Customer Centrality of Burger King - Essay Example

Centrality and Burger King, UK Burger King's main focus is on centrality and orientation and this is reflected in their marketing strategies, whether attempting to entice customers, prospective franchisees, or new employees. This paper will cover the degree to which Burger King is customer centred and the extent of customer influence on the directions the organization follows in services they provide, as well as the concept of customer orientation as it relates to services provided by the corporation. Also "customer" will be defined according to Burger King's own statements in reference to their core consumer base. "Have it your way" is not just a slogan, for Burger King it is the company's guiding philosophy. For the past 49 years Burger King has evolved to meet the changing needs of its customers. Beginning in 1974 they began offering consumers the empowerment to have burgers made to you're own specifications. Burger King opened their first drive-thru window in the US in 1975, and is currently offering healthier menu items for the calorie and cholesterol conscious consumers. Burger King has always placed an emphasis on customer choice and satisfaction. Customer satisfaction can be gauged by employing and combining the results of the customer value models described in the article, 'Customer Value: a Review of Recent Literature and an Integrative Configuration'. (Khalifa 2004: 655-662) By combining the outcomes of the value exchange model, value buildup model, and value dynamics model, Burger King receives high marks in providing customer value. Burger King strives to make the consumers' experience with them as positive as possible. By offering a quality product at a competitive price in a timely, convenient, and friendly manner, Burger King has managed to grow and become one of the worlds' largest fast-food franchise businesses. Convenient locations, ease of service and consistency of quality in their products, in addition to the empowerment provided to all customers purchasing their products, allows for greater customer benefits in relation to sacrifices made in the procurement of these services. This means Burger King scores well based upon the criteria used in rating customer value using the value exchange model. (p. 655) The value build model correlates four aspects of the relationship between customer and supplier: How the customer is treated and their level of satisfaction with that treatment, longevity of the interaction, thoroughness and thoughtfulness between the customer and the supplier, and the consumers' placing an emotional value on their interaction. (p. 656) Consumers of Burger King's services are encouraged to interact with suppliers, or how else would they have their meal made to suit their preferences This is further reflected in Burger King's employee training which places a major emphasis on friendly, courteous customer service tailored to the needs of the consumer. (Careers, 2005, ) By these standards the company receives high marks. The value dynamics model places focus on product/service and delivery, and meeting the needs of the consumer as a person. (Khalifa 2004: 658) It has already been stated that Burger King strives to provide a quality product, which is competitively priced, and easy to receive. Over the years the corporation has expanded their menu options to meet the needs and desires of health-conscious consumers, which has expanded their client base, the core of which is made up of consumers aged 18 to 35, who eat burgers and fries, (BK (UK) 2005: PDF: 3) and allowed for the meeting of individual needs in a more thorough manner. They have managed to accomplish this without sacrificing ease and/or speed of delivery. By making these options available to all customers they have enhanced the individualization of customer interaction. Again, Burger King receives exemplary marks in customer value. By combining these various models, all of the factors and results, and Burger King's own policies it becomes obvious that their reputation as one of the most recognizable, profitable, and highly-frequented fast food franchises is richly deserved. Burger King's emphasis on client satisfaction, quality products and competitive prices, individual attention and individualized meal offerings, as well as their focus on cleanliness, safety, speed, and accuracy of service, promotes a high level of customer value, making them one of the biggest shareholders in the fast-food marketplace. Burger King holds themselves, as a corporation, their franchisees, and store employees, no matter what their position, to high standards of customer service. Their store employee training places emphasis on team work, but plainly states an individual can climb from Crew member to a corporate position, as "career opportunities are unlimited." (BK (UK) 2005) Assistant Management trainees undergo twelve weeks of Basic Management Training (BMT) and are encouraged to develop their skills further once in their new position. Focus during this training is placed upon customer service, product knowledge, hygiene, safety, quality, and store and employee management. Employees are expected to be personable, able to focus on the customer and their needs, well spoken, and flexible. These qualities are also expected in Crew members. (BK (UK) 2005) Prospective franchise owners are held to higher standards yet, undergoing more intensive training, and are expected to embody the same qualities as their employees. Franchise sites are selected based on market needs, not a desire to flood the market with stores bearing their name. If an area is underrepresented and there is an established need, then and only then, is a franchise location considered. Franchise owners then receive training, in-store trial experience, and support from the corporation on an ongoing basis, with assistance from their marketing department. Again, great stress is placed upon customer service and satisfaction, cleanliness, and safety. (BK(UK) 2005: PDF) Though money handling and other managerial aspects are taught, at every level the focus of Burger King's training is upon customer satisfaction and the employment skills necessary to make this happen. The combined criteria used in the determination of customer value, along with employee