A.

Important Facts and Problem Statement:

The case involving the McDonald's drive-through customer who spilled scalding hot coffee on
herself, and similar cases involving Motor City Bagel Shop and Starbucks, highlight several key facts:
B. Key Issue:
The key issue in these cases arises from the potential danger posed by serving coffee at an
extremely high temperature. The problem primarily stems from the serving temperature of the coffee,
which significantly exceeds the industry standard and raises concerns about the safety and quality of
the product. Additionally, the issue also relates to whether the companies provided sufficient warnings
about the hot temperature to their customers.
C. Alternative Courses of Action (ACAs)
1. **Maintain Current Coffee Temperature but Enhance Warnings:**
- McDonald's, Motor City Bagel Shop, and Starbucks have the option to keep their coffee at the
highest temperature, but they should display more prominent warnings on their cups and service
points. This would entail placing the "Caution-Contents May Be Hot" label and possibly adding
additional safety labels to the cups.
- This course of action may help protect there companies from liability to some extent but could still
raise ethical concerns about knowingly serving a product that can cause severe injuries.
2. **Lower Coffee Temperature to Industry Standard:**
- These firms can also lower the serving temperature of their coffee to industry-standards, which is
typically around 160°F.
- The practice would become more similar to the rest of industry and reduce injuries. Lowering the
temperature would likely decrease severe burn risk, improve product quality and alleviate ethical
concerns related to serving beverages that are too hot.
3. **Implement Comprehensive Quality and Safety Checks**
- Companies have the option to uphold the high tecoffeemperature while also conducting rigorous
quality and safety assessments to ensure that the coffee is served without any flaking, leakage, or
inadequate sealing.
- They could also instruct staff on how to serve hot drinks safely. This method can help to manage
quality and safety concerns while maintaining the temperature. Even so, it may reduce the risk of
accidents and may not be as effective as reducing the temperature.
D. Recommendation:
I recommended to reduce the coffee temperature to industry-standards of approximately
160°F. It complies with industry standards, minimizes the risk of serious injuries, and addresses
quality and safety issues.
E. Conclusion:
When faced with incidents like the McDonald's hot coffee incident, it is crucial to assess the safety
and quality of products, as well as the ethical responsibilities of companies involved. The suggested
approach is to lower the coffee temperature to industry standards as it provides a balance between
safety and quality, while also complying with industry norms and ethical standards. The plan should
help prevent additional accidents and alleviate the legally hand reputational harm caused by
excessively hot drinks.