Author Topic: McDonalds toys O_o (Read 973 times)

Oniya · « **on:** October 07, 2012, 08:20:02 PM »

Okay, random strange question time for anyone who's had the misfortune to work at the Golden Arches, or any fast food place that offers kids meals.

The question revolves around the idea of 'girl toys' and 'boy toys'. Is this designation an industry standard? Are you instructed to call them that, as opposed to saying 'the superhero toy' or 'the My Little Pony toy'?

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 07, 2012, 10:17:39 PM »

I used to work there, it's been about a week since I left for another job

We still call them Boy Toys and Girl Toys.

The standard tag (IE what the company calls them on the datasheets) is "Blue Toy" & "Pink Toy"

Moraline · « **Reply #2 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:51:18 AM »

Yeah, all the McDonald's around here call them Boys or Girls toys. I try not to go to fast food places myself but I go with my sister and her kids from time to time and I hear them saying that over the drive-in mic every time.

Sometimes the choices are horrible as well. The boys toy will be like this little race car with spring action or something cool and the girls toy will be a flat plastic key coin with barbie on it. Talk about boring.

In my opinion they should just have all the toys available and ask which toy the child would like out of the set.

Although, I have to say. I like it when any restaurant has a little trinket like that for the children. A couple of the restaurants around here give the children these little 2 pack crayons and like 4 page coloring books. *confesses that crayons are my favorite toy to play with*

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 08, 2012, 06:21:34 PM »

actually the boys toys are avalible to girls, you just need to ask or your girl will auto get a "pink" if you ask the staff are usually happy to provide.
heck for the price of a happy meal you can actually just buy the toy

Oniya · « **Reply #4 on:** October 08, 2012, 07:05:43 PM »

Oh yes, I'm well aware that the parent can specify the toy - it's just the automatic designation of 'girls' toys' and 'boys' toys' that sparked the question. Heck, the little Oni has complained when the 'American Idol' toy was a silly little bag, while the boy toy was something that actually did something.

Beguile's Mistress · « **Reply #5 on:** October 08, 2012, 07:36:21 PM »

"Can I see them?"

I never get an argument or someone questioning my choice.

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 08, 2012, 08:41:36 PM »

Quote from: Oniya on October 08, 2012, 07:05:43 PM

Oh yes, I'm well aware that the parent can specify the toy - it's just the automatic designation of 'girls' toys' and 'boys' toys' that sparked the question. Heck, the little Oni has complained when the 'American Idol' toy was a silly little bag, while the boy toy was something that actually did something.

thing was, and when someone asked and went on a gendery tirade (we have a few hardcore feminists in these mountians) the boss preped us with what we were supposed to tell them, as the question of "why don't the girls toys do anything" had come up a few times.

Simply put with the anti-sue legalese "Pink toys were origionally for girls, and over the years they have tended to collect and trade them, while boys get their toy, play with it for a month or two, and either break or forget about it. Either way the toys are designed by the companies themselves, not Mc.donalds, we simply distribute them"

Oniya · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2012, 08:44:15 PM »

So, they could be termed 'collectible toy' and 'action toy' for all McD's cares?

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:02:51 PM »

basicly, the only reason it hasn't changed to that is because they are not willing to spend the time and money to change all the designations on all the toys, and issue new orders to counter years & years of company terminology for the sake of political correctness unless it becomes a major issue in the courts.

imagine a bunch of guys and gals around the corporate board room (current majority stockholder is a woman) and someone brings it up, the rest of them look it over, and how much it would cost.
I'm betting the conversation goes somthing like
"a few people are pissed about us still calling the toys Blue and Pink."
"are we going to change?"
"have they sued?"
"no"
"it would cost a small chunk of change"
"or... we could invest that money in R&D"
"And come up with a faster, tastier, way to make burgers!"
"and make more money"
"make more money?"
"More Money, the motion carries see you guys monday."

Oniya · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:09:24 PM »

... or they could simply tell the cashiers to call them something different. No cost at all.

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:21:09 PM »

That isn't how things work in food service Oniya, it should be but it isn't.
When they change somthing they overdo it, it requires informing every franchise, who can veto the decision for their stores, changing all of the training videos, changing packaging, commercials, and trying to change public perception of the toy itself via ads. Even then half the employees will bother to sit through the new company video, and the other half will just shrug it off as Political Correctness stuff.

I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm saying it's what happens when they change somthing.

Beguile's Mistress · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:47:18 PM »

And if you change it you have to explain it. And explain why it was changed. And explain why someone had a problem with "boy" and "girl" and listen to the tirade and little kids "But I waaaaaannnnnttttttt as boy toy* and now look what you've done!

