McDonalds Services Marketing - Essay Example

? McDonald’s Services Marketing McDonald’s Services Marketing Executive Summary McDonald’s is among the best and the finest known brands in the world. This paper will extensively expound on the continued efforts by McDonald’s in building its brand through listening to their esteemed customers as well as through the establishment of sustainable services marketing. The paper will also identify the numerous stages in the services marketing process. It is evident from recent research that best practices in services marketing create a strong brand and eventually the brand develops the personality for the organization, service or product. The image of the brand effectively represents the way the customers view an organization (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Services’ marketing ensures that an organization such as McDonald’s presents and behaves itself in a modern consistent way in order to delivery on its promise of being the best in customer service. Customer service is the backbone of an organization since there is no organization that can operate without customers. It is therefore utmost paramount to establish world-class customer service to the clients in order for any organization to be successful. It is through best practices in services marketing which enable an organization to establish a strong reputable brand as well as effective and efficient customer service. Another factor that effectively supports services marketing includes marketing communication methods that include promotions and advertising and which are effectively used in creating designs, colors and images that give various brands their recognizable faces. The Golden Arches is McDonald’s familiar logo and it is recognizable to its customers the world over due to its exemplary performance in services marketing (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). McDonald’s faces stiff completion in all its markets from other competitors. Other factors that affect the organizations success include the numerous technological, legal and economical changes. Its marketing activities involves the identification of customer requirements and needs and ensuring that these needs are effectively and efficiently meet in a far much better way as compared to its competitors. This is the only way that an organization can create loyal customers and the management of McDonald’s knows this fundamental factor. The organization has established various services marketing activities that ensure that the organization stays on board and also at the top of its competitors. McDonald’s has among its services marketing a segment that is known as the key audiences and this is the organizations likely customers (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). The Pre-Purchase Stage McDonald’s also utilizes the invaluable factors of market research and marketing mix after having identified its key audiences. The marketing mix will be established in accordance to the specific appeals and preferences of the key audiences. The marketing mix is a terminology that is used to refer to the four key marketing tools, popularly known as the 4Ps. The 4Ps include the place, promotion, price and the product. The place refers specifically to where the products are sold to the customers. McDonald’s ensures that it has fully analyzed detailed information regarding its customers which is derived from the various ongoing market researches that it conducts regularly since it is very important to do this (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). This enables an organization to make informed and up-to-date decisions regarding the customers’ preferences. This is among the key functions of services marketing that enable an organization to be in touch with its customers and their ever changing preferences. The McDonald’s Marketing Department then ascertains the key information that will determine the correct marketing mix. Among the questions that the marketing team tackles includes ; which restaurant is visited frequently, what are the prices that the customers would want to pay, which products are bought most and what newspapers, TV programs and advertising do its customers view and read (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Accurate research is vital in the creation of the right marketing mix since it assists in winning customers loyalty as well as increasing sales since as the social attitudes and economy change, so do the buying patterns of the customers change. It is always essential for McDonald’s to identify the number of its target customers and also to know whether it is shrinking or growing and if their buying habits can change in future (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Thus, market research ensures accurate information regarding the target group requirements, which also make it possible for the creation of an appropriate well thought marketing mix which in turn satisfies customers. Market research also seeks information regarding the market place and also the competition. It also assists in identifying any economic changes such as the rising standards of living, technological changes such as any new food production method, social changes such as any changes in the various patterns of eating out. Market research ensures to consider everything that affects a customers buying decision. Thus, it is through services marketing that McDonald’s establishes a more prominent position in the customers’ minds. This is referred to as branding (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Service Encounter Stage - Meeting the Needs of the Various Key Audiences McDonald’s builds long-term business with its customers since it acknowledges that the market has a limited number of customers. It thus establishes relationships through its services market to retain various people once they become its customers. The organization’s understand that customers come from diverse backgrounds has also assisted McDonald’s in treating they customers on a case by case method. This enables personalized services which enhance effective relationships between McDonald’s and its customers. Through the market research that is conducted by McDonald’s, it identifies various types of clients such as a business customer, children, teenagers and the aged. The parent will want to visit McDonald’s since it is the best place to give the children a treat, the children would prefer McDonald’s since it is a fun