5 Business Tips We Can Learn From McDonalds

Just about everyone in the western world knows of the brand “McDonalds” – the largest fast food chain in the world serving 54 million customers daily. Here are 5 business tips that we can all learn from McDonalds.

1. Streamlining
In my personal opinion, there is better fast food available at other outlets. However, I constantly find that McDonalds has the fastest service. This is because their process is highly streamlined; from cooking the meat, putting it together and serving it to you, it is all as streamlined as possible. This allows them to turn over more customers quicker than many other fast food outlets. There are few places where they can have a line of cars wrapped around the building and you can still be in and out of drive-thru in under 5 minutes.

So as computer technicians, what can we do to streamline our work? Obviously the process of hunting down the problem cannot be streamlined, but there are regular tasks we have to do such as re-installing the operating system, patching it and installing its applications.

By default, the OS install process requires us to check the computer a few times to enter the partition information, license key, language, timezone and setting up user accounts.
I am frequently reinstalling Windows on multiple computers at a time and I don’t want to babysit them. This is why I have created a slipstreamed install CD using the nLite tool.
The Windows update patching process requires a significant about of user input such as opening up the website, pressing the Express button, pressing ok on the “this is unencrypted information” popup, installing the “Windows Installer and Genuine Advantage”, restarting and going through the whole process again.
To get around this, I use Offline Update and its automatic reboot option.

For the application process, you can either use an application like Appsnap or create a BAT file. Some technicians are even programming their own applications and scripts to automate this process using tools like AutoIT.

2. Upselling

We hear the “Would you like fries with that?” line all the time and sometimes even make jokes about it because it sounds so corny. However, they do it for a reason. It works.

In the computer business, try and find some opportunities to upsell. For example, if someone is purchasing a DVD Burner from you, offer to sell them a spindle of blank DVDs.

If they are buying a new system (box only), ask them if they need a screen, keyboard and mouse.

If you are onsite and you notice that the client has laptops and is using a wired connection, suggest a wireless option to them.

You never know what the customer is willing to buy unless you offer.

3. Repackaging

McDonalds does an amazing job at “repackaging” their products to take advantage of different price levels. The “Happy Meal” is a great example of this.
You can get simple hamburger on the American “dollar menu”. For a few dollars more you can make it a meal and even get a toy with it.

McDonalds also offers some “gourmet” options have extras like tomato or bacon.
Each burger and meal deal take advantage of different price levels so there is an option for everyone.

The way we can adapt this to the computer industry is to offer a good range of computer packages.

For example:
Student PC – A computer with a celeron CPU or possibly even second hand. A CRT screen and a $20 cheap keyboard and mouse.

Home Office – Decently powered but with no performance parts on it. Comes with a LCD screen and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Cheap Gamer – Last generations performance parts. Basic case, keyboard and mouse.

Extreme Gamer – Bleeding edge parts, funky looking case with gaming keyboard and mouse.

All the trimmings – 26 inch screen, high end keyboard and mouse, bleeding edge parts and comes with a 5.1 speaker system, external hard drive, joystick and webcam.

With packages like these, you should have a computer for each type of customer.

4. Special Promotions

McDonalds often has special promotions like a new burger available for a limited time. In most cases, these burgers are only around for a few months but if they are overly successful they become part of the permanent McDonalds menu. Another type of special promotion that McDonalds has used are “2 for 1 offers” such as two apple pies for $1.

Try some special promotions of your own. Make the 10th hour free for your onsite work. Put together a wireless package that has a wireless router and 3 wireless USB dongles. These special promotions are a great way to get rid of last generations stock.

5. Location, Location, Location

McDonalds understands the importance of locations. They typically position themselves on major intersections but still remain easily accessible no matter what road you are on.

As a computer technicians, its obviously not worth it for us to be putting our stores on major intersections like McDonalds. However, there are some backblock areas that can be particularly good for us.

One such example is a successful computer store near where I live. They are in a small side street and are not visible from the main road. One would think this wouldn’t be a very good location since visibility is important. However, they have a post office on one side of them and some small shops on the other side – a pizza shop, fish and chips and a milkbar). During the day people goto the post office and milkbar and goto the pizza/fish & chips at night. By being in a small side street the rent is low, yet it receives plenty of foot traffic both day and night.

McDonalds spends a lot of time researching the best places to place their restaurants and you should too. It pays off.