Current Events > "I'm sorry. Our milkshake machine is down"

(+) Yeah! (+)

Every fucking time I go to McDonalds the goddamn thing is always down
---

It's because they're pieces of shit that rarely work.

---

Scraping out the maggies

---

its funny, this has happened so often its become a trope
---

Gakk86 posted...

It's because they're pieces of shit that rarely work.

Cant corporate just order better ones and send them to each location?
---

Bluebomber182 posted...

Cant corporate just order better ones and send them to each location?

They could, but that would cut into the massive bonuses the top 1% in the company take, and in America that's not gonna happen.

---

I read somewhere that the reason they're down is because they have to clean them and it can take hours.

Advertisement: "Our milkshakes are made out of real milk and ice cream.

Drive Thru Window: "Oh sorry, we're out of milkshake mix."

---

dameon_reaper posted...

I read somewhere that the reason they're down is because they have to clean them and it can take hours.

This is what I've heard too which is a bit annoying but I get it. A coworker who used to work Wendy's told me about how they never cleaned the frosty machine until something scary happened, like things growing in there type scary.

Nunyobidness posted...

This is what I've heard too which is a bit annoying but I get it. A coworker who used to work Wendy's told me about how they never cleaned the frosty machine until something scary happened, like things growing in there type scary.

One of my first jobs was at Wendys and I had to clean that fucking frosty machine every morning. If no ones cleaning it, thats cuz their lazy asses and the manager is a bitch.

I always liked how Wendys uses real beef and has an actual grill. Burger King uses a conveyor belt broiler, now That is disgusting.

That's because the employees are lazy.

Make a formal complaint in writing and watch how fast they being to work again.

---

I always thought they said that because they were simply too lazy to make you ice cream.

---

Nunyobidness posted...

This is what I've heard too which is a bit annoying but I get it. A coworker who used to work Wendy's told me about how they never cleaned the frosty machine until something scary happened, like things growing in there type scary.

Ok thats gross
---

Keith_Valentine posted...

fucking frosty machine

i had one of those frosty's. they're okay but have to eat them as you get it or else it's not as great when it melts.
---

Ironic seeing as the McDonalds founder started out as a milkshake machine salesman. Youd think they would have some pride in them.

---

KINDERFELD posted...

That's because the employees are lazy.

Make a formal complaint in writing and watch how fast they being to work again.

Lmao @ thinking a formal complaint will do anything besides get you a free shake coupon

---

Keith_Valentine posted...

One of my first jobs was at Wendys and I had to clean that fucking frosty machine every morning. If no ones cleaning it, thats cuz their lazy asses and the manager is a bitch.

I always liked how Wendys uses real beef and has an actual grill. Burger King uses a conveyor belt broiler, now That is disgusting.

McDonald's new cooked to order quarter pounders are actually pretty solid.

---

Also, pro tip: McDonald's always shuts down the machine at 11pm no matter what, so don't expect a milkshake at 2am after the bar, ever.

---

Youll never see this happening at cookout or Steak n Shake

---

nevershine posted...

Youll never see this happening at cookout or Steak n Shake

Or in N out, five guys, whataburger, hell even Jack in the box.

---

It's laziness. It means the employees cleaned the machine early that night and don't want to dirty it for your order
---

I wish we had a Fatburger or Steak n Shake here. We do have a Five Guys, its actually right down the street, but I never go there for some reason. I dont know why.

Blue_Dream87 posted...

Lmao @ thinking a formal complaint will do anything besides get you a free shake coupon

In my neighborhood it does.
I can see it not mattering much depending on how many people actually submit written complaints.


---

Keith_Valentine posted...

One of my first jobs was at Wendys and I had to clean that fucking frosty machine every morning. If no ones cleaning it, thats cuz their lazy asses and the manager is a bitch.

I always liked how Wendys uses real beef and has an actual grill. Burger King uses a conveyor belt broiler, now That is disgusting.

Knowing this person and the Wendy's they worked at that actually kinda fits.

I do like Wendy's, but make sure I go to the brand new one that was built and looks clean and modern.

pres_madagascar posted...

Also, pro tip: McDonald's always shuts down the machine at 11pm no matter what, so don't expect a milkshake at 2am after the bar, ever.

Nice info, i knew at a certain point they shut that shit down as I couldnt get my midnight milkshake

Bluebomber182 posted...

