What can we learn from other industries: McDonald’s

June 4, 2010

I can’t imagine a single word in the English vocabulary that incites a more visceral reaction to fitness people then McDonald’s. But setting aside the fact that they can make salad unhealthy (crispy chicken bacon ranch salad – 51 grams of fat & 660 calories), and potatoes non-vegetarian (the fries have beef extract), there is a lot our industry can learn from Mickey D about knowing your customer…

Think about every time you order a basic McDonald’s hamburger. (Take as much time as you want thinking about it. I took 14 minutes and I plan to resume when I finish the blog). Whether you’re in LA, Tulsa, Jacksonville or Manhattan, a McDonald’s hamburger always tastes exactly the same, right? Isn’t that the “getting their business down to a science” that they’re known for?

Actually, no. A McDonald’s hamburger in LA comes with pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard. But a McDonald’s hamburger in NYC has no mustard.

Isn’t that kind of crazy? That’s a big deal. McDonalds sells consistency as well as any company in the world and yet their most basic burger has inconsistencies.

And why? Because customers in the NYC area don’t seem to like mustard. How do they know that? They do surveys, they do interviews and they analyze their sales data. They listen to what people ask for and how they ask for it. They find out by both asking the customer and looking at the numbers and they change the experience ever so slightly.

Now, everything about the brand and experience stays intact and most people don’t even notice it. You’d never walk into a McDonald’s in NYC and wonder where you are. But they realize as much as people love their brand, there are tiny little differences and needs among different groups that are smart for them to address. If enough people are asking for no mustard, it must mean something? If McDonalds recognizes the value of making even the tiniest change because it’s what their customer cares about, shouldn’t we all?

Getting feedback from your customers so you can improve your service is imperative. And easy. Do a survey. Ask some customers if you can ask them a few questions, one on one. Bring in a consumer insights consultant. Listen to their requests. Or utilize things like Motionsoft’s Business Intelligence software which helps you look at your business data and understand patterns that might make certain customers unique.

But never stop asking your members if they even want mustard in the first place.