Showing posts with label Ronald McDonald Houses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ronald McDonald Houses. Show all posts

Friday, December 21, 2012

McDonalds - Where's the Beef?


I often write suggesting the need for organizations and individuals to stand-out, go beyond expectations in their business, career and life. Companies should strive to reward employees for providing that “wow” factor. Unfortunately at McDonald’s it’s a dismissal to go the extra “sprinkle.” Suddenly, those golden arches aren’t so golden.
McDonalds was the original fast food restaurant for the masses. Be it your first or 1,000 visit at any McDonalds in the world the look, taste of the food or building specs was built on consistency. The uniformed fast-food business assured everything sold was identical, no variation what-so-ever.
Those were the days, when fast-food was quick. Taking the family out to eat was a cheap form of entertainment and for the factory worker or businessman it was a quick source for lunch. It gave Mom a chance to get away from cooking and you never knew who you might see at the restaurant to socialize with.  
 Ray Kroc pioneered the future of fast-food as a corporate entity marketed towards kids, young families and fun. Ray was the first to offer a drive-through service and uniquely identified his locations with those famous visually attractive (at the time) golden arches. Later he promoted the clown, Ronald McDonald, while building child playgrounds on location for the kids.
In later years, McDonalds marketing has focused towards young teenagers targeting lower income groups. Creating the McCafe` drink island has proved a successful competitor against the pricing at Starbucks.  The corporation has donated millions of dollars through charity with its Ronald McDonald Houses and other associated charities and should be commended for their fine work.
The firing of an employee for simply providing extra sprinklings of chocolate pieces on a desert is outlandish. Providing that little “happy meal” by adding a little extra scoop of toppings shouldn’t have been reason for a firing, it should be encouraged to provide a customer with a “wow’ experience. At maximum a verbal warning to the employee would have been more appropriate, since it involved a dastardly low-paid co-worker (pun intended).
After all, let’s not allow those employees to think on their own or outside-the-box. No sir- let’s make sure they conform to the sameness of the organization like its 1955.
If the cost is too expensive to rationalize freebies then notate on the menu, the cost per extra scoop. Perhaps raise the price (slightly) of a McFlurry and offer free extras.  What’s next rationing salt and ketchup?
Perhaps this is why I ask for an extra-sweet Latte and rarely receive the extra additives. I don’t mind paying for it either. But this isn’t about the money, it’s about something Ray Kroc understood well-
It's about giving the people what they want!

Until We Meet Again,
 Jim Carver
Author: The Legacy of David A. Wells- The Lexington High School “Band of Gold”
Something Meaningful that Matters!

www.successthroughmusic.com

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