Even though I call myself a foodie, I’ll occasionally get a weakness for some Maccy D’s. Although they satisfy your needs most of the time, there are times when poor servers, bad food, or a variety of other problems can ruin your dining experience.
In this case, it’s a good idea to give constructive feedback and complain about the issue, so the restaurant improves. It wasn’t until I had to complain to McDonalds that I realised there were more ways to go about it than I thought.
To complain to McDonald’s in the UK, you can use social media, the phone, email and also speak to a manager in person. The customer service department is trained to handle most of your complaints and is the best avenue to ensure your complaint is addressed.
No one likes a bad experience, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Keep reading to find out how to make a complaint to McDonald’s in the UK and improve your dining experience.
Covered in this Article:
Ways To Lodge a Complaint With McDonald’s in the UK
There are multiple ways to lodge a complaint with McDonald’s in the UK. No method is necessarily better than the others, but one might work better for you depending on your preference, who’s handling your complaint, and the number of people who are also making a complaint via the avenue you’re using.
Talk To a Manager
When you have a complaint while physically inside a McDonald’s, asking for a manager can be far quicker than using customer service.
If your complaint is a question or a problem with your experience in that McDonald’s UK branch, the manager will usually be able to solve it. They’ve usually got the authority to correct something that’s wrong – there and then.
Call Customer Service
If a manager cannot solve your problem, the best way to get the response you want is to call McDonald’s UK Customer service at +44 370 524 4622. Depending on the time of day, you may need to wait on the phone for a while due to long queues.
Note that you can only call the customer service number at specific times. During the week, the number is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On the weekends, the window to call is shorter, lasting only 6 hours from 10 AM to 4 PM. (Source: GetCustomerService)
Send an Email
If you’d rather outline your problems in a well-thought-out email, you can also make a complaint by emailing customerservices@mcDonalds.co.uk. The team will usually get back to you within a day. To make the process quicker, provide all the details related to your problems, such as relevant dates, addresses, and receipts.
Reach Out on Social Media
If you’re more comfortable communicating with customer service via social media, you can make your complaint to the McDonald’s UK Twitter account.
If the account manager isn’t active, however, it can sometimes take a few hours to get a response. A barrage of complaints from other Twitter users can also prolong your waiting time. (Source: McDonald’s UK Twitter).
I’ve never tried to message them through Facebook though I’m sure that works just as well.
Use the McDonald’s UK Virtual Assistant
One less popular choice is to use the virtual assistant on the company’s website. Although you won’t get exact answers to all your questions, the virtual assistant is pre-programmed with solutions to many basic problems. (Source: McDonald’s UK)
If the assistant cannot completely help you, you can file a complaint in the virtual assistant window. Regardless of the method you choose, always remember to keep details of your problem handy. Any dates or receipts will go a long way.
Can I Complain to the McDonald’s UK Head Office?
You cannot complain to the McDonald’s UK head office directly. To make complaints, you have to go through one of the official channels (i.e., social media, email, and phone) to communicate with the company’s customer service department.
But if you must know, the McDonald’s UK head office is located at 11-59 High Rd, East Finchley, London N2. Bear in mind that writing to this address might not be the best first port of call – use the other ways listed above first.
The McDonald’s Complaint Procedure in the UK
So what happens when you actually make a complaint?
The McDonald’s complaint procedure in the UK is as follows:
- Contact McDonald’s customer service through mobile, email, or social media.
- Explain your complaint in detail. Include important information such as the address of the McDonald’s branch, the problem, date, and receipt.
- Wait for your problem to be sorted by customer service. This could take a couple of minutes (in branch) or a few days or weeks, depending on how you contact them and how serious your complaint is.
The McDonald’s UK complaint procedure is straightforward and usually only requires you to reach out once before your problem is acknowledged and addressed. That said, the process might be more or less convenient depending on how you choose to make your complaint.
For example, you can usually expect to wait on the phone for a long time due to the high volume of calls. On the other hand, while you might skip the long queues by using social media, you will have to wait for the handler to respond to your message.
Overall, I hope this helps if you find yourself wondering how to complain to McDonald’s in the UK. Most other websites only tell you how to complain in the US, so I hope you find this British-centric guide useful!