For nine years I consciously boycotted a major national food chain like the H1N1 virus. Yesterday, however, I experimented by eating at McDonald's and buying my seven year-old her very first "Happy Meal." I recently researched the nutritional information of many fast food restaurants and came to the conclusion that the McDonald's menu is actually healthier than the other hamburger fast food joints, and here, I define healthier as "lower in calories." Needless to say, I was very surprised by this.
So, yesterday as we were coming home from a weekend trip we decided to stop at McDonald's. The drive-thru line was a little long, but the staff was friendly. Everything went off without a hitch until we were a quarter mile down the road and my daughter announced that they had forgotten her apple juice. So, we had to go back. Before I went in to get the apple juice, my husband jokingly told me to not cause $1500 in damage. He was referring to the woman who threw a temper tantrum when she was not happy with the customer service at a Kansas City McDonald's in December.
The staff was courteous and apologetic when I went in to get the missing juice. As we continued on our way, I was thinking about whether or not they should have done more to elleviate the inconvenience they caused us. They gave me the missing apple juice and two different workers apologized. Was that enough? What more could I have expected?
I decided that what they did was sufficient. They would not need to do more. If I was a regular customer, I would come back even though I had been inconvenienced. However, I would have been highly impressed if further steps were taken. I could have been given a gift certificate or an additional food item to make up for the inconvenience.
That led me to think about my own clients and how I would handle the situation if I made an error. Would I just offer a simple apology? Would it occur to me to offer something more? What could I offer?
I can't speak for my clients, but I would venture to say that an apology would be acceptable if I made an error similar in nature to the missing apple juice. BUT, I think they would be highly impressed and much more likely to offer referrals if I went further. I could give them a discount off the next month's invoice or complete a project at a reduced rate. That would let them know that I was serious about my apology and that I would not let it happen again.
Now, if McDonald's would have offered me free food, would I go back? No, I can't say I would. Besides Subway, I am staying away from fast food restaurants. My ban is back on for McDonald's because this is the restaurant that really took the fast food industry to a new level. For an interesting read, find a copy of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.
Many may look at McDonald's and praise the company for it's unprecedented success. The revenue is amazing, but I don't want to follow a business model that affects other's lives in a negative way. I do praise the "healthier" menu, but will continue with my self-imposed boycott.
In the meantime, I will find ways to impress my clients with the customer service they receive. Remember, there is no such thing as luck!
