Not So Happy Meals

Complaints rise at McDonald's

Richard Gibson
Dow Jones Newswires/AP
Feb. 26, 2007 04:15 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa - McDonald's Corp., which serves hundreds of millions of Happy Meals each year, also creates its share of less-than-happy patrons.

The company's accounting of guest satisfaction for 2006 shows that during a year in which the fast-food chain improved its financial performance on several fronts, the number of customer complaints also grew. Complaints per 100,000 guests totaled 20.1 at company-operated stores, compared with 18.5 in 2005.

Restaurants run by franchisees did somewhat better. They had 12 complaints per 100,000 guests from 11 per 100,000 the year before. Complaints at both types of stores were up from 2004 levels.
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Transaction accuracy - or the lack of it - accounted for about one-fourth of the more than 500,000 complaints logged by the company's customer contact center last year.

"Wrong item included in order" and "product missing" led the service-errors reported list, followed by "incorrectly prepared product," according to information e-mailed to franchisees.

Other accuracy issues at which customers chafed included "condiments missing," "inadequate portion," customer "shortchanged or overcharged," and "napkins, straws or utensils missing."

After accuracy problems, customers complained most about what they regarded as "rude or unprofessional" employees. Those gripes represented more than 15 percent of the logged complaints.

Speed of service was the third-largest cause of negative comment, accounting for about 7 percent of those compiled.

Titled "Loud And Clear, The Voice Of The Customer," the report indicates that McDonald's takes guest satisfaction seriously. One section differentiates restaurants that it calls "brand builders" - those with the fewest complaints - from those with the worst record, which are labeled "brand destroyers."

Moreover, names of franchisees at both ends of the spectrum are identified, as are area supervisors and operations managers of company-owned McOpCo stores. Presumably by singling out individuals, those performing less well will feel peer pressure - if not more - and improve their operations.

The data reflect variances in satisfaction across the United States, with McOpCo stores in the company's West division recording the fewest complaints per 100,000 and the East division the most. The Central division was in the middle.

Hawaii recorded the highest regional customer satisfaction rate, as measured by complaints from those visiting franchised restaurants. The lowest-satisfaction region was Philadelphia, followed closely by Baltimore-Washington.

"Obviously, we take very seriously feedback we get from our customers," McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman said Monday.

While declining to address specifics in what he called an internal document, Whitman said the company works with its franchisees and restaurant managers to provide them with feedback.

Although information customers provide is "not always what we like to hear, it's information we need to do a better job," Whitman said.

Along with complaints, some customers called in to express what the report categorized as "praise." Those calls accounted for 5 percent to 7 percent of the total.