The Customer Service Problem at McDonald's Is a Symptom of a Much Bigger Problem

[AndyA]

150. In most cases, you get what you pay for

That's because the best people will find other jobs that pay them better. Occasionally, you come across someone who gives their all at a job, even though their employer doesn't recognize it or pay them adequately to retain them.

This creates a constant influx of new employees, to replace those who found a better job that pays more. The only consistency of customer service is poor, since constant training slows down service and new employees will make mistakes until they're more seasoned.

Circuit City is one of the best examples of what happens when a company dumps employees who have product knowledge, and can answer customer questions with a degree of authority. Replace them with a team of minimum wage people who don't know about the products being sold, and don't really care because their main focus is on finding a better job with higher pay.

I think executives should work anonymously one day a month at one of their locations, just to see what the jobs are really like. They'd discover in short order that all the "feel good" crap they rain down from above means nothing in the real world. Awards, honors, pins, etc., are great in theory to recognize good performance, but mean little when the employee is worried how they're going to put food on the table when they get home.

I'd predict higher profits with happier, more helpful people taking care of customers. The experience would be more pleasant for the customer, and they'd likely patronize the business more frequently because of it.