As McDonald’s works to get customers to move more freely between digital and in-person ordering, the fast-food giant has created a new corporate team to focus on how consumers interact with the company.
The customer experience team, as it is called, will use consumer data gathered through McDonald’s digital platforms, CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement. It will put the teams working on digital, delivery, drive-thru, marketing and core menu under one executive.
“The formation of the customer experience team strengthens McDonald’s ability to lead the industry in anticipating and delivering on customer needs at every part of the brand journey, which increasingly extends beyond the walls of the physical restaurant through digital, delivery and drive thru,” Kempczinski said.
The news today comes as McDonald’s kicks off the advertising campaign for its new MyMcDonald’s Rewards program. The long-anticipated program rolled out about two weeks ago—years after the launch of similar programs at outfits such as Starbucks—and allows the chain to track customer behavior and encourage people to order more.
Data gleaned through the rewards program and other channels will fuel the new customer experience team, which will include the company’s data analytics, digital customer engagement, global restaurant development and restaurant solutions teams.
McDonald’s promoted Manu Steijaert to the newly created role of executive VP and global chief customer officer to lead the team. He starts Aug. 1 and will report to Kempczinski. Those reporting into Steijaert include Alistair Macrow, senior VP and global chief marketing officer.
Steijaert has been VP of international operated markets since 2019, but his first experience working at McDonald’s was in 1987, when he started working at the locations his parents owned in Belgium.
Manu Steijaert
“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do at McDonald’s, and we have reached a pivotal moment when technology and data have begun to shape nearly every facet of the customer experience,” he said in the statement.
Steijaert is based in the Netherlands and plans to relocate to Chicago, McDonald's announced.
McDonald’s has been digitizing its drive-thru and in-store experience, and has rolled out new technologies to help it do so. Part of the push has been focused on reducing drive-thru times, including adding technology that allows automated ordering and payments, and tools that alert workers when customers are close to ensure fast pickup.
The company has been working for years to decrease its drive-thru times by reducing menu complexities and making other moves. It saw some of its efforts pay off during the pandemic in the form of increased same-store sales. Its new loyalty app will further those efforts.
