Former McDonald's worker reveals the lie staff always tell customers

A former McDonald's employee has lifted the lid on the common lie he claims is constantly used by those working for the fast food giant.

Scottish man Jay Rowley took to social media to reveal what really happens behind the scenes customers make an order.

In his latest video he claimed to reveal the real reason why so many customers can't seem to get ice cream and milkshakes late at night and into the early hours of the morning.

Taking to TikTok he said: "Usually when you go to McDonald's between the hours of 12am and 3am, you're really choking for a milkshake or ice cream and they go 'the milkshake machine isn't working'," he said.

"I'm going to tell you what's really happening there and I put my hands up to it, I did it all the time."

He explained working the graveyard shift can be stressful due to being short-staffed with a lot of tasks to do.

He said often he'd be having to do three or four different roles at one time.

But there was one particular job that everyone hates doing.

"When I was doing front counter I'd have a headset on, I'd be taking orders and sometimes I'd be in the kitchen while trying to clean the front," he explained.

"The shake machine was also a b*****d to clean. Once that was clean you didn't want to clean it again."

Describing the moment a milkshake order would come in, Jay added: "You'll normally get that pause then 'sorry the milkshake machine is not working.'

"Bulls**t, they've just cleaned it and they don't want to clean it again.

Warning: Video contains explicit language

"I did it all the time. If I was on the drive-through you weren't getting a milkshake or ice cream.

"The worst one was about 2am, even when it was quiet and the other person had the headset, you could talk to each other and I'd always be the worst for it."

"I'd say 'serve the milkshake and you're cleaning it.'

"You'd wait… 'sorry our milkshake machine isn't working at the moment.'

"Do us all a favour, next time you go round to McDonald's during the night and they try and tell you that bull***t excuse it's not working.

"Tell them you know the real reason and to get your milkshake made."

The theory has been around for a while and it's believed they are a beast to clean and so it's easier to only clean it once instead of multiple times.

Another theory is that when the machine breaks, Macca's franchisees are forced to pay exorbitant service and repair expenses, forcing them to go long periods of time without it.

The ice cream machines must also go through a four-hour cleaning cycle, according to one former McDonald's employee, who told The Wall Street Journal in 2017 that they were "miserable" to use.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.