McDonald's serves up better customer care and lower employee turnover : Two‐stage training for more than 4,000 staff

Purpose – Describes the two‐stage training that quick‐service restaurant McDonald's has devised for its customer‐facing employees. Design/methodology/approach – Details the Hospitality Plus workshops, attended by more than 2,700 employees in three weeks at the end of 2004, which covered personal appearance; ensuring that dining areas are clean and inviting; awareness of customers – including the disabled and those with children – needing assistance; creating a friendly atmosphere by acknowledging customers; complaint handling, the ability to answer enquiries on menu ingredients and awareness of McDonald's role in the community. Also describes the Customer Care programme, designed to capture the best parts of the Hospitality Plus workshops, but also to be a sustainable session to help staff to deliver service that customers would view as superior to the competition. Findings – Demonstrates that the training has helped to raise the percentage of customers agreeing that McDonald's service is friendly and courteous, fast and efficient. Reveals that the programmes have also reduced turnover among customer‐facing employees by more than 8% in a year. Practical implications – Highlights the key role of training for customer‐facing employees in the service sector. Originality/value – Shows that the training – which is not just a one‐off solution – represents real value for money, given the number of people trained and the cultural impact the company has gained.