The company identified with a performance gap is McDonalds Company. McDonalds Company deals in fast foods. The performance gap here is that of not knowing what the customers expect. As a multinational cooperation, McDonalds Company should be having comprehensive methods and ways of discerning the specifications of customers in the market. Perhaps, this gap exists within the company because of the inadequate market research leading to the little knowledge of the customer's preferences and needs (Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt, 2010). Besides, there is a possible lack of upward communication expected to create more awareness of customer characteristics and influence production as a trend. The insufficiency of the relationships focus is costing the company bit of chances to meets its objectives such that customers do not get what they order on time. Besides this, the limited service recovery creates strained relationships between the company and its customers in the market (Corrigan, & McCracken 2013). All these challenges have to lead to the strengthening of the customer awareness gap within the company.
One major aspect or strategy that will work towards changing this gap into an opportunity is through training. Training should start with the creation of awareness of the problem, to the particular departments and employees who have a direct responsibility (Corrigan, & McCracken 2013). The employees under the training program will be informed of the specific details illustrating the presence of this problem. The training will dwell on discerning customer needs, preferences, and likes in the market. This comes with understanding the nature of the customers, their trends, their characteristics, and their specific change patterns in consuming the company products and services (Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt, 2010). The training will touch on customer understanding, creative response to particular customer preferences, inclusiveness of these specifications in the creative production processes, and possible strategies to win the customer specifications through alleviated and improved production and products.
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McDonalds is a global company and hence the training ought to go out to more potential employees in new cities such that the company will introduce more franchises in cities and metros. Franchising increases the chances of employees and the company realizing the potentials in itself, how it can exploit these potentials, and more assuredly to a group of customers who are known well in the market (Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt, 2010). The management should introduce drive-through outlets and important locations in meaningful ways that benefit the customers. These strategies will have certain impacts in the company. For instance, there will be an improved space for fast foods production, improved hygiene in the production areas, fun places for kids, effective parking bays, cleanliness of the stores, and empathy from the employees to the customers (Corrigan, & McCracken 2013).
With such training, the employees will have a better way of getting to know their customers, getting to understand their needs and changing tastes and preferences, and more importantly how to respond to these needs at any given time. Certainly, changes will be implemented after every training session so that employees can evaluate themselves on the new skills and the prospects of applying them successfully (Saks, Haccoun, & Belcourt, 2010). Such improvements will be measured in terms of levels of customer satisfaction, goods and services offered to the customers in a more quantified manner, and possible growth realization through a measurable index affixed to expenses and incomes in the different departments within the company. In doing this, it will be possible to have channels of engagements that incorporate employees, customers, and potential customer bases. There will be a potential for employees to have the willingness to help and solve queries. Customers will access the products and services in a more effective and efficient way, all leading to their satisfaction (Corrigan, & McCracken 2013).
References
Corrigan, P.W. & McCracken S. G. (2013). Interactive Staff Training: Rehabilitation Teams that Work . New York: Springer Science & Business Media
Saks, A. M., Haccoun, R.R. & Belcourt, M. (2010). Managing Performance through Training and Development. New York: Cengage Learning
