Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
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Worksheet 3 : The Educational Function of McDonald’s
McDonald’s Rules
McDonald’s has strict rules: Staff must wear
McDoanld’s neat uniforms and keep them clean. Their
hair must be tidy. Male staff must be well-groomed
and their hair must not go beyond their ears and the
collar of their shirts. They must shave every day.
Female staff can wear only light make-up. Every staff
member must take a bath every day to prevent body odour and keep their nails and
hands clean. Staff must not smoke during work, must not drink, take drugs, gamble,
speak foul language, engage in fighting, or be impolite to customers. Whoever
infringes the rules will be warned, even fired. Branch managers carry out appraisals of
staff performance every six months which serve as the basis for promotion or salary
decisions.
1.
If you were a McDonald’s branch manager, what rules would you add to or
remove from the above set of rules for your staff members to follow?
Free answers from students
Suggested Answers
Punctuality; No leave without good reasons; No eating without approval; Follow
instructions from superior Work attitude must be serious; Be diligent and responsible,
etc.
The Importance of Smiling
American consumers expect to be served with smiles
when ordering food at fast food restaurants. This,
however, is not necessarily the case in other societies.
Hong Kong people feel suspicious when greeted by
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
p. 2
strangers who appear to be nice, caring or enthusiastic. To them, the smile is not
necessarily a symbol of openness and sincerity. It was once said, “If a hawker smiles
at you when you buy apples from him, that means you are being cheated.”
2.
Why are Hong Kong people suspicious of those (or strangers) who act nicely?
Suggested Answer
Hong Kong people are relatively suspicious. They are afraid to be cheated. They tend
to be nice to friends but not to strangers.
3.
What do Hong Kong consumers consider important when they buy fast food?
Please rank the following considerations: ‘1’ being the most important and ‘5’ the
least important.
Fast
Food hygiene
Spacious environment
Service attitude
Low prices
4.
From the ‘smiling’ service of McDonald’s, can you see the cultural differences
between Hong Kong and the US?
Suggested Answers
American people: generally more cheerful, carefree, like smiling
Hong Kong people: more serious, suspicious, afraid to be cheated
5.
Do you find McDonald’s warm, smiling service attitude acceptable? Explain
briefly.
Free answers from students
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
p. 3
Consumer Discipline
Without doubt, McDonald’s is very good in educating
consumers. In Hong Kong, until the mid-1970s, very few
people would line up for service (such as in the banks, at
ticket counters, and in restaurants). McDonald’s has
taught Hong Kong consumers to line up.
6.
When you enter a McDonald’s, apart from lining up for food, what rules do you
follow without thinking about them?
Suggested Answers
Carry one’s own food tray; Find seats for oneself
7.
In the US and some European countries, consumers clear their table after eating.
Why is this practice still not common in Hong Kong? Do you clear your table
after eating?
Suggested Answers
People look down upon this kind of job; the shop attendants will take care of the
matter; people are not public-spirited; people are in a hurry.
Scenes in McDonald’s
The following is a true story.
One morning, during the summer holiday, Mrs. Chan went to McDonald’s with
her two children (seven-year-old Ming and his five-year-old sister) to eat
breakfast. It was rush hour, and the restaurant was full of people. There
were long queues at every counter.
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
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Mrs. Chan said to Ming, “Son, go with your sister to grab some seats while I
line up for the food.” So Ming moved around in the restaurant with his sister
to find customers who would be leaving. He found himself standing next to a
few foreigners (Westerners) and waited for them to finish. The foreigners
looked irritated with Ming stand next to them and watch them eat. Ming,
however, did not pay much attention to them.
Soon, Mrs. Chan came over with a tray of food. When she saw that the
foreigners were still occupying the seats although they appeared to have
finished their meals, she called out loudly, “Still there?” Ming said, “Mum,
don’t be so loud. They can hear it.” Mrs. Chan answered, “Don’t worry! They
are foreigners. They don’t understand our language!” For some unknown
reasons, as soon as Mrs. Chan finished her sentence, the foreigners left the
table.
Meanwhile, an old man about 70 years old went up to the counter and asked
for some serviette. Although he was old, he action was very swift. He left
the shop straight after getting the serviette from the restaurant assistant,
who looked helpless.
8.
