Big Mac Theory
What does it take to put a Big Mac together? How many different people must a Big Mac be exchanged with before it reaches the customer? How many different processes and elements are added into getting a Big Mac?
You probably don't think about that when you're hanging out at McDonald's ordering a delicious, greasy, tastey, mouth watering hamburger with two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. You're probably thinking about how fantastic it will take. And how little time it will take to get to you.
Thankfully, we're still surprised by things which are immediately served to us. However, the youngest generation's expectation of customer service are way higher than the previous two generations. Since technology makes many other things immediately accessible to the average young adult, it's no wonder why they are hard nosed consumers.
Of course, for anyone of any generation, what happens when we get that "spider sense" feeling that something is wrong...that our Big Mac is taking a little too long to get to us? As I see it our frustration is cultivated between our lack of control and our natural sense of calculated risk at every stage of ordering a Big Mac. Here's the breakdown:
Pre-restaurant Visit: Control Level at 100%
When we approach a McDonald's and enter a McDonald's we definitely gather a sense of how busy it will be. This also allows us to make an uneducated and completely powerful decision to stay or leave. There are easy signs to read at this point: how many customers are waiting, or how many cars are waiting; how many workers behind the counter; what condition the workers are in (ie frantic or calm); what it is that we are ordering.
If we determine that this is time for us to jet, then we do so, with no regret (save realizing that we may have to eat at Burger King). But once we make that commitment to wait in line, we start to think if we made the right decision. The point of no return at that point is of course when we place our order.
Ordering & Waiting: Control Level 20%
Notice the massive drop in control. We still have the same decision, whether or not to leave, however, now we start to feel powerless because of conflicting thoughts ("well I ordered so I should really wait; I'd be cheating them out of money if I just left; etc.").
But if the order is taking TOO long to complete we start to get agitated. We start ask ourselves deeper questions that find fault in our own actions ("why didn't I see this coming") or others ("why are they so incompetent"). This waiting period culminates with how we will react when the food is ready.
Picking Up Our Order: Control Level 100%
Really the transaction is done but now we feel back in full control. Some folks will try to get their money back if the food wasn't done on time. I, personally, have a tendency just to leave, not even checking my order (which at times has caused additional problems). Sometimes we'll just whip a nasty comment at the person, which by the way solves tons of problems (not really, considering that you've now just doubled the amount of people who probably are having a bad day ie you and the worker).
That dip in control can be extended out to many things. At a formal restaurant there's probably an additional moment between when you're seated and the waiter/waitress comes over to take your order (and smaller moments when your glass is refilled with a tasty bev). A sit down restaurant also adds the social stigma of abruptly leaving as well as the "illegal" act of not paying.
But there are many other areas where Big Mac Theory comes into play...many other times where we can't see the whole process or the steps of the process. Higher Education has tons of those Big Mac processes. And, as I mentioned earlier, the customer, the students, are currently the holders of high expectations of service.
For your department, academic or student services, what are you doing to accommodate this? Do you involve students on departmental decisions that affect them directly? Do you breakdown your processes step by step to see if they are value added for the student? Are your processes in place to defend against other problems?
Let's return to the McDonald's crew for a second. Let's assume that to make a Big Mac you need at least three folks. You need the Cashier to take the order and inform two food prep people. One food prep person is "cooking" the food, the other is gathering the items and putting on the final touches to the order.
Does the food "cooker" and food prep people care about what the cashier could go through if they don't prepare the food properly? The food prep person is probably closer to the front line but has the freedom to move away if things get heated. The food prep person probably also has to worry about other things like running out of supplies or being the communicator between the "cook" and the cashier. In the end, it's the cashier that is on the front line and is most likely to get yelled at or confronted if something goes wrong.
So the cashier probably takes the time to go over the order with the customer..."so you ordered two Happy Meals, three Big Macs, one with no onions, and 5 twenty piece chicken McNuggets." Good step, probably makes the customer feel better, but I'll bet that if the order is not filled properly the customer has completely forgot about that step.
The irony is that the cashier will probably get yelled at for something he didn't do.
No one likes to get "yelled at" (I put this phrase in quotes because I have both been on the receiving and giving end where I've actually done yelling or just simply said something but the feeling is sadly the same no matter how presented). First of all there's the initial shock of conflict. Once that wears off we ask ourselves what went wrong. Did I do something? If not, we look to the team (again blaming others). Sometimes we "yell at" the other members of our team.
How do we avoid this on both sides of the coin?
For starters if you're supervising or creating a process took a long look at what you're doing and why. Are you adding steps to protect yourself from inevitable phone calls? Are you afraid of screwing up and creating things to shift blame immediately to someone else? You and your team can control and maintain your own processes. But as exceptional moments come up, you must learn how to roll with them and possibly even change roles temporarily to accommodate the conflict.
If you're the customer, as tricky as this may be, find a way to understand the inner workings of the process. Additionally, communicate your concerns with the process but do so respectfully. E-mail or fill out a comment card if you don't want to go face to face with someone. Most of the time, management just doesn't know that someone didn't get their big mac on time. Otherwise realize that your control dips when you put your trust and faith in an outside party and be patient.
