Day 084 - 07 Feb 95 - Page 41


     
     1        A.  The incident report forms are sent off to head office,
     2        so we do have the figures about people who bring back a
     3        product that they say is under-cooked.
     4
     5   Q.   Roughly how often does that get reported then?
     6        A.  An under-cooked product?
     7
     8   Q.   Yes.
     9        A.  In an individual restaurant?
    10
    11   Q.   Yes, OK.
    12        A.  It would be pure speculation.  I do not have a figure.
    13        I would not know a figure on that.
    14
    15   Q.   What about a figure then for the total number of incident
    16        report forms that you see about that subject?
    17        A.  There are probably -- I do not personally see them;
    18        they go into the customer services department.  It is my
    19        belief that we get queries maybe a handful a month of
    20        product that was suspected of being under-cooked.  I do not
    21        have detailed figures in my head, I am afraid.
    22
    23   Q.   Customer services, would that be ----
    24        A.  Marianne Page runs the customer services department.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Over what area is that handful a month?  Is
    27        that per restaurant?
    28        A.  That is over the whole country, the incident report
    29        forms that come through.
    30
    31   Q.   That applies to franchised restaurants as well as managed
    32        ones, does it?
    33        A.  That is right, yes.
    34
    35   MS. STEEL:  But, as you say, that does not include incidents
    36        where the customer says, "Oh, this is a bit cold" and gets
    37        the burger exchanged?
    38        A.  No, it would not.  We have a policy of just trying to
    39        solve the customer's complaint at the counter, and if they
    40        ask for a replacement sandwich we will give them a
    41        replacement sandwich.
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Looking at food safety, tell me if I am
    44        wrong, when the customer complains of it not being warm
    45        enough that does not mean under-cooked?
    46        A.  No, it does not.
    47
    48   Q.   You are not treating that as meaning under-cooked?
    49        A.  I am not treating that as meaning under-cooked.  They
    50        may have bought a sandwich, sat down with their family and 
    51        then got round to eating it a few minutes after they 
    52        purchased it and it may not be as hot they required.  So it 
    53        has been fully cooked, yet when they came to eat it the
    54        actual sandwich was not hot, so they take it back and ask
    55        for a replacement.
    56
    57   Q.   You do not argue the toss about that or that it should not
    58        be the practice; you just get on and exchange it?
    59        A.  Our practice is to exchange the product and to satisfy
    60        the customer's request there and then.

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