Cant corporate just order better ones and send them to each location?

I don't think the issue is the machines. It's that the workers don't want to deal with cleaning them.

Purely posted...

I don't think the issue is the machines. It's that the workers don't want to deal with cleaning them.

Make self-cleaning machines. Problem solved.

---

The shake machines at McDonald's have to go through a 6-7 hour heating cycle every day, starting around midnight (they have to be cleaned first at least every other day, and that takes around an hour so you have to shut them down earlier). Then it takes 2-4 hours for the machine to cool down again to the point where it's dispensing ice cream instead of sweetened milk diarrhea. If the cycle fails, then the machine has to do it again, which means the shake machine is down for pretty much the whole day. There is no way to override this, and it fails for no reason whatsoever on a regular basis, likely due to the fact that the design is like 60 years old, let alone the machine.

That's why they're frequently down, not because some tiny-dicked loser desperate to look down on someone because he's a complete failure at life calls the employees lazy.

---

There's a Taco Bell near me where the coffee machine was down every time I asked for coffee so I just started going to a different one.

---

why do they need an entire machine just put ice cream in a cup and blend it

---

Bluebomber182 posted...

Cant corporate just order better ones and send them to each location?

A lot of them are franchises and I think the owners are plenty good with having them down every once in a while.

also these topics are always good for laughs seeing who has and hasnt worked in food.

---

Plot twist: The ice cream machines are just props and never worked in the first place

---

gatorsPENSbucs posted...

good for laughs seeing who has and hasnt worked in food.

why is this a bad thing. straight out of uni i got a real job

---

CapnMuffin posted...

Ironic seeing as the McDonalds founder started out as a milkshake machine salesman. Youd think they would have some pride in them.

Nah.

The higher ups don't care about "pride" unless it's used as an excuse to underpay their employees. They just care about the bottom line.

Meanwhile the employees don't care because would you seriously have "pride" for a minimum wage job?

That's not to say that people shouldn't be doing their jobs, but fast food is a "Just here for the paycheck" job.

---

DevsBro posted...

There's a Taco Bell near me where the coffee machine was down every time I asked for coffee so I just started going to a different one.

Taco Bell has coffee?

---

if the machines are anything like the ones over here, they have a 14-day counter on them that resets when they're taken apart, cleaned and put back together. the machine shuts down and will not work if they're not cleaned when the counter hits zero. the actual cleaning process is lengthy (4-5 hours depending on how much you can solely focus on that), it breaks down into around 50 parts with their sizes varying from as big as my forearm to as small as the tip of my pinky and the machines are notoriously finicky to work with

all of this is done by (generally) incompetent mcdonald's workers under time pressure (restaurant mgrs hate the process because "it's a waste of work hours") and without proper instructions because the ones you get from corporate are fucking trash and you had to print out the actual user manual from the manufacturer's site to get a better understanding of what you were doing

source: me, managed at a mcd's for 6 years

LookANinja posted...

Advertisement: "Our milkshakes are made out of real milk and ice cream.

Drive Thru Window: "Oh sorry, we're out of milkshake mix."

What advertisement says they're made out of real milk and ice cream, let alone calls them milkshakes? I don't know where you live, but I've never seen any ad like that, and they're just called shakes here.

---

Kaiganeer posted...

if the machines are anything like the ones over here, they have a 14-day counter on them that resets when they're taken apart, cleaned and put back together. the machine shuts down and will not work if they're not cleaned when the counter hits zero. the actual cleaning process is lengthy (4-5 hours depending on how much you can solely focus on that), it breaks down into around 50 parts with their sizes varying from as big as my forearm to as small as the tip of my pinky and the machines are notoriously finicky to work with

all of this is done by (generally) incompetent mcdonald's workers under time pressure (restaurant mgrs hate the process because "it's a waste of work hours") and without proper instructions because the ones you get from corporate are fucking trash and you had to print out the actual user manual from the manufacturer's site to get a better understanding of what you were doing

source: me, managed at a mcd's for 6 years

Yup, that's completely correct. Also take into consideration that if one tiny piece is misplaced, broken, or just out back in slightly wrong, the entire thing will refuse to work.