According to the above story, why do the foreigners (especially those from
Western countries) feel irritated?
Suggested Answers
They may feel being watched by the people who stand next to them; ‘Grabbing a
table is impolite behaviour.
9.
In the past, Hong Kong McDonald’s had its serviette placed in an open slot freely
available to customers. But now serviette is given out by assistants in most
McDonald’s restaurants. This strategy is not in line with the standardized
operational procedure of the corporation and it prolongs transaction time by a few
seconds. Why does Hong Kong McDonald’s make such a change?
Suggested Answers
The serviette will disappear quickly if they are freely accessible to customers.
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
p. 5
10. In the US McDonald’s, customers can get serviette, straws, plastic tableware,
seasonings, ice cubes, even free refills on their own, and this reduces cost. Why
can’t this arrangement apply in Hong Kong?
Suggested Answers
Hong Kong people are less public-spirited. Such would be wasteful and increase cost.
11. Suppose you were a McDonald’s branch manager, how would you strike the
balance between ‘providing convenience for customers’ and ‘preventing
resources abuse’? Elaborate briefly.
Free answers from students
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
p. 6
Snoopy, Hello Kitty and McMug in the Redemption Craze
Read the three reports below regarding the redemption craze for McDonald’s gifts:
(1) Redeeming McDonald’s Snoopy
At around 10 a.m. I arrived at the battlefield in Telford Garden. Wow, it was so
crowded! A huge crowd had already lined up outside the restaurant, waiting for their
turn to redeem today’s Chinese Snoopy. Everybody was waiting with great eagerness
and the atmosphere was tense.
“Son, you’ll eat the hamburgers and I and little sister will eat the chips!”
“What if we can’t redeem the gift?”
“If that happens, we’ll rush to another McDonald’s by MTR!”
Wow, this mother and her kids surely are persistent!
(2) Redeeming Hello Kitty
The redemption of the Hello Kitty figurine at McDonald’s has entered its second
week. However, the popular Hello Kitty has not created a craze. The enthusiasm is
uncomparable to what happened to Snoopy last year. The redemption response was
good but not as good as one had expected. Long queues were seen only on the first
day of the redemption period, and the waiting time was not long. It took only 15 to 30
minutes to redeem a figurine. After the first day, there was no lining up.
(3) Redeeming McMug
Starting from yesterday, for four weeks in a roll, soft figures of the McMug’s family
can be redeemed at McDonald’s. There was no long line for redemption on the first
day. Nevertheless, almost every customer gets himself/herself a soft toy along with
the purchase of a meal at the McDonald’s counter. McMug is cute. It pleases children
and many adults want to redeem the toy too. Some mothers faithfully get the toys for
their children, who are either at work or at school.
Case Study McDonald’s
Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
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12. Compare the above reports on the situations of McDonald’s gifts redemption.
Snoopy
Hello Kitty
McMug
Degree of
excitement
Redemption
availability
Nature
Highest
Lower
One model per day
One model per week One model per week
Small displays
Soft toy
Soft toy
Additional money
required
No
Yes
Yes
Lower
14. Have you ever redeemed gifts in McDonald’s?
Free answers from students
15. Will you go to McDonald for the sake of redeeming gifts? Why?
Free answers from students
16. Do you think McDonald’s is successful? Do you agree with this kind of sales
strategy?
Free answers from students
Successful: It draws people into McDonald’s and increases sale; The
redemption craze became the talk of the town, and raised McDonald’s fame and
influence.
Agree: One can enjoy the food and redeem favourite gifts at the affordable price of a
few tens of dollars. Similar products cost a lot more in gift shops.
Against: Some people buy the meals even when they get bored with the food simply
because they want the gifts. This creates food wastage and encourages
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Worksheet 3 The Educational Function of McDonald’s
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the culture of speculation.
The redemption created nuisance and confusion to customers who only wanted
the foods; It could only stimulate sale for a short time.
17. Besides gifts for redemption, McDonald’s also offers free gifts, along with
children’s meals (Happy Meal). Who are their target customers? In the long run, what
advantages would this kind of sales strategy bring to McDonald’s?
Suggested Answers
Children are its sale target.
The advantage to McDonald’s is that children will develop the habit of eating fast
food and when they grow up, hamburgers may become an indispensable part of their
life.