The first thing McDonalds (and all restaurants/fast food outlets) ought to do is strive for truth in advertising. I have yet to be served a sandwich or meal in reality that bears any resemblance to the one shown in their commercials.

Do you think it's because they know the actual meal/sandwich served in one of their outlets looks about as appetizing as roadkill?

TheLagerLad wrote:

Simplfication is what they need to do. We've seen the fast food/casual food market become very splintered over the past few years. If you want a good hamburger, you go to Five Guys. All they do is make burgers. If you want good mexican, you go to Chipotle. All they do is make a couple of items.

McDonald's has tried to be all things to all people. And I think it ends up cheapening their brand. 

Just go back to making the best Quarter Pounder you can and customers will come back. They can get their salads, and fanc chicken sandwiches elsewhere.

I don't think that their problems are their diversity of menu (I actually think some of their new salads are fine). Their food will never be gourmet food for sure, but overall is OK. Where they tend to fall down IMHO is in the training of the employee. A good owner of the stores (where they are locally owned) shows (as well as a bad owner that does not take an active interest). But then, that is true of most businesses. A good chain of command usually results in good training for their employees and in turn creates a satisfied customer. I realize that a lot of people think that training in a McDonalds is a joke, but it is no different than anywhere else. Doing a good job and satisfying the customer does take training and a manager that follows through. Yes, the training is not rocket science, but if not done well becomes a reason a lot of people will not come back to an establishment. 







 

Good points all, esp Lager and Fred.
McDonalds is getting squeezed. They aren't very fast, very good or very cheap anymore.
And they are trying to be all things.
The casual upscale market is gone, in my opinion. Go back to being a breakfast and burger joint.
Oh, and ditch the clown, too.

I see that the new CEO is pursuring moving just about all the the McDonalds to a franchise status. I believe that most today are (I believe about 80%), but sounds like he wants to make all of them franchises. 

Other thing of note, is that McDonalds (like a lot of companies that have an International presence) has taken a beating on the foreign side because of exchange rates (as well as many of the International areas are still in a slow recovery). 

I agree that there are WAY MORE competitors in the game at this point. Many of them DO specialize. That can be a plus or negative. I remember people complaining that places like McDonalds did not have any healthy choices, so I guess it works both ways. BTW, McDonalds (and others) have at least gotton on the bandwagon with now showing calories, etc which in many cases are printed on the backs of their tray liners. 



 

Last edited by tennyson (5/04/2015 12:12 pm)