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Lady Vee New user 58 Posts |
So, there I am balloon busking in a new UK City and doing well. Up comes a little middle aged woman asking if I can show her how to make a dog and sword and she started blabbing on about other stuff then she tells me that she works for Macdonalds and the manager wants to start dong balloons - so at that point I say No - especially because you work for them - and please - don't learn how to do it - you will ruin my business and off she went.
2 days later wandered into town on a day off and all I see is kids EVERYWHERE with very bad balloons - guess where from - MacDonalds.... To cut a long story short, I appeal to the assistant manager good heart and gave them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they cared about ruing one local artists liviehood and she said she would get the Area manager to phone me and said she thought they were bad at it anyway and it may not happen again. Today at 3 pm - more bad balloons getting sent out - and I went into to speak to the Big Boss - he basically said that he wanted to Enhance the experience of kids going to macdonalds and basically would carry on doing it when it suited him. He told me - well, obviously I wont be doing them at busy periods like when this resteraunt is making £1400 or 1500 per hour. He told that he too was only trying to run a business and enhance the Macdonald experience. He also told that his big boss had told him to do it! Called the big boss and left a message - watch this space to find out how this continues IN THE MEANTIME - IF YOU don't ALREADY (II ONLY USE MACDONALDS WHEN I NEED TO USE THEIR TOILETS AND I AM DESPERATE! - don't GO INTO MACDONALDS! Lady Vee |
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Graham Lee Regular user 109 Posts |
Can I ask where you were in the UK?
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Perry D Winkle Regular user 173 Posts |
I'm a little confused, can you expound on your own setup? Are you working the street outside the McDonalds?
Recently I was at an event here in Kentucky and I was twisting for gratuity only (I do this about 5 times a year for promotion). I made $23 an hour. At one point I noticed several of the children in my line had balloons that I had not made. The conversation went like this; Me: 'Hey that's an interesting dog, where did you get that?' Them: 'A magician is doing balloons over there' Me: 'Oh, I guess he's collecting tips like me huh?' Them: 'No. He just hands out balloons.' Me: 'Then why are you in my line?' Them: 'Your stuff is much better.' Now, as it turns out, this guy was paid hourly by the coordinator and set up no more than 20 yards away from me. I still did more business than him. The public still rewarded me with $23 in tips per hour in spite of all of this. People respect quality. People respect entertainment. They like my jokes and they like hanging out around me. I'm not trying to undermine you. I fully appreciate the frustration you feel toward the McDonalds employee who wants to do the bare minimum. It really used to bug me when I would see clowns at my events giving away crappy balloon dogs where the ears and legs aren't even twisted separately. I'm just sharing the fact that, in my own experience, at the end of the day it's only you that matters. Just concentrate your effort on providing a unique experience and forget McDonalds. In America they run on human trafficking. Everyone making an egg McMuffin is here McIllegally. That said, if you want to get dirty about it. Call the general manager and tell him that your daughter got a latex reaction with her happy meal. Ask him why he is trying to kill the public. That's a more American solution. If you are going up against American capitalists your gonna have to be as dirty as we are if you expect results. Morals are dated. This is McDonalds baby. |
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Mr. Mystoffelees Inner circle I haven't changed anyone's opinion in 3623 Posts |
Sad... but true!
Also known, when doing rope magic, as "Cordini"
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Lady Vee New user 58 Posts |
Thanks for feedback Perry..... but for balloon busking for tips is a big part of what I do - it also leads to events and parties - as you its great promotion and publicity. I make a lot of money at this time year through generous tipping for my balloon art. I wasn't set up outside MacDonalds but its not a big town. Macdonalds just annoy me - and every little individual Café owner and business who has the misfortune to be in the vicinity. Just wanted to vent a little!
Graham - hope you don't mind - but wont give my location in mid summer! But tell me - do you know something I don"?? Vee |
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Graham Lee Regular user 109 Posts |
Yes I do that's why I asked where you were. Not sure why it's such a big secret? Perhaps security reasons..............social security reasons, he he!
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coma185 Regular user 128 Posts |
"but wont give my location in mid summer!" Does that mean you will give it fall or winter?
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TomFoolery New user Gloucester 83 Posts |
I agree with Vee I would not give out my Balloon busking location when it is going well because within a few days the place would be swamped with balloon buskers.
Tom |
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Perry D Winkle Regular user 173 Posts |
I'm completely not getting this. I've watched children go from one balloon busker to the next. If your making different creations does it really matter? We must work for a different clientele. That's all I can figure. I'm stumped on this. The people I work for have more than enough to splurge that extra three dollars. :/ Things must be rough in the UK.
Furthermore I could have hugged that dude set up 20 yards away from me. I had a non stop line for three hours, and then I had to close it. If it hadn't been for him I would have been eaten alive. |
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
I have to say I see nothing wrong with what McDonalds are doing.You might not like it but it is hardly unethical of them.
