴀ琀爀愀昀昀椀挀㰀⼀愀㸀 ⠀愀挀焀甀椀爀攀搀 戀礀 愀最攀渀挀礀⸀挀漀洀 ㄀　⼀㤀㤀⤀㰀戀爀㸀 ㄀　⼀㤀㤀ⴀ㄀　⼀　㄀㨀 挀栀愀椀爀洀愀渀Ⰰ 椀ⴀ琀爀愀昀昀椀挀 ⠀愀渀 愀最攀渀挀礀⸀挀漀洀 挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀⤀㰀戀爀㸀 ㄀　⼀　　ⴀ㄀　⼀　　㨀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 挀漀甀渀琀攀爀瀀攀爀猀漀渀Ⰰ 洀挀搀漀渀愀氀搀✀猀 ⠀㐀琀栀 ☀愀洀瀀㬀 戀爀漀愀搀眀愀礀Ⰰ 渀礀挀⤀㰀戀爀㸀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀栀攀椀昀攀爀洀愀渀⸀挀漀洀⼀猀挀漀琀琀∀㸀洀漀爀攀 愀戀漀甀琀 洀攀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ഀ
<p style="line-height: 100%;">&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000"><font size="5">why i got a job at mcdonald's:</font> </font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">i spend a lot of time with <a href="seth6million.htm">bankers</a>, <a href="europeanstyling.htm">lawyers</a>, <a href="saul.htm"> internet freaks</a>, <a href="bubba-drain.htm"> corporate wonks</a>, and other people living strange lives.&nbsp; as a good marketing guy, that's a bad thing.&nbsp; and as a practicing anti-consumerist, that's a bad thing.&nbsp; i got a job at mcdonald's to help get back in touch with the real world.&nbsp; also, after over 6 grueling years in the internet whirlwind, i wanted to experience a profitable, well-oiled, multi-billion-dollar machine. and&nbsp; i deserved a break today. </font></p> ਍ഀ
<p>&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000" size="5">how i got the job:</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000"><a href="app.jpg"><img src="app_small.jpg" alt="app.jpg (40139 bytes)" border="4" height="156" width="250"></a><br> <br> i walked in, filled out an application, and was interviewed.&nbsp; i was truthful.&nbsp; in my interview, the manager (ralph) asked if i can handle a fast-paced, intense environment.&nbsp; i said yes.&nbsp; he looked at my resume and asked about my current part-time job as chairman at i-traffic.&nbsp; i said, "it's an internet thing."&nbsp; he said "ok" and then asked me for my waist size.</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p>&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000" size="5">a few observations:</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">1. people like the "dollar menu".&nbsp; the dollar menu consists of about a dozen items at mcdonald's that sell for a dollar.&nbsp; not 99 cents, but one dollar.&nbsp; most of these items had had existed elsewhere on the menu for about a dollar. mcdonald's has done a good job of keeping their menu relatively simple and short, but people clearly respond to the ultra-simplicity of the dollar menu.&nbsp; most people weren't primarily ordering from the dollar menu because they were overwhelmed by the wider menu, but because they perceived it to be the best value.&nbsp; someone call <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/onair/ABCNEWSspecials/JohnStossel.html"> john stossel</a>... but the dollar menu isn't always the best value. </font>interestingly, "dollar stores" preceded mcdonald's "dollar menu" ---&nbsp; <font color="#000000">it's fun to see "blue chip" kellogg-trained marketers from&nbsp; mcdonald's borrow strategy from sleaze-level marketers.&nbsp; </font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">2. $5.75 ain't much. $5.75/hour X 40 hours/week X 52 weeks/year = $11,960.&nbsp; that's before taxes are taken out.&nbsp; some people said it was disrespectful for me to take a job at mcdonalds --- i didn't need the money, and they thought that i was making fun of people that work there.&nbsp; the opposite is true:&nbsp; i gained a bucket of respect for people that bust their butt for such low pay.&nbsp; it's one thing to scan past stats about americans that make $12,000 per year -- or read about them in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/12/nyregion/12SHEE.html">the paper</a>.&nbsp; but, to actually work a tough fry-heaving, mcnugget-wielding 6-hour shift --- and get home smelling like those fries and mcnuggets -- and realize that you only made about $30 that day... that's a serious eye-opener.&nbsp; interpret as you see fit.</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">3.&nbsp; i was never told to treat customers well.&nbsp; correction:&nbsp; i was never told by management to treat customers well.