Customers and producers can work together to eliminate the fat of the process while also maintaining an understanding and respect to accomplish the task at hand. Good luck with your next Big Mac.
pb
You probably don't think about that when you're hanging out at McDonald's ordering a delicious, greasy, tastey, mouth watering hamburger with two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. You're probably thinking about how fantastic it will take. And how little time it will take to get to you.
Thankfully, we're still surprised by things which are immediately served to us. However, the youngest generation's expectation of customer service are way higher than the previous two generations. Since technology makes many other things immediately accessible to the average young adult, it's no wonder why they are hard nosed consumers.
Of course, for anyone of any generation, what happens when we get that "spider sense" feeling that something is wrong...that our Big Mac is taking a little too long to get to us? As I see it our frustration is cultivated between our lack of control and our natural sense of calculated risk at every stage of ordering a Big Mac. Here's the breakdown:
Pre-restaurant Visit: Control Level at 100%
When we approach a McDonald's and enter a McDonald's we definitely gather a sense of how busy it will be. This also allows us to make an uneducated and completely powerful decision to stay or leave. There are easy signs to read at this point: how many customers are waiting, or how many cars are waiting; how many workers behind the counter; what condition the workers are in (ie frantic or calm); what it is that we are ordering.
If we determine that this is time for us to jet, then we do so, with no regret (save realizing that we may have to eat at Burger King). But once we make that commitment to wait in line, we start to think if we made the right decision. The point of no return at that point is of course when we place our order.
Ordering & Waiting: Control Level 20%
Notice the massive drop in control. We still have the same decision, whether or not to leave, however, now we start to feel powerless because of conflicting thoughts ("well I ordered so I should really wait; I'd be cheating them out of money if I just left; etc.").
But if the order is taking TOO long to complete we start to get agitated. We start ask ourselves deeper questions that find fault in our own actions ("why didn't I see this coming") or others ("why are they so incompetent"). This waiting period culminates with how we will react when the food is ready.
Picking Up Our Order: Control Level 100%
Really the transaction is done but now we feel back in full control. Some folks will try to get their money back if the food wasn't done on time. I, personally, have a tendency just to leave, not even checking my order (which at times has caused additional problems). Sometimes we'll just whip a nasty comment at the person, which by the way solves tons of problems (not really, considering that you've now just doubled the amount of people who probably are having a bad day ie you and the worker).
That dip in control can be extended out to many things. At a formal restaurant there's probably an additional moment between when you're seated and the waiter/waitress comes over to take your order (and smaller moments when your glass is refilled with a tasty bev). A sit down restaurant also adds the social stigma of abruptly leaving as well as the "illegal" act of not paying.
But there are many other areas where Big Mac Theory comes into play...many other times where we can't see the whole process or the steps of the process. Higher Education has tons of those Big Mac processes. And, as I mentioned earlier, the customer, the students, are currently the holders of high expectations of service.
For your department, academic or student services, what are you doing to accommodate this? Do you involve students on departmental decisions that affect them directly? Do you breakdown your processes step by step to see if they are value added for the student? Are your processes in place to defend against other problems?
Let's return to the McDonald's crew for a second. Let's assume that to make a Big Mac you need at least three folks. You need the Cashier to take the order and inform two food prep people. One food prep person is "cooking" the food, the other is gathering the items and putting on the final touches to the order.
Does the food "cooker" and food prep people care about what the cashier could go through if they don't prepare the food properly? The food prep person is probably closer to the front line but has the freedom to move away if things get heated. The food prep person probably also has to worry about other things like running out of supplies or being the communicator between the "cook" and the cashier. In the end, it's the cashier that is on the front line and is most likely to get yelled at or confronted if something goes wrong.
So the cashier probably takes the time to go over the order with the customer..."so you ordered two Happy Meals, three Big Macs, one with no onions, and 5 twenty piece chicken McNuggets." Good step, probably makes the customer feel better, but I'll bet that if the order is not filled properly the customer has completely forgot about that step.
The irony is that the cashier will probably get yelled at for something he didn't do.
No one likes to get "yelled at" (I put this phrase in quotes because I have both been on the receiving and giving end where I've actually done yelling or just simply said something but the feeling is sadly the same no matter how presented). First of all there's the initial shock of conflict. Once that wears off we ask ourselves what went wrong. Did I do something? If not, we look to the team (again blaming others). Sometimes we "yell at" the other members of our team.
How do we avoid this on both sides of the coin?
For starters if you're supervising or creating a process took a long look at what you're doing and why. Are you adding steps to protect yourself from inevitable phone calls? Are you afraid of screwing up and creating things to shift blame immediately to someone else? You and your team can control and maintain your own processes. But as exceptional moments come up, you must learn how to roll with them and possibly even change roles temporarily to accommodate the conflict.
If you're the customer, as tricky as this may be, find a way to understand the inner workings of the process. Additionally, communicate your concerns with the process but do so respectfully. E-mail or fill out a comment card if you don't want to go face to face with someone. Most of the time, management just doesn't know that someone didn't get their big mac on time. Otherwise realize that your control dips when you put your trust and faith in an outside party and be patient.
Customers and producers can work together to eliminate the fat of the process while also maintaining an understanding and respect to accomplish the task at hand. Good luck with your next Big Mac.
pb
posted by Peter Brooks at 10:54 AM
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