‘Need to adapt to changing customer behavior’

By Siddhi Jain

New Delhi, Aug 7 As India moves forward in the Unlock phases, there is a need to adapt to changing customer behavior and align business operations with safety reassurance at the core, feels Robert Hunghanfoo, Head of CPRL, which operates McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India. Noting a gradual, but slow return to normalcy, he says customers remain cautious about stepping out.

“The pandemic has had profound consequences on people at large and the pandemic induced lockdown has severely impacted many industries with restaurants being one of the worst affected businesses. Customer behavior has changed significantly and they have remained cautious of stepping out to avoid risk of exposure. It will still take some more time for the F&B industry to get back to its pre-Covid-19 level,” Hunghanfoo told IANSlife.

The popular fast food chain In India currently has close to 85 percent of their restaurants open, and is working with local authorities to open the remaining very soon. It has implemented nearly 50-plus process changes in its restaurant operations including temperature checks, PPEs (masks, gloves and face shields) for employees, social distancing and regular disinfection.

As ‘contactless’ becomes the new normal, the brand says it has also introduced 100 percent Contactless Ordering across select restaurants in Delhi NCR to ensure zero contact experience in dine-in and takeaway orders, by enabling access to the menu on mobile phones by scanning a QR code, offering pre-ordering option and cashless payment.

“At McDonald’s, the decisions we have made through this unprecedented time has and will continue to define our business for years to come. We continue to operate with a long-term mindset,” he concluded.