McDonald’s is one of the best global foodservice retailer which has more than 32,000 local

restaurants serving more than 60 million people in 117 countries each day. More than 75% of
McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local public. The
Company serves the world some of its favourite foods – World Famous Fries, Big Mac,
Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffin. The history began with our
founder, Ray Kroc. The strong foundation that he established continues today with
McDonald’s vision and the commitment of our talented executives to keep the shine on
McDonald’s Arches for years to come. . Its head office is located in Oak Brook United
States.
McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants, working
worldwide in 117 countries with 400000 workers. It has 60 Million customers with 32000
restaurants worldwide. A franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself operates every
McDonald’s restaurant. The corporations’ revenues come from the rent, royalties and fees
paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. Its net operating
income for the year ended 2010 is $7.673 Billion. The type of the company is public.

ANALYSIS OF SERVQUAL MODEL

5 DIMENSIONS OF SERVQUAL
 Reliability: The ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately
 Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey
trust and confidence.
 Tangibility: The appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and
communication materials
 Empathy: The provision of caring, individualized attention to customers
 Responsiveness: The willingness to help customers and to provide prompt service.
From our research we found out that McDonald’s reliability differ from its competitors.
1.Reliability:
 Taste perception which includes juiciness of chicken, blend of ingredients,
freshness of vegetables
 They are very prompt in offering the service
 The queues move quickly while the taking of order
 The orders are quickly taken and the same food are delivered as per the order
 They meet the timely delivery which they promise

LIMITATIONS OF SERVQUAL MODEL:

In the text below are the limitations of using the SERVQUAL model. It is addressed using
the
following headers:
1. Universality of the model
2. Subjective views
3. Process oriented and validation

Universality of the model

It is a one size fits all model. It does not matter in which area of the market the business
operates. From Food industry to car industry to clothing industry or services.
Different sectors may encounter different problems or troubles; this model does not change in
any way. It keeps looking at the same gaps.

Subjective views
The ServQual exists of perception of management and the expectation of the customer. This
means that there is a human aspect to the final conclusion. A subjective aspect to a model like
this does also mean that it cannot have the same outcome every time. It depends on the
people using the model what the outcome will be.

Expectations of customers will be higher since the customer always wants to have the best
product. This may not always be fair for the price is something that the customer bases their
expectations upon. The price/quality ratio
The view of the customer is not constant. It varies from time to time. It differs every time the
customer is in contact with the service provider or vice versa. Zeepedia defines this as the:
‘’Moment of Truth.’’ (Zeepedia) An organisation has to satisfy or to dissatisfying the
customer within these Moments of Truth.

Process orientated
Gaps that exist within the model are all focussed on the process. On the ways that the product
or service is delivered. Orientation on the outcomes would also focus on the outcome and
how the customer experiences the product. Expectations are visualized with questionnaires,
interviews and personal interpretation. These happen before the customer has tried the actual
product. Experiences on the other hand are obtained after the customer used the product and
has formed an opinion.
Taking in mind both the expectations and experiences together would as a result form a more
complete view of the customer choice. It would be better to take the outcome into
consideration as well.

Validation
The validation of the Service Quality model is another disadvantage. Multiple website, which
are described in the bibliography, describe that questions about the validation of the ServQual
are being raised.
When using the Service Quality model, it is not considered to be enough to use it once and
react immediately upon the findings. If it is part of a continuous improvement, every new
item or component could have different impacts for the gaps and thus for the decisions of the
customers.
5 OTHER FACTORS OTHER THAN SERVQUAL THAT DETERMINE
SATISFACTORY SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS:

1. Accessibility
McDonalds ensure that customers are able to find and access their products and services
efficiently, without barriers and friction, on their preferred channel. Also, make sure that they
can reach the company and obtain good service whenever they have a question or need
assistance to make a purchase decision.

2. Language

McDonalds speaks to their customers in their preferred language which is pivotal for their
business. More than 50% of consumers won’t make a purchase if information about a product
isn’t available in their language.
However, language doesn’t only apply to language in terms of geographical demographics
but also how certain phrases or terms resonate with their audience and reflect back on the
business. They use user-friendly language and avoid industry specific jargon that could cause
confusion and rob them of an opportunity to connect on a personal level.
Without great communication, there can be no great customer experience.

3. Real-Time
If a service want to capture the attention of their audience, they think about how they can take
advantage of real-time experiences. It’s about showing up when their customers need them.
Real-time interactions are becoming increasingly important to the modern consumer. They
expect real-time responses and faster resolutions and McDonalds excels in it.