Would they complain if there was a festival in town, and someone set up a mobile take-away? As long as the mobile take-away was operating within the law, I don't believe they would. You're in a similar situation.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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Lady Vee New user 58 Posts |
No - I just dislike MacDonalds and everything that they stand for - do you really think that shoving a happy meal down the throat of kids really makes them happy?? It was a stand against conglomorate chains like them, Tescos, starbucks etc.... I just avoid them all and use the individially owned places. Just a bit old fashioned I suppose.
Thanks to all that posted - it was just a rant! Vee |
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Michel Fouche New user Dumb as 70 Posts |
This is something I've never quite understood. Sure, if a company is acting illegally or unethically, then that's a problem, but to dislike companies just because they are large makes no sense. "Let's support the little guy until he does too well and is no longer little" These companies are large because the did their job well while they were small.
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Vee, most McDonalds are franchise businesses. They are individually owned businesses, being run by local business people who are providing employment locally. They are part of our community.
I don't eat in McDonalds myself, but that is because I don't like their food. I am lucky in that my kids are not into happy meals. But they are not some US conspiracy designed to do us all down.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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MeetMagicMike Inner circle Gainesville Fl 3501 Posts |
I completely agree with the last two posters. McDonalds isn't "shoving" anything down any ones throat. They provide a wanted service at a competitive price.
And they have every right to pass out balloon animals. I work three restaurants. There is a company that apparently trains college students to make a few simple balloon creations and then tries to place them in restaurants. They have every right to do this. They have not impacted my business. They might someday. So be it. It's not my place to tell restaurant owners how to run their business. |
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Bill Knight Veteran user UK 318 Posts |
Just a couple of questions here, 1: how many times does Lady Vee have to say that she was just having a rant, we all need to let off steam now and then. 2: I used to work as a demonstrator in large supermarkets & department stores and I learned at first hand how certain supermarkets squeeze the little guys so do you still think that they got big by being nice? No, they didn't, they got big by stamping on the competition. Another supermarket in my area opened a petrol station (filling station) just across the road from an established petrol station and used the profits from their supermarket to undercut the price of petrol until the original station went out of business. The point is that this new petrol station doesn't have enough pumps to cope with the cues so has upset a lot of people.
Question 3: How long are we going to ignore the link between fast food (of any type) and rising obesity, do we really have to wait until our children have McHeart attacks? OK, that was my rant, the questions were rhetorical and don't need to be answered but, if they made you think, all well and good but, as I said, that was just me ranting and letting off steam, I am not pointing any guns at anyone on here. Have fun Bill
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional
www.magicbill.co.uk |
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MeetMagicMike Inner circle Gainesville Fl 3501 Posts |
Rants are fine. So are replies to rants. Right?
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
McDonalds has the right to provide balloon animals as part of their business, whether you like it or not.
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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Bill Knight Veteran user UK 318 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-11-01 23:10, prestopresto wrote: Replies to rants are absolutely fine and if I hadn't been in "rant mode" I would have realised that myself. Please forgive my rant, I just get really worked up by the big guys stamping on us little folk, I hate bullying in any form. Yes, of course McDonalds can do balloons if they want, any company or individual can, but if you want to make balloons, go and get some books / dvds and put some time into learning. This McDonalds worker wanted a balloon busker to show her how to do it, just so they could start doing balloons themselves, that is what sent me into rant mode. Oops, nearly went on another rant there, sorry, I am very passionate about this. Have fun Bill
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional
www.magicbill.co.uk |
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MeetMagicMike Inner circle Gainesville Fl 3501 Posts |
I'm something of an amateur handy man. I can fix toilet or sink in some cases. I often do these things for family and occasional friends of family. If some plumber tried to tell me I was taking food out of his mouth I would tell him he was way out of line. People only need plumbers to the extent that they can't do things themselves.
Without special training I can't fix every problem and my fixes aren't guranteed. Then again Plumbers charge a lot more and rightfully so. Sometimes your Uncle can't fix something and you call the pro. Same thing with balloons. If a quick and easy balloon is good enough so be it. They'll call you when and if they need the more impressive stuff or higher volume. If any one asks me how to make a few simple balloons I show them happily and don't think twice about what they are going to do with them. This isn't meant as a rebuttle to any particular post. I'm just expressing my thoughts on this subject. |
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
I was doing a balloon gig in a local shop for Hallowe'en. About six doors up a fast-food chain (not McDonalds) were giving out balloons also. Not a problem. Kids were delighted to get two. And there was a big difference in quality between what I was giving out and what the fast-food staff were doing. And I was in costume and doing tricks and telling stories as well. There is room for it all.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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