Today we four, TIAN GENGYIN, WANG KANGLI, RAN BO and I, decided to do some research in McDonald in order to accomplish the assignment Ms Lim. At three o’clock pm, we started off. We arrived at the McDonald in Queensway after several minutes’ walk.
There were some customers having dinner when we entered the restaurant, but not many. We sit in some place first. Then we talked about how to start the research although we had prepared much for it on Friday evening.
Once we decided what we should do, we put it practice at once. We came up to the counter, said greetings to the salesman, and then asked him whether we could do a research in the restaurant. At first, he gave the answer “yes”, but he told us he would go to ask the manager whether to be allowed after several minutes’ reflection. The manager found that the go-between, the salesman that waited on us, was not able to communicate information efficiently. So he turned up to reply our questions in flesh. We appreciated his hospitability. However, what happened next proved our thoughts were totally wrong.
We asked him whether we could send some questionnaires to the customers in the restaurant. He asked us whether we had the permission from the headquarters. We definitely had no permission from the headquarters. He told us that we could not carry out this survey if we had no the permission. In the circumstances, we could not carry out the survey. Then we asked him whether we might ask him several questions about McDonald. He gave the answer of “yes”. Since it is so, we decided to ask him the questions we had come up with on Friday evening in case that our efforts went without any results. However, his answer frustrated us another time. We asked him where the source of the food came from. He said that it was confidential and he could let it out. Judging from his facial expression, he had been a little impatient. The behavior he made next proved it further. He requested to have a look at the questions we would like to ask. We gave him outline we made. After scanning it once, his reply was that the questions we asked were relevant to commercial confidentiality and he could give the answers. Of course, we were not satisfied with his reply. He was very aware of it. In order to comfort us, he gave us the address of headquarters and told us that we could go to apply the permission. In this case, we could not say anything more. Therefore, we left the restaurant after we thanked him.
It is a bad experience; however, to some degree, it is an excellent experience. We learn something from it, indeed. We learn that no matter how small the thing in business is, it is confidential.
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yeah, i think so. This was my first survey after all. I think it was an excellent experience. In fact, the most important thing I gained from our survey was to be brave, to have courage to put you plans into practice. And I learned that I never hurts to ask more.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you are brave enough to open your mouth, you will learn. Looking forward to more such experiences.
Dear JinLong. Jacky, KangLi and RanBo
ReplyDeleteThe Manager from MacDonalds is correct to say that you need to seek and obtain permission from his Headquarters before he can participate in your questionnaire and truly, a lot of information is 'CLASSIFIED'.
I think the lessson to be learnt here is that you have to be more thorough in doing your 'homework/preparatory work' to collect the primary data for your research. But never mind, this experience will form part of your learning curve.
Any try is better than giving up no matter what the result is. I think you are brave, and it will be your valuable experience which will help you do better next time. It's important for us to try our best to do the thigs that seems difficult before you do it. After you try, you will find it is not beyond your ability and you can do it well next time.
ReplyDeleteBesides, we should be more confident before we do something. I don't think someone will trust you if you don't trust youselves. We should judt believe in that we can do it well.
So It's really a good experience.
Hey Eric, thanks for the efforts put in.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion would be to prepare yourself better in the future how you would approach such scenarios. First of all, start always with the simplest questions, leading to more difficult, complex and sensitive questions. Forge 'friendships', and ensure that your interviewee is comfortable with your questions before making the next move...and so forth.
Will be discussing this in class =) Glad you found this to be a positive experience!
Thank you for recording what we have experienced last Sunday in Macdonald. I personally regarded it as an interesting experience. I was not surprised at the result at all for I have done such research when I was in the elementry school. I have been rejected by the manager of Macdonald in Shanghai. But this time I still wanted to have a try to see weather it would be some differences between the different countries. We can learn a lot from it, don't we? To be honest, I like to work with your three guys for I admired your great ideas which appealed to me a lot. Perhaps next time, we can do another project together and finish it successfully!
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