Stopping at McDonalds

We do not eat fast food very often, but on occasion, when traveling, or when convenience is a high priority, we’ll hit a drive-through or take a chance on a hot and ready pizza from Little Caesars. On this particular day, we happened to decide on going through the drive-thru at McDonald’s for lunch. It was, of course, at the height of the lunch hour on a weekday, so it was very busy, but the line was moving. I decided that I would still try to eat as healthily as possible, so I ordered one of their salads.

After we got our food and pulled away, I started the usual quick food bag inventory to make sure that I didn’t get “Joe Pesci”ed. It was then that I saw it. In an old-fashioned fold-over sandwich bag, were all the things I needed for my salad. These included the correct dressing, topping, knife, fork, and napkin. That is five items, which is five opportunities for them to get my order wrong, or to forget one of those items. Now it was reduced down to one.

I had ordered the Asian chicken salad, which comes with sesame dressing, and the hard Chinese noodle things for the topping. I would have been bummed if I ended up with blue cheese, or worse, no dressing at all. We do not even time to get out of our car, so when we wait longer than is what we think we should have to, we start to have not-so-positive thoughts about those making us wait. Here, at this McDonald’s, they made sure that I got everything correctly, and fast.

The Other Side of the Counter

Coincidentally, I also have the perspective of being on the other side of that silver counter. Yes, I have worked at McDonald’s. Three of them, actually. Two in upstate New York, and one in Homestead, Florida, but in truth it doesn’t matter. As per their business model, they should all be the same, at least in process, and they were. I am sure things have changed a bit since I worked there. But I remember that there was a definite order to what you got and how long each iteration should take.

I remember when I was being trained the first time I was hired. I was actually timed by the manager to make sure that I was up to their standards. So, going back to my sandwich bag story, think about how much easier, and faster, grabbing one item instead of five is. Even if it is just a couple of seconds per customer, that time adds up. Especially in the drive-thru, affecting both customer satisfaction, and the bottom line. Someone at this particular McDonald’s must have realized that by “organizing” the items needed into pre-packaged bags, it not only reduced the customers’ wait time, but also reduced the potential for error. This is a very simple example of how process and product placement organization increases productivity and profit.

The Cost of Disorganization

On the other side, let us look at the cost of disorganization, because there definitely is one. In an article on our website, done by Brother Corporation, the costs associated with disorganization are staggering:

Brother P-Touch Cost of Disorganization Survey Topline Results

• The estimated annual dollars spent on looking for misplaced items in the office is $89,840,657,069 among full-time office professionals. An estimated 38 working hours (or close to one workweek) per person each year are lost because of looking for misplaced items in the office.
• 66% of office workers having spent up to 30 minutes of time during a typical workweek looking for things they have misplaced around their office. This is a major contributing factor for lost time in the office.
• In addition, 46% of office workers have lost one of the following items in the past year (a file folder, mobile phone, calculator, flash or memory drive, a briefcase, suitcase, or luggage, lap top computer, or a PDA).
• Close to four in 10 (37%) of office workers have gone into a work meeting feeling unprepared.
• Office supplies are on the top of office workers’ list of items lost in the last year with close to three in 10 (28%) have lost a file folder in the past year.
• Moreover, 87% of office workers say when their work space is disorganized, they feel they are less productive. And 86% agree that having a disorganized work space is unprofessional.
• Lastly, 30% of office workers have lost out on getting reimbursed for a business or travel expense. Simply because they misplaced or lost a receipt.

How ClutterTroops Can Help

Your time is precious. Your money is, well, something you would probably like to keep. Let’s make the most of both, whether at work, at home, or at play. Call ClutterTroops today to see how we can restore freedom to your schedule, and maybe a little cash to your wallet.