McDonald’s Corporation Essay

1.0 Introduction Almost everyone said that customer service is one of the most important managements of the company or organization to run a business. The company don’t have a business if they don’t have customers. If actions are not taken to make sure that company has a good customer service, in the end it will affect overall performance of the company or organization. The commitment on customer service should always begin at first to make a company successful. Time by time, business competition is getting tougher and increasing. If the company or organization cannot provide goods or services when customers wants or needs it, that company or organization market will take over by other companies. To prevent this situation happen, the company’s leaders or management groups must produce and provide goods or services to meet their customer’s expectations. Good customer service is the foundation of any business because it create a platform or idea to helps the company growth and also helps to increase company reputation. If customers are happy and satisfy with the goods or services that company produce or provide, They will becoming repeat customers by continue buying that goods or services. McDonald’s Corporation or McD is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. McDonald’s headquartered is in the United States and was founded by Ray Kroc in year 1955 after he purchased the rights to a small hamburger chain operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald. McDonald’s first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name McDonald’s on May 4, 1961, with the description â€Å"Drive-In Restaurant Services†. McDonald’s major products are hamburgers, different types of meat sandwiches French fries, soft drinks, breakfast, and desserts. In markets, McDonald’s also provide salads and vegetarian sandwiches or hamburgers, wraps and other localized fare. There are local deviation from the standard menu at different country to follow local food taboos such as the religious prohibition of beef consumption in India. Today, McDonald’s become one of the most successful fast food chain because they delivering on the highest levels of quality, service and cleanliness to all of its customers in each and every restaurant. Their key to continued success is always and continually monitoring on the feedback given to them by customers. 2.0 Content 2.1.1 Customer Service Theories The customer service theory is talking about to retaining customer loyalty and loyalty still is the main core. If the company don’t have the principles of customer service to serve their customers, a company cannot survive. Customers will continue support the company products or services if the company cares about customers, their comfort and concerns. Adam Smith’s famous Wealth of Nations (1776) said that customer service is the core of the basic theory of competition. If one company wants to success, that company needs to understand what kind of products or services customers need time by time. If not the customer will go to other companies get what they want to satisfy their need. Customer service is almost same meaning with customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and it links each other in a chain. Customer service can creates customer satisfaction, and at the same time, it also creates customer loyalty. 2.1.2 The concept of customer service Customer service related to the relationship between a product or service provider and customer. An organization need to meet customer expectations and satisfy the customer in order to maintain good image .Customer service relates to understand both the nature of the organization’ customers. An organization need to identify customers according to different group. Customers are vary according to gender, age, social status and personality. Customers maybe one-time customers ,repeat customers or old customers. Each group have specific need for the business in term of service. Customer service behaviours include the factors of providing information, efficiency and following up the customers .The level of service provided depend on how the interaction between the organization and its employee. Therefore, attitude such as friendly, respect, polite, and helpful is important in term of variables. Employee can understand more the role they play in overall customer service within the organization and specific attitudes through employee training. Therefore, training need to refresh regularly to meet the change of customers need in service and competitors activities. Beside that, organization need to get feedback from customers in term of service. Good customer service depend on looking at customer’s perspective. Employee need to focus and discuss service issues on regular basis which can help them improve the standards of services. 2.1.3 Models Of The Improve Customer Service The new customer service model is customer service needs to respond to the social customer no matter it is traditional agent model or a new service community-based model or some combination . The core in customer service is how to minimize the problems and optimist the customer experience had .That is when there is a problem have to solve immediately ,the customer can be a first contact resolution by using multiple channels . Customer service is one of the part of the customer experience that is having the lowest price and the fastest deliver as well as reliable enough so you don’t have to contact anyone . Then your customer service improved. ( Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon) Through the study from RightNow & Yougov Plc in 2007 of 2800 British consumers proved that customer service can creates the real challenge because 69% of them complained between at least 1 time to the company .Over half of the respondents expected the problem to be fixed to their satisfaction .27% of the respondents claimed the problem was fixed to their satisfaction however 34% said no action was taken at all.