and franchisee training, have established Burger King as an industry leader in customer satisfaction, and by continually adapting to their customers' needs, will continue to achieve this goal in the future. Burger King is second only to McDonald's in sales in the fast food industry, with over 11,100 restaurants worldwide, over 640 of those are in the UK. (BK(US) 2006) Quick Service food service sales accounted for 26% of total food service sales, in 2002, in the UK. At that time the 29, 050 quick service outlets generated 6,029.70 m in sales, from the 1,873.60 million meal sold. (Finlayson 2004: 5) Burger King is a growing presence in the UK franchise industry. According to Burger King's US site, their restaurants serve about 40 million Whoppers annually to UK customers, which number over 120 million customers yearly. One of the ways that Burger King has adapted to their customers' needs has been by offering local and regional items on their menus in Europe and the Middle East. The UK menu offers, among other items, the "Veggie Burger" and the children's "Take 2" menu, which allows children to create up to 112 different food combinations. These are in addition to other significant changes that they have made over recent years. (BK(US) 2006) The most significant menu changes have focused on healthy product options. Russ Klein, Burger King's chief marketing officer in the US, has stated, "About 25 percent of our guests are watching their carb counts and we want to be responsive to that demand." They have responded to this need by offering breadless sandwich options, which includes 11 Whopper varieties, salads, and grilled, instead of deep fried, meat choices in their sandwiches. These offerings are now a permanent part of their menu. These adaptations are just one of the ways that Burger King focuses on customer orientation in their business practices. Customer orientation is defined as, "the focus on meeting the needs of one's customers, internal or external. This service establishes specific customer satisfaction standards and actively monitors client satisfaction, taking steps to clarify and meet customer needs and expectations (both expressed and unexpressed). At lower levels the service involves courteous and timely responsiveness to the requests of customers, while at higher levels; it involves developing the relationship of partner and trusted advisor." (MIT 2002: 6) Burger King embodies the concept of customer orientation in all levels of their corporation. Its founders wanted to create an environment where consumers could get quality food, quickly, in clean surroundings and these core values are still practiced today in all of their stores. Burger King credits its success, past and continued, to leadership in areas such as the development of new products, management of its stores, strong marketing, and intangibles such as store dcor. (BK(US) 2006) Store employees are trained to be courteous, quick, and focused on the consumers' needs and desires. They are also trained to focus on hygiene, cleanliness, and safety in the workplace. By allowing the customer to have their burgers made to their own specifications, Burger King employees are totally focused on the immediate needs of their customers and doing everything possible to meet those needs in a timely and fulfilling manner. These employees are on the front line when it comes down to how Burger King's clienteles' image of the store is shaped. They have been trained to leave their customers with a positive point of view regarding the transaction that just occurred. If problems occur they are trained to remedy their customers' in as efficient and thoughtful a manner as possible. The customer is always right at Burger King. Working as a team at the franchise level allows managers to balance the needs of their employees and their customers. Management also focuses on the needs of their internal clientele, by providing them with services equal to those provided to their external clients. Any complaints are expected to be brought to the management in a timely manner so that they can be addressed locally and on a corporate level. Burger King is always looking for ways to improve their customer service and satisfaction levels. The variety of foods served are priced at a level that working people can afford without placing a major dent in their pocketbooks. This provides the stores with clientele that are a ready source of repeat business, especially since the prices are kept within a reasonable price range that is competitive with that of other industry leaders, such as McDonald's and Wendy's. Repeat business is the bread and butter of the fast food industry. This focus on customer orientation has led to high customer value ratings, rising profits, growth in franchising and employment opportunities, brand recognition, and a consumer base that is now worldwide. Burger King is expanding its market, and franchise opportunities, throughout the UK and Europe by maintaining the same principles that its founders began the business with: quality food, served quickly, in a clean environment. Burger King is the epitome of what a quality food service source should be. List of References Ambrose, Mark. (1997) 'A New Way of Thinking about Customer Service.' 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(2004) 'Whopper Sans Bun Makes Menu Debut; Burger King Offers Low-Carb Meal.' The Washington Times, C12 Hooley, Graham J., James E. Lynch and Jenny Shepherd. (1990) 'The Marketing Concept: Putting the Theory into Practice.' European Journal of Marketing 24, (9) 7-24 Khalifa, Azaddin Salem. (2004) 'Customer value: a review of recent literature and an integrative configuration.' Management Decision 42, (5) 645-666 MIT (2002) Development Resource Guide: Customer Orientation [online] available from [13 May 2006] Payton, Maynard (2000) Diageo - Another Unilever [online] available from [13 May 2006] Ravald, Annika and Christian Gronroos. (1996) 'The value of concept and relationship marketing.' European Journal of Marketing 30, (2) 19-30 Research and Markets (2000) UK Catering Market Market Review 2000 [online] available from [13 May 2006] Strong, Carolyn. (1997) 'The problems of translating fair trade principles into consumer purchase behavior.' 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