Quick Serve Kids: Quick-Serves Most Socially Responsible?
In a recent study of U.S. consumer attitudes toward corporate social responsibility in foodservice, Technomic found that restaurant users rated health insurance coverage, living wages and animal welfare as their top three concerns, when asked to select among 14 different issues.
In general, consumers believe restaurant chains could do more to address their high priority social issues. The chains that consumers view as being most socially responsible are McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Starbucks and Applebee’s.
Interesting that healthy menu and obesity weren’t among the top issues. It is also interesting that in Germany corporate responsibility seems to be a non-issue. Corporations are assumed to be irresponsible, and any effort to demonstrate social responsibility is dismissed as a PR gag. Or am I wrong?
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Germany…home of “service with a smile.” If you can get your crew to at least pretend that the customer is even remotely important, then you’ll have a winner on your hands. Just don’t smile…customers will think you’re coming on to them.
Funny, but appreciation for Chick-fil-A’s social responsibility usually wasn’t at the top of my list wheneve I wanted to eat there on a Sunday. It’s crazy, I know. I mean, what self-respecting entrepreneur would close their business on a Sunday?
Heh.
I’m not sure corporate responsibility and customer service are quite the same thing.
Thanks for the link! I agree: social responsibility is different from customer service. It’s how the company does (or does not) give back to the communities from which it makes its money.
To me, an important starting point is being a worthy employer, which should mean livable wages, health benefits, and reasonable scheduling flexibility for families and students.
And I do think there’s a fine line–in the United States and elsewhere–between corporate responsibility and PR. I mean, if you’re doing right by your community and employees, why do a news release about it, or hang huge wall art in your restaurants about how great your deeds are? And some parents resent programs like “get a free kid’s meal when you bring in a report card with straight A’s.” They perceive the offer purely as marketing.
In the big picture, doing good should bring more good your way. If that means more money, then so be it. These are businesses, after all.
I view customer service as a sub-set of corporate responsibility — a significant sub-set. I don’t think I’m alone in that. And, let’s face it, if a salespern acts as if I am inconveniecing them when I seek their service, it doesn’t matter how many trees the company plants or how many free meals they give away. On the other hand, they are businesses, not charities, so I expect everything to be focused on driving sales (and, as a shareholder, I would expect nothing less).
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