Plus any replacement part is expensive as hell, and can take over a week to ship and another week to arrive once ordered

---

Umbreon posted...

but fast food is a "Just here for the paycheck" job.

that describes it perfectly... always better options to go for when opportunities are available.
personally working dishwasher at a restaurant and working up the ladder is a better idea.

some benefits can pay off if they offer reduced price lunch on break.
---

Gakk86 posted...

It's because they're pieces of shit that rarely work.

They're also rarely cleaned so.....enjoy

---

pres_madagascar posted...

Also, pro tip: McDonald's always shuts down the machine at 11pm no matter what, so don't expect a milkshake at 2am after the bar, ever.

They don't shut it down, it's programmed to go into heat mode.

---

Gakk86 posted...

The shake machines at McDonald's have to go through a 6-7 hour heating cycle every day, starting around midnight (they have to be cleaned first at least every other day, and that takes around an hour so you have to shut them down earlier). Then it takes 2-4 hours for the machine to cool down again to the point where it's dispensing ice cream instead of sweetened milk diarrhea. If the cycle fails, then the machine has to do it again, which means the shake machine is down for pretty much the whole day. There is no way to override this, and it fails for no reason whatsoever on a regular basis, likely due to the fact that the design is like 60 years old, let alone the machine.

That's why they're frequently down, not because some tiny-dicked loser desperate to look down on someone because he's a complete failure at life calls the employees lazy.

damn it how dare you make sense instead of punching down on the workers.

---

I can solve that real quick. Don't go to Mcds for a milkshake. Even though its super pricey I go to DQ. At least that tastes decent. But I can one up you. I went to a KFC when they ran out of chicken.

Rika_Furude posted...

why do they need an entire machine just put ice cream in a cup and blend it

Because it's soft-serve ice cream. I imagine if you ask really nicely, they can pour you a cup of melted ice cream straight from the bag.

---

Ivany2008 posted...

I went to a KFC when they ran out of chicken.

it's possible to happen if they don't order enough and the supply truck hasn't made a delivery. only 1 time at taco bell and they didn't have chicken meat. had to order either steak or ground beef on burrito's/taco's etc.
---

I go to numerous McDonald's and it's always like this. One time I ask if their machines were up, and I got an awkward "uh, yeees?" like these damn things are always working or something. That instance just bothered me for some reason.

---

Rika_Furude posted...

why do they need an entire machine just put ice cream in a cup and blend it

This sounds like a Complete_Idi0t post.

---

kingdrake2 posted...

it's possible to happen if they don't order enough and the supply truck hasn't made a delivery. only 1 time at taco bell and they didn't have chicken meat. had to order either steak or ground beef on burrito's/taco's etc.

Yeah, that's part of the reason. I know the Mcds in the Wal-Mart near me ran out of red meat. Luckily it was late at night so they didn't have many customers. Their problem was that Wal-Mart has no idea what comes on trucks. They could get Mcdonald's stuff, they might not, and they don't know when it comes in.

Gakk86 posted...

The shake machines at McDonald's have to go through a 6-7 hour heating cycle every day, starting around midnight (they have to be cleaned first at least every other day, and that takes around an hour so you have to shut them down earlier). Then it takes 2-4 hours for the machine to cool down again to the point where it's dispensing ice cream instead of sweetened milk diarrhea. If the cycle fails, then the machine has to do it again, which means the shake machine is down for pretty much the whole day. There is no way to override this, and it fails for no reason whatsoever on a regular basis, likely due to the fact that the design is like 60 years old, let alone the machine.

Kaiganeer posted...

if the machines are anything like the ones over here, they have a 14-day counter on them that resets when they're taken apart, cleaned and put back together. the machine shuts down and will not work if they're not cleaned when the counter hits zero. the actual cleaning process is lengthy (4-5 hours depending on how much you can solely focus on that), it breaks down into around 50 parts with their sizes varying from as big as my forearm to as small as the tip of my pinky and the machines are notoriously finicky to work with

all of this is done by (generally) incompetent mcdonald's workers under time pressure (restaurant mgrs hate the process because "it's a waste of work hours") and without proper instructions because the ones you get from corporate are fucking trash and you had to print out the actual user manual from the manufacturer's site to get a better understanding of what you were doing

source: me, managed at a mcd's for 6 years

I wonder why this isn't widespread knowledge with how often the topic of these machines come up. I thank you two for being informative.

---