Saerrael · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2012, 09:54:15 PM »

Wait, there are boy-toys in Happy Meals...?
I'd like a brunette, please, thank you~

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:01:08 PM »

Quote from: Beguile's Mistress on October 08, 2012, 09:47:18 PM

And if you change it you have to explain it. And explain why it was changed. And explain why someone had a problem with "boy" and "girl" and listen to the tirade and little kids "But I waaaaaannnnnttttttt as boy toy* and now look what you've done!

basicly that's true on a few levels

Beguile's Mistress · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:05:09 PM »

Quote from: Saerra on October 08, 2012, 09:54:15 PM

Wait, there are boy-toys in Happy Meals...?
I'd like a brunette, please, thank you~

*digs through the hidden stash just for Saerra*

Saerrael · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:06:11 PM »

Quote from: Beguile's Mistress on October 08, 2012, 10:05:09 PM

*digs through the hidden stash just for Saerra*

♥

Oniya · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2012, 10:53:42 PM »

Well, it's more along the lines of 'I know it's a crappy toy, but I'd rather know which crappy toy instead of having to guess 'girl' or 'boy'.'

Ironwolf85 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 08, 2012, 11:28:09 PM »

they'd likely change the designation if they got enough letters.
on average Blue Toys are action toys or gadgets, and Pink Toys are collectables and occasionally accessories for toys.
Theyre's also movie toys which are bacisly little movie collectables for everyone. Like the recent Hotel Translvayna movie... there's a toy line at Mc.D's of characters

Moraline · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2012, 08:02:27 AM »

I can only speak for the Mc'D's around here but what bothers me most is that they just dump it into the bag.

I think the automatic assumption that pink is for girl and blue is for boy is what annoys me personally. Especially when there is an inequality to the toys themselves (and I've seen just as crappy boys toys when the girls have had good ones as well.)

They should not have colors, they should just ask every time "Which toy would you like?" That way people don't have ask or return the toys.

Also, *around here* they often only have 2 toys in store available (sometimes not even that.) Even though there is a whole collection of them, they only open 2 boxes at a time so the children get little choice.

I say it would be best if they just had the collection (or a portion of the collections) posted and labelled (1, 2, 3, 4, 5...) Then ask, which toy would you like? I can see issues with this but it seems a lot less gender biased to ask then to just dump them into the bags. (PS: Burger King around here almost always has the whole collections available and they just ask which you'd like - but I'm not sure if they have a boys & girls (pink/blue) options.)

... either way.. I still think it's cool that they give anything at all to the children.

Damn you people! Now I'm craving fast food that I know I shouldn't eat and I have an urge to go play with their toys.

Shjade · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2012, 08:04:34 AM »

Quote from: Saerra on October 08, 2012, 09:54:15 PM

Wait, there are boy-toys in Happy Meals...?
I'd like a brunette, please, thank you~

I don't think you'll want him after you hear about how McDonald's farms up their boy-toys... :x

Jagerin · « **Reply #20 on:** October 10, 2012, 06:19:06 AM »

Quote from: Moraline on October 09, 2012, 08:02:27 AM

Also, *around here* they often only have 2 toys in store available (sometimes not even that.) Even though there is a whole collection of them, they only open 2 boxes at a time so the children get little choice.

Not sure if all McDs get these, but out store always got two white boxes of toys. These were called 'Customer Satisfaction' boxes. Basically, if a customer wanted a specific toy, they would tell us which one they wanted and we would go get it from the white boxes. The white boxes usually had 2-3 full sets of the toys.

When we had the Smurfs toys, we had four of those white boxes because of how many people would come in and buy a full set of the smurfs. Though, to be honest, we usually didn't bother with the white boxes at our store because it always got buried in the bottom of the pile. We just ripped open a new box and dug the toy out to the anger and frustration of our store manager. Digging into the white box for us usually meant we were running out of the designated toys and were about to start giving out generic toys (we considered any left over toys from previous lines to be 'generic').

Hell, one time we ran so low on toys because our truck didn't have our toys on it that we started giving out barbie dolls to everyone, even the boys. I think only one person complained.

Moraline · « **Reply #21 on:** October 10, 2012, 06:42:26 AM »

I think what happens around here is that the managers try to make only certain toys available for a few days to force you to come back and buy more food to get a different toy. - That's what rumors says. - I'm not sure if that's a Canada wide Mc D's policy or just our greedy local franchise owners. It wouldn't surprise me if they did that, went through the toys and picked them out and sorted them into piles.

Jagerin · « **Reply #22 on:** October 10, 2012, 06:48:40 AM »

Well, all our toys came in numbered boxes. We didn't have to sort them, they were already sorted. Usually, we tried to go in numbered order (box 1, box 2, box 3, etc...) but after about the second boxes, we just opened up whatever one was laying around and used it.

MasterMischief · « **Reply #23 on:** October 10, 2012, 09:23:20 AM »

Quote from: Saerra on October 08, 2012, 09:54:15 PM

Wait, there are boy-toys in Happy Meals...?
I'd like a brunette, please, thank you~

Llama point

Oniya · « **Reply #24 on:** October 10, 2012, 10:09:03 AM »

*is not going to put up Shawn Michaels. Is not going to put up Shawn Michaels...*