McDonald's Corp., which serves hundreds of millions of Happy Meals each year in the United States and Canada, also creates its share of less-than-happy patrons.

The company's accounting of guest satisfaction in the U.S. for 2006 shows that during a year in which the fast-food chain improved its financial performance on several fronts, the number of customer complaints also grew. Complaints per 100,000 guests totalled 20.1 at company-operated stores, compared with 18.5 in 2005.

Restaurants run by franchisees did somewhat better. They had 12 complaints per 100,000 guests from 11 per 100,000 the year before. Complaints at both types of stores were up from 2004 levels.

Accuracy, speed top complaints

Transaction accuracy — or the lack of it — accounted for about one-fourth of the more than 500,000 complaints logged by the company's customer contact centre last year.

"Wrong item included in order" and "product missing" led the service-errors reported list, followed by "incorrectly prepared product," according to information e-mailed to franchisees.

'Obviously, we take very seriously feedback we get from our customers.'

—Bill Whitman, McDonald's spokesman

Other accuracy issues at which customers chafed included "condiments missing," "inadequate portion," customer "shortchanged or overcharged" and "napkins, straws or utensils missing."

After accuracy problems, customers complained most about what they regarded as "rude or unprofessional" employees. Those gripes represented more than 15 per cent of the logged complaints. Speed of service was the third-largest cause of negative comment, accounting for about seven per cent of those compiled.

Brand builders versus brand destroyers

Titled Loud And Clear, The Voice Of The Customer, the report indicates that McDonald's takes guest satisfaction seriously. One section differentiates restaurants that it calls "brand builders" — those with the fewest complaints — from those with the worst record, which are labelled "brand destroyers."

A report on customer service at McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. logged complaints about accuracy, speed and lack of professionalism.
(CBC)

Moreover, names of franchisees at both ends of the spectrum are identified, as are area supervisors and operations managers of company-owned McOpCo stores. Presumably by singling out individuals, those performing less well will feel peer pressure — if not more — and improve their operations.

"Obviously, we take very seriously feedback we get from our customers," McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman said Monday.

Along with complaints, some customers called in to express what the report categorized as "praise." Those calls accounted for five per cent to seven per cent of the total.