- A customer said a worker at a UK McDonald's handed her a note telling her to "fuck off and die."
- Bernie Bowles said it was written on an allergen info booklet after she asked about gluten in a McFlurry.
- McDonald's has apologized and said that it took "appropriate action."
A customer said that a staff member at a UK McDonald's handed her a leaflet with the words "fuck off and die" written on it after she asked for allergen information.
Bernie Bowles, who is a celiac, told British newspaper The Daily Mirror that she asked staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Hampshire, southern England whether the burger chain's Galaxy Caramel McFlurry contained gluten.
She said that she was handed a copy of a McDonald's allergen information guide.
"I saw there was writing on it," Bowles told the publication. "There were figures on the back and some writing on the front, but I hadn't actually read the cover because I'd just opened it."
Bowles said that when she tried to hand the leaflet back, a worker at the store "had no clue what was written on it" and told her to keep the guide.
She said she first read the cover when she got home. Written on it in black pen were the words "fuck off and die," a photo published by The Mirror shows.
Bowles said it was "very inappropriate and "quite offensive."
She told The Mirror that McDonald's offered her £15 ($18.36) as compensation after she complained.
"It may be banter between members of staff but they should be very aware of what they're writing comments on," Bowles told the publication.
She added that she was "really annoyed" with McDonald's, who she said she didn't think were taking the matter seriously.
"We take allergens extremely seriously at McDonald's," a spokesperson told The Mirror. "This incident is completely unacceptable and is in no way in keeping with our company values or what we expect from our employees."
The spokesperson told The Mirror that McDonald's investigated the incident "as a matter of urgency," identified the employee, and took "appropriate action."
It apologized to Bowles and said that she was now in touch with its customer services team.