(RightNow & Yougov Plc in 2007).. In this era of globalization ,citizens are relying to the cyber world so the customer service get problems especially communication problem .Therefore ,customer service has to concern about the social customer’s multichannel preferences to communicate . Customer play a important role as king .When they complain ,company must handle them well and provide a excellent customer service exceed the customer expectations . 2.1.4 Assumption For Improve Customer Service Customer service is important for a company. If doesn’t exist of customer service, I think consumer can’t get enough information to do their purchase. So, if hope to achieve successful on yours enterprise, you should more and more improve the customer service to reach the best way. As a worker or employee, attitude is a significant factor to serve your customer. No matter your customer is a child, women, or old people, you should respect them and serve them as well as possible. If not, you will lose the customer and affect reputation of company. Customers will more purchase your product if they feel they are respected by you. Otherwise, a company can offer face to face service. Service worker should be a good listener. Workers are supposed to listening what customer needs and problem patiently. This can help company obtain more information to satisfy customer needs. If workers doesn’t listen what was customer said, the customer will be feel doesn’t respected by you. Then the customer will have a bad impressive to our company. Next, worker training also bring large effect for a company. The worker that got training will be more experience. They can offer good customer service and provide more information about their product for the customer. If company doesn’t provide training for theirs worker, the quality of the customer service will very low. 2.2 McDonald’s practices/operations Employee training Training is a crucial part in McDonald’s with employees to give them the tools and resources they need to settle with complaints effectively. Employees should be encourage to identify customers who are dissatisfied and spread of potential complaints. This initial training is followed throughout the careers of restaurants ensure that they are always aware of the important of care and customers retention .Together with our manager, we also teach employees how to communicate effective on services either within the business . All new employees begin their McDonald’s experience with an induction into the company. Staff trainers should work together with trainees to learn the operations technique necessary for running each of the procedure in each restaurant. All employees will understand how to operate food service equipment and gaining knowledge of McDonald’s operational procedures through the training. Step-by-Step manuals and video tapes cover every detail, from how to learn communicate with customers, and how to provide good service to customers. Employees also learn how to train and supervise others. McDonald’s also act as â€Å"mentor†, to teach the interpersonal and organizational skills necessary for functioning effectively on any job for the first hired employee. McDonald’s business requires teamwork, discipline and responsibility to work out the results in order to improve communications skills as well as self-confidence. For example, The Management Training Centre (MTC) is McDonald’s prime UK training facility, to provide different type of business management and restaurant operations courses to franchise and management employees throughout the United Kingdom. The Management Training Centre also run few courses to give skills required by different levels of management, from restaurant shift management to mid – management. Technology Today, McDonald’s can receive and take note on customer feedback through the latest technology today. These technology also used by others retailers which in the customer service industry by record or take down customer contact either by internet, phone, or letter into a customer service database. By using the technology in the right way, McDonald’s can ensure that every of their customer can receives an accurate, personal and in time response. Based on the chart 1 below, most of the feedback method from customers is the internet. After McDonald’s had introduced the ‘Contact Us’ page at McDonald’s website, and it became the most popular way to let customers provide feedback about the McDonald’s products and services. Chart 1: Feedback method from customer Beside that, in technology field, McDonald’s also introduce free wireless internet access at almost every McDonald’s restaurants. Customers will be able to connect the internet via their mobile phones, laptop, games consoles and more. This free Wi-Fi service will benefit a lot of their customers like business peoples or students who can check their e-mail, surf internet, read news and more. The company’s president and CEO, Steve Easterbrook said: â€Å"We hope that this will be a breath of fresh air and give greater choice for Wi-Fi hotspot users who have had little choice but to pay by the month or hour to access the internet on the move.† Payment Before that, McDonalds do accept cash as a payment method only . Nowadays, technology are getting more advance in business field. McDonald provide a new payment method to convenient customers to make their payment either using debit or credit card for their meals. For example, IBM and McDonald’s Launch New Cashless Payment System in UK. IBM and Mc Donald had launch a new cashless payment system for 1,300 McDonald’s owned and franchised restaurants across the UK and Ireland for three year agreement .This system will operation by the end of 2010 which help McDonald’s cater to the increasing number of customers using credit and debit card payments. By using this system, customer experience have improving by increasing the speed and security of service at McDonald’s restaurant. This new system provide a secure way for payment service at McDonald’s. Security level increased with anti-tamper and fraud detection software installed on hand held chip and pin devices to help protect customer card payment. It can let customers feel safety when using this system for payment. This solution also help McDonald’s find a good way to operate its daily business more efficiently by centralizing business process into database which enable automated settlement and report. In this new era, IBM also provide technology consulting services to link and maintain the payment solution which is being designed and built around the McDonald’s point of sale . 