place to eat whereas the business customer prefers McDonald’s due to its quick services and food that tastes great. The teenagers are usually attracted by McDonald’s Saver Menu that is economical and the facility also offers internet in its restaurants (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). From the above illustration, it is evident that each customer has a unique reason as to why they visit McDonald’s and therefore McDonald’s can tailor its communication to the various needs of its specific group. The customer’s needs enable McDonald’s to determine the type of services and products to be offered, promotions to be created, location of the restaurants and the prices to be charged. McDonald’s also conducts a SWOT analysis that outlines its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to effectively analyze its service marketing potential and to come with remedial solutions that will sustain the business efficiently(Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). According to Kapoor, Paul & Halder (2011), it is during the service encounter stage that the restaurant conducts various interviews with the customers which include one to one interviews that are usually conducted by the management as well as the use of questionnaires that are given to customers to feel. The questionnaires are filled with outmost confidentiality in order to assist the customers in experiencing their true feelings on their experiences. This feedback is very important to the management of McDonald’s since it assist in getting to know what actually happens on the ground and the various preferences that the customers would like to be introduced. Since the customer is the key, this principle ensures that McDonald’s achieves and surpasses its targets of customer satisfaction as well as ensuring a personal touch to the customers since the service is personalized (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). The staff at McDonald’s are fully trained and equipped in customer service and it is evident from the smiles that a customer receives once the check-in into any of the McDonald’s facilities. Telephone enquiries are handled professionally and questions are properly answered as well as directions been given are accurate and to the point. I must say that a customer feels valued at any McDonald’s establishment having had a personal first-hand experience regarding their exemplary services (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Post-encounter stage In accordance to Kapoor, Paul & Halder (2011), the services provided at McDonald’s are uniquely uniform whether it’s a McDonald’s facility in a different state. Thus, the locality does not matter since the service is of the same high class quality and one cannot notice the difference in locality. This is what makes McDonald’s to stand out from its competitors since the staff is trained to the same level. This ensures uniformed service and also the quality of food is of world-class regardless of the locality where a customer is eating from. The same personalized service is exceptionally perfect. Recent research shows that McDonald’s management approach is a hands-on approach whereby the management interacts freely with its customers and staff. The can also be seen assisting the other members of staff in the service when the restaurant is overwhelmed. This kind of approach ensures and enhances long-term customers and staff relationships that go the extra mile in providing world-class customer service. The presence of customer service representatives in the restaurants was also a notable factor since the ensured that any queries were handled effectively and efficiently. The turn-around time that was on the service charter were strictly adhered to and in case of any delays, customers are notified without delay so that they can make the necessary adjustments (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). The pre-service stage was effectively handled well and follow ups were made to ensure that a customer was well informed and the post service stage ensured that the customer was also informed of any new developments. This was made possible through the questionnaires that customers were politely asked to fill and there were personal details that a customer was required to fill. These details included a personal e-mail address, postal address and telephone contacts. Customers were duly informed that the information was confidential and it could not be shared with anybody else. Thus, McDonald’s utilizes these contacts for promotional purposes as well as to establish long-term relations with its customers which is are very much commendable. It is also noble for McDonald’s to have a customer service policy that is well displayed in the restaurants. This shows that McDonald’s treasures and values that customers a lot (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). Recommendations McDonald’s should continue with the training of its staff in order to ensure that they are fully abreast with latest customer preferences as well as technology. McDonald’s should also continue monitoring its services and products in order to ensure that they provide the best, finest and the most popular products to their customers. The organization should increase the number of market research projects it conducts annually so that they can be informed on the month preference changes of their customers (Kapoor, Paul & Halder, 2011). The customer service policy should ensure that it continues effectively and efficiently to deliver and achieve the highest levels of cleanliness, quality and service to all its customers and to each restaurant. Uniform standard levels should be maintained at all times and if possible enhanced to offer the diverse cultural differences of its customers. The fundamental key to McDonald’s success should be its continuous acting and monitoring on the feedback that is given by the customers since this enables the management to know what actually happens on the ground and the various changes in the customers preferences. It is notable that McDonald’s acknowledges its customers as the most prominent ambassadors of its brand. Thus its high concern on the best practices of customer service is commendable since the customers feel valued at all times in each restaurant that belongs to McDonald’s. References Kapoor, R., Paul, J., & Halder, B. (2011). Services marketing: Concepts & practices. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Education. Read More