&nbsp;&nbsp; before i started the job, i had read on the mcdonald's website that "<a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/countries/usa/careers/regional/expect/index.html">our crewmembers make each customer feel like a welcomed guest</a>."&nbsp; i had even noticed a few months before that mcdonald's even went so far as to change their <a href="http://www.heiferman.com/smilogos">logo &amp; tagline to feature the message "we love to see you smile."</a> i expected to be specifically, officially instructed to smile and make customers feel like a welcomed guest.&nbsp; well, as any patron of a manhattan mcdonald's knows, there ain't much feel-good from the counter staff.&nbsp; my co-workers were downright rude to customers.&nbsp; i got funny looks from my co-workers when i was friendly with customers.&nbsp; they must not have seen the logo or tagline or website.</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">4.&nbsp; nobody thanked me.&nbsp; i worked hard.&nbsp; i got paid peanuts.&nbsp; i even ate mcdonald's food during my break (deducted from my pay).&nbsp; it was intense:&nbsp; the cash register was complex, people want their food NOW, the lines get deep, the mcflurry must be made just right.&nbsp; i was trying hard and i was doing an ok job.&nbsp; now, i've been the leader/manager for most of my life.&nbsp; i've had plenty of crap jobs, but i've been the boss for the past few years.&nbsp; i faithfully read my fast company magazine and my harvard business review.&nbsp; i've been taught countless times the value of a leader/manager showing appreciation for people's effort.&nbsp; however, my instinct has often been that showing appreciation really isn't too necessary for good people.&nbsp; they just take pride in a job well done --- and, anyway, they can read my mind and see the appreciation.&nbsp; well, from day 1 at mcdonald's, i was yearning for someone there to say "thanks".&nbsp; even a "you're doing ok" would suffice.&nbsp; but, no.&nbsp; neither management experience -- nor reading about management --- teaches this lesson as well as being an under-appreciated employee.</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">5. most of my mcdonald's co-workers did their jobs much better than i ever could.&nbsp; they just seemed quicker.&nbsp; they had various talents and intuition that i don't have.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><font color="#000000">6.&nbsp; the fry basket burns skin.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <img src="DSCF0003.JPG" border="0" height="189" width="247"><br> </font>i got burned.</p> ਍ഀ
<p>&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><font size="5">other&nbsp;</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p><a href="fry_guy7.jpg"><img src="fry_guy7_small1.jpg" alt="fry_guy7.jpg (131659 bytes)" border="4" height="187" width="250"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="fry_guy2.jpg"><img src="fry_guy2_small1.jpg" alt="fry_guy2.jpg (123668 bytes)" border="4" height="187" width="250"></a></p> ਍ഀ
<p>&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><a href="check.jpg"><font color="#000000"><img src="check_small.jpg" alt="check.jpg (41341 bytes)" border="4" height="203" width="250"><br> </font></a><font color="#000000">i got paid.</font></p> ਍ഀ
<p>&nbsp;</p> ਍ഀ
<p><a href="crains2.jpg"><font color="#000000"><img src="crains2_small.jpg" border="4" height="344" width="250"><br> </font></a><font color="#000000">crain's called me a couple days before i started at mcdonalds.&nbsp; they were doing a story on post-acquisition internet ceo's in new york.&nbsp; i told them that i was starting a job at mcdonald's and didn't say much else.&nbsp; i let them take my picture after i got off work one day.&nbsp;they put a strange spin on the piece.&nbsp; most annoying were the people who thought that this was a publicity stunt.</font></p> ਍㰀戀爀㸀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀漀琀漀氀漀最⸀挀漀洀⼀栀攀椀昀∀㸀洀礀 昀漀琀漀氀漀最㰀⼀愀㸀 ⴀ 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀猀挀漀琀琀⸀栀攀椀昀攀爀洀愀渀⸀挀漀洀∀㸀洀礀 渀漀琀攀猀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 