3.1 Problem Encountered By McDonald’s Related To Improve Customer Service French fries of McDonald’s were discovered contain higher content of trans fat. Trans fat can cause cancer and can worsen the quality of milk in breast-feeding mothers as well as increase the risk to get diabetes and obesity .Trans fat also reported cause low birth weight and lower immunity level in babies .The fries is danger to human reproductive function because the trans fat that contained will reduce the quantity of male hormones and effect the quality of semen. From this case, we can know about McDonald’s doesn’t serve theirs customer in a proper way. McDonald’s was received complain from vegetarians that doesn’t stated that inside French fries contain beef oil. McDonald’s just stated the French fries were cooked in 100 percent of vegetable oil. This is not only affect the vegetarians, the Hindu customers also impact by McDonald’s. McDonald’s should not give the wrong information to theirs customer. This is because information very important when the customers make the decisions. Some McDonald’s franchise was provided low quality of foods control. The burger had been complained is hard rock and hard to bite and the patty had lost it’s juicy .Furthermore ,the lettuce that was used is not fresh while the French fries is also hard because of over frying . McDonald’s employee have big problem in the way to serve the customers .Moreover ,the crew are not well trained and low moral values .Some of the crews had been complained that they scolded customer loudly and humiliate the customer in public .The services are unsatisfactory and their attitude is worst .Hygiene of the McDonald’s of franchise also in a bad condition.The McDonald’s transaction accuracy is poor .The crew in McDonald had been complained in transaction accuracy when they gave the customer wrong amount of balance . They show their bad attitude to the customer and some customer was waiting longer time for someone to take order. Otherwise, employee didn’t show theirs smile face and didn’t say thank you to the customers when customer taking theirs food and drinks. Speed of service also is one of the problem that McDonald faced. McDelivery had extend its delivery time to 24 hours yet it still under the poor service .The food that had delivered is out of the consumer expected .The food that had delivered is already cold and not in good condition or the item that included is missing . The playground equipment is complained by the customer .The playground equipment that had in McDonalds is dirty and the lab test proved that the playground equipment is full with the dangerous bacteria , including antibiotic-resistant Staph or MRSA, known to cause potentially life-threatening infections . 4.0 Recommendations Some of the McDonald’s branch should provide enough tables and chairs for the customers to dine in especially in peak time. It is because many of the customers come to McDonald’s for their lunch but don’t have enough place for them to enjoy their meal. The tables and chairs also should spread out so the customers can easily walk through. The branch also should provide some facility to convenient customers like baby changing area, normal separate toilets for male and female, disabled toilet, baby chairs and more so that can improve their customer service and satisfy customers needs. From the customers feedback, they complaint that some of the McDonald’s branch not in clean condition. For example, some customers found out there is cockroach and flies inside the restaurant. McDonald’s also should clean the restaurant and do pest control for each and every restaurant. Employees also need to respond fast to clean the table especially during the peak hours. Employees should do their job responsibility to help customers in term of service to increase the image of McDonald’s. Employees should show their moral value by greeting customer as well as possible. Employees should always be helpful, be patience, courteous and polite. They must listen carefully what customer needs. Besides that, companies are suggest to trained their employees to become fast respond when customers asking some problem. Mcdelivery service should always delivery on time. Employee must to be careful when taking order and quantity and avoid from mistake. McDonalds should improve the food quality .For examples ,the burger and the French fries don’t over frying because it will cause the customer hard to bite it .The lettuce have to serve in fresh and make sure the cheese melt enough before it served . The food also have to serve in hot so that it maintain the good taste . 5.0 Conclusion Until today, McDonald’s continued become one of the most successful fast food chain in the market because McDonald’s keep on monitoring and get the feedback from their customers. From the feedback they got from the customers, they try to increase and delivering better quality of foods and services to the customers including customer service by listening to their customers. That’s why McDonald’s always stay ahead from other competitors. Customers play a important roles as a king .Therefore , the customer service is very important .The company have to serve the customer properly and improve their moral values and attitudes to satisfy the customers. In building strong customer relationships, factors such as trust, knowledge, efficiency, and friendliness are important considerations. These factor are the ways to build and retain customer base. From this assignment ,we had learned the moral values about how to satisfy the customer needs .We should not treat the customers impolitely. We had learned how importance of the customer service to the company. If a company don’t have a good customer service, they might losing customers and also it will affect company reputation and finally the overall company performance also decrease. Furthermore ,we also learned about team works and co operations .Without team works and co operations ,we can’t finished the assignment on time .