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Identify and prioritize the issues facing McDonald’s U.K., explaining the reasoning behind each problem.
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Suggest a sequencing and approach for addressing the issues identified in Question 1, considering that some may require quick fixes while others necessitate major strategic shifts.
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By 2007, it appeared that the decisions made by McDonald’s U.K. management were yielding positive results. However, the performance of McDonald’s U.K. still lags behind that of other regions within the European division.
Considering your responses to Question 1 and 2, identify problems that may still exist and suggest actions to be taken. McDonald’s U. K. has experienced significant losses in the past years. In recent times they have started to turn around their profit trends but there is still more the organization can do to exceed expectations. Improving their restaurants, customer service, and healthy options are all actions McDonald’s can take to continue to improve their positive trend.
1. Identify the problems confronting McDonald’s U. K. and list them from the most to the least critical.
For each problem identified, explain your reasoning.
The most critical problem that McDonald’s U. K. and McDonald’s in general, is the negative press they are getting from documentaries that exploit the lack of health in their menu. While they have done what they can to maintain their staple items they are famous for as they add more nutritious options, it’s likely that they haven’t gained back the profits they lost. With vegetarianism and green/raw diets on the rise, McDonald’s could continue to plateau in sales if they don’t losing them again.
The documentary “Super-Size Me” criticized McDonald’s and presented evidence against their food. In the U.K., McDonald’s faces competition from Starbucks and other contemporary dining places because of their outdated restaurants. To attract more customers, it is essential for McDonald’s to renovate their storefronts and establish a more inviting atmosphere. Additionally, customer service at McDonald’s U.K. has been declining, emphasizing the importance of delivering exceptional service to maintain loyal customers.
If your clients are unsatisfied, they will not return and discourage their friends from coming back, which leads to a decrease in company profits. Some issues highlighted in Question 1 need immediate solutions for short-term improvement, while others require significant changes in the company’s strategy. Since all problems cannot be tackled at once, propose a prioritized order for addressing these issues and suggest approaches to resolve them. Initiating efforts to improve customer service is an excellent initial action for making positive changes at McDonalds.
Offering training to new and current employees regarding the expected treatment of customers is an initial and commendable action. Taking accountability for customer service issues and enforcing disciplinary measures demonstrates McDonald’s commitment to customer satisfaction. To retain customers, any business must prioritize addressing their complaints. Implementing new policies and procedures is a crucial starting point to achieve this objective. Additionally, focusing on the nutritional value of their menu and introducing more healthier choices is essential.
One possible strategy would be to increase the variety of salads and salad dressing options available. Additionally, it is recommended to offer salads without meat. Another suggestion is to introduce organic options to the menu, primarily focusing on salads and fruits. Implementing these changes could greatly benefit the business. By 2007, the decisions made by McDonald’s U.K. management appeared to be yielding positive results. However, the performance of McDonald’s U.K. still falls behind that of other regions in the European division. Considering your responses to Questions 1 and 2, identify any remaining issues and propose appropriate actions to address them.
Despite efforts to improve customer service, negative experiences may persist at McDonald’s U.K. These negative experiences can be challenging to reverse and can also influence the opinions of those close to the dissatisfied customers. Implementing ad campaigns that emphasize the friendly atmosphere of McDonald’s could be a potential solution. Although the results may not be immediate, consistently promoting the image of McDonald’s as a welcoming establishment may encourage customers to give it another chance.
The text indicates that McDonald’s faces difficulties in addressing their menu. Given the numerous fast food chains available in the U.K., McDonald’s must establish itself as the healthy option within this industry to distinguish from competitors. By providing efficient service and incorporating nutritious choices into their menu, McDonald’s could enhance their image associated with unhealthy food. In conclusion, although some progress has been made by McDonald’s U.K., they still have a significant amount of work ahead to regain and retain customers.
To attract more customers and improve McDonald’s reputation, effective methods include implementing healthier menus, customer service policies, and trendier environments. Although these actions require time and effort, they will ultimately lead to increased profitability. To address the challenges faced by McDonald’s, it is important to analyze various aspects of the organization such as its microenvironment, industry, market, and buyer behavior. By identifying and evaluating problems, a range of alternatives can be considered for recommendation and development of an implementation plan. It is crucial to identify different types of problems encountered by McDonald’s including both obvious and broader issues with their respective consequences. Formulating implementation strategies should also take into account evidence supporting these assessments.
