Coalition of Franchisee Associations

March 6, 2020

McDonald’s Cancels WWC

They really had no choice. WalMart announced yesterday they are restricting travel and canceling events, SXSW was canceled, etc. If McDonald's had gone ahead with WWC2020 
the public would have seen it as uncaring and irresponsible.

McDonald’s cancels its worldwide convention over coronavirus

Don't miss some great comments on this topic at: http://www.fegroupblog.com/2020/03/
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18 comments:

Anonymous said...

They had no choice, operators understood that more than a week ago. They had some choice, announce to their operators first. Glad to wake up to the news online, after weeks of hammering from field offices to sign up.

Refunds, or rent credits? Guess we can turn on CNN to learn that one too! Real leaders could of pulled off a brief webcast announcement, involving the worldwide PEOPLE assets.

SMH

Anonymous said...

Heads up- Distribution Centers are running out and Rationing Hand Sanitizer

Anonymous said...

What Field offices were hammering people to sign up? I didn’t receive one phone call and didn’t sign up. I thought we were finally past that. I thought we were past being “forced” to do sign up for meetings because I truly have not received a call and missed several meetings. I guess some Field office VPs did not get the memo on “collaboration”

Anonymous said...

Honest Discussion, not to sound disparaging.

Most I would say, easier to ID the field office(s) that are not pushing the same 'ole agenda. Careful missing meetings, as your OPERATOR INVOLVEMENT may have changed and you never knew it happened. There are exceptions, like being on a leadership team.

I seen many operators showing up to meetings cheerful. Like Santa Claus at Christmas; ploping into a meeting, like the big guy down the chimney. Eager anticipation toward finding some appreciation; like Santa hoping to finding cookies and milk. Instead, they got hit with a paralyzing spray of mace and shredded by a pack of dobermans.

There were always issues, Richard recently called it "Corporate Bullying". As well, I remember not too long ago reading in past MDP booklets about those words Communication, Cooperation and Collaboration. I would dare any operator to find those books in MCD circulation today. Remember the 12 Systems Toolkit and the training around the making managers proficient in skills needed to run good restaurants? Guess what? You cant find that data any longer either.

What can you easily find? ROIP, CEV, IPUR data in abundance.

The discussions been changing right under operators noses, if they'd only taken the time to look. Two worse case events in a franchise operators life are rewrite and applying a 2nd Generation. Now be honest, with oneself if no one else - whens the last time a franchise owner had a open HONEST DISCUSSION when faced with either of those situations?

The only serious hope is with the recent Stock Market crash, a new round of corporate cuts are on the way. All the stock raising benefits of past cuts have evaporated with recent stock price losses.

Does the new Corporate leaders want a HONEST DISCUSSION? Sort of a two birds with one stone situation for the corporate side leadership? Have the NFLA/OPNAD/NOA push for a corporate 360-degree evaluation of their field offices leadership, run by a unbiased 3rd party company.

Talk about allowing a real open and honest discussion. They cant give everyone restaurants to buy that off!

Never fly, you're thinking? You betcha! But it shows you just how honest discussions are in the field. Or at least how single-sided they truly are; with no real Ombudsman process to balance it out.

The cool part being, with the cancellation of WWC there's a lot of time and money sidelined to permit such a soul cleansing. It will be interesting with Quarterly reports just around the corner! So pop the corn everybody, its gonna get real interesting.

Anonymous said...

What the heck is a digital convention?

Anonymous said...

it's similar to the one we're all familiar with -- smoke and mirrors and then our money is gone... Now it will happen while we're at home. Not in Orlando.

Anonymous said...

Digital convention, is where you submit your credit card number to watch a video. The video explains how the automatic deduction to your bank account is being withdrawn to support the new 2021-2023 vision. That's the vision they would of shown you in Orlando - could be showing you in Chicago (like the BBV2020 parade) - but due to the virus scare, felt it best just to move forward without you.

All courtesy of the NFLA, OPNAD, SET, TECH and any other board representative who feels they are empowered to financially commit their fellow operators without a field vote.

No, seriously - I'm sure it will be a infomercial of sorts for needed expenditures. Explaining how to get the best usage out of your BBV2020 lobby investment (when the system decided to focus on drive-thru). Explaining you will need to replace kitchen MFY set-ups, for the OPL line (though its explained OPL won't quicken KVS, nor improve QUALITY). It will however, set you back about a couple hundred thousand. BUT its needed, as it will be made NRBES, along with those ZOOM TIMERS. Of course, everything is operator approved.

Courtesy of those on the boards mentioned beforehand. Who will tell you, they would of warned you sooner - but if not for those pesky non-disclosure agreements.

Anonymous said...

Why, why, why can't we see who voted for or against these material operator expenditures? Are our "representatives" afraid that they won't get re-elected to volunteer positions? Why would they care? Whats in it for them?

At least with NOA I know that they don't have a vote but they are focused on the vacuum hose inserted into my pocket by my own elected "representatives!

Anonymous said...

AMEN on the NOA comment above

Anonymous said...

I still would love to know what field office is harassing people anymore. I thought we were past that. That’s the exact purpose of the NOA is to protect against it. Maybe if we start calling out field office harassment here, we can help get the word out.

Anonymous said...

Has there been any discussion about the potential financial impact this virus may have on our US business? Will Corp help operators with Rent assistance or turn a blind eye. Will our Distribution centers raise case pricing to get their guaranteed profit or partner with the franchises to offset losses together? Will the 3 legged stool stand together or feed off of another leg until it collapses? Will the debt heavy burden of BBV be able to weather this storm or will this shrink an already over leveraged downsized operator base even smaller....NOA please start this conversation now. The storm is near.

Anonymous said...

I am with the Poster above wanting to know who made the votes. I am tried of being represented by operators that are trying to curry favor with McDonald's. for new and additional restaurants and/or 2nd Generation considerations. Many of these operators find ways to be on these Groups for decades at a time and after looking at the overall operations of their restaurants some need to STOP representing me and start doing the right thing and run their restaurants correctly.

OpNad reps - they vote for each discount program and new product that comes along.
NLC reps - Voted us into the BBV2020. I just hope the NFLA does not do the same thing in future years.
Purchasing reps - that voted us into the Pallet delivery system. (Damage to the restaurant and missing products are like a price increase)

We need true transparent votes, We need true representation and We need to push back on most of the so called good or new ideas. I can figure out how to make money and do operations if My reps and McDonald's would quit making changes. Hey, same things I want from my Government.

Anonymous said...

Is every operator aware that NOIT Chair Ken Kades says that our insurance coverages will NOT cover corona related incidents or business interuptions?

Anonymous said...

The best question of the month-

"Will the debt heavy burden of BBV (to operators) be able to weather this storm or will this shrink an already over leveraged downsized operator base even smaller.."


Can you say LOAN DEFAULTS???

Anonymous said...

Second best comment of the month-

"And suspend kiosk usage until a cure for this virus is found. Hundreds of people per day touch these screens. It’s only a matter of time until somebody claims that they received the virus via these kiosks."

Spot on. And your insurance WONT cover it! PR disaster!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure about this insurance discussion. Can someone help me? is it because it's an act of god? because I'm pretty sure it's man made over in china....

Anonymous said...

To the above-

NO COVERAGE

Anonymous said...

MCD has made the decision to CLOSE MHQ in Chicago!


MCD to Operators- "You are on your own"