4.Excitement Factors
Excitement factors are unexpected features that surprise the customers. They generate
“delight’’ when delivered, hence, have a strong impact on customer satisfaction.
Company should enhance these factor to stand out from the competition. These factors
have “Wow” effect that triggers unknown needs and wants of the customers. Think you
are in a hotel, wouldn’t you be delighted finding fresh flowers or freshly baked cookies
whenever your room has been cleaned or refreshed?
5.Performance Factors
These factors lead to satisfaction if fulfilled or exceeded and lead to dissatisfaction if not
fulfilled. Performance factors are customers’ spoken needs and desires, it can cause both
satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Therefore, a service provider should be competitive with
regard to these performance factors. Again, using the hotel example, the customers’
spoken needs are typically a request of internet access, a non-smoking room or one away
from elevators.

SERVQUAL Recommendations

Servqual or service quality is not a new phenomenon. Fast food restaurants such as
McDonald’s have to maintain quality of service to retain customers. Customer perceptions
are formed according to the services received and this in turn affects customer’s satisfaction
levels. McDonald’s has incorporated several tangible factors such as the structure and layout
of the stores, coloring and servicescape to bring uniformity in the different chains around the
world. However, some gaps do remain between customer expectations and service quality
which McDonald’s is trying to control so that they can meet the needs of their customers.
Since McDonald’s is a global chain it has to meet the local needs of the consumers and
arrange its services according to the customer expectations. The first Gap 1 is created when
the management of McDonald’s stores do not accept the local expectations of consumers.
While trying to maintain uniformity in services, McDonald’s stores often fail to do the
necessary market research to understand the local needs.
McDonald’s can reduce the first gap understanding the needs of consumers in different
regions. To close the gap 1, McDonald’s need to take into consideration the local culture and
food preferences of the targeted market. McDonald’s should also ensure that special services
are arranged for special occasions and events that are held at their outlets.

Gap 2 is created when the management of the company fail to perceive customer
expectation and convert them into quality specifications.
McDonald’s often suffers from Gap 2 failure because managers at different stores react
differently to customer needs. Delivering services on time and maintaining cleanliness at the
stores are some of key focus areas for services at McDonald’s. However, the Gap 2 is created
when customers do not perceive the service quality to be
. McDonald’s can reduce Gap 2 if they concentrate on understanding customer
expectations and perceptions. It is recommended that to close Gap 2, McDonald’s can reduce
Gap 2 if they take regular surveys from customers to understand their tastes and preferences.
McDonald’s can also ask questions about the layout plan of the store to get suggestions for
improvement according to preferences and expectations of the consumers. By getting the
necessary feedback, McDonald’s can design their services to meet customer expectations and
perceptions.

Gap 3 is created when the perception and expectation of services is not met by the
service delivery system incorporated by the company. At
McDonald’s service managers and employees are generally trained regularly to attain best
service practices. However, McDonald’s need to integrate training according to the customs
and cultures of different locations instead of having the same kind of training manual for
employees all around the world. Management of McDonald’s should ensure that employees
are trained regularly so that they understand the expectations of the customers as well as the
management. McDonald’s should also ensure that the current program of “Employee of the
Month” is extended to encourage employees to perform better. McDonald’s should also train
their employees in customer care. McDonald’s employees should also be trained to deliver
food effectively during peak hours.

Gap 4 is created by communication gap between the marketing of services and

perception of the quality of services by the consumers. The external communications to
consumers and actual service delivery creates Gap 4. McDonald’s is a renowned chain of fast
food but some of the items that are promoted by the company can be misleading as they are
not available in other countries. Generic advertising campaigns creates Gap 4 and
McDonald’s should try to create country specific advertisements so that local targeted
population can understand the kind of services available at McDonald’s. McDonald’s can
also close Gap 4 by regularly advertising about new products range so that consumers are
aware about any new changes in the menu. To close Gap 4, McDonald’s can also encourage
new product catalogues, handbills or even mobile apps for faster home delivery options.
Another possible way of closing Gap 4 is reducing channels of communication that are
misleading or harmful to the reputation of the company.
To close Gap 4, companies should always focus on creating realistic customer expectations
that can be met by the management of the company. Similarly, at McDonald’s, the
management should allow customization of menu with Happy Meals, so that more customers
are willing to opt for it. Most importantly, McDonald’s should try to close the gap between
the service that customers receive and the service that they seek. If the gaps increase in size
then the service quality will reduce. McDonald’s can definitely integrate the
recommendations and create a branding strategy that helps the company to close the gap and
improve the perception of service quality and service delivery.