Day 042 - 31 Oct 94 - Page 58
1 Q. Would you respect the views of one of the ronald mcdonald's
2 if they had some views about what they were doing?
3 A. I mean, in terms of what they feed back, of course,
4 they are dealing with the people, the children, in the
5 front line. Normally, the sort of thing that comes back is
6 something to do with magic tricks that they want improved
7 or something that would enhance their show. It is very
8 much to do with that kind of area that comes back.
9
10 Q. So, in terms of, say, you being stuck in an office and they
11 are out there actually communicating directly with kids,
12 they would have something valuable to contribute really?
13 A. Of course, I mean, when I have been to see Ronald
14 visits, I might observe certain things as well where you
15 can see you could improve the visit. So, I mean, I cannot
16 be there all the time, so they feed that back through the
17 normal course of events. Most of them have been working
18 with us for some time. They actually know the restaurant
19 managers; they know the people. So, it is a very informal,
20 continual improvement of the programme.
21
22 Q. Right. You said that these Ronalds are actually freelance
23 or something, or you gave that impression; I do not know if
24 I got the right impression?
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What line of attack is that now?
27
28 MR. MORRIS: I am just asking are they actually representing the
29 company in some way?
30 A. When they are in costume, they are definitely
31 representing the company, yes.
32
33 Q. What about when they pass on information or their views to
34 the company? Is that just seeking outside ----
35 A. No, I mean, that is part of their job. They take this
36 job very seriously. This is not something they just turn
37 up and do. They are being paid to take quite a responsible
38 role in entertaining young children. They feed back,
39 accordingly, what they feel and what they think should be
40 done to improve it or change it in some way.
41
42 Q. But would they ever be asked to attend any meetings, any
43 formal meetings, at head office or anything to put their
44 views or not?
45 A. They have done that, yes.
46
47 Q. At what level?
48 A. I have attended meetings where they have been at. We
49 also send them on European training programmes and
50 international training programmes. They become -- whilst
51 they may be on a fee basis for us, they become very much
52 part of McDonald's, as far as their performance is
53 concerned.
54
55 Q. If you were to take their views seriously, would they
56 actually attend, what, a management meeting or something of
57 that kind?
58 A. On a general basis they would not, but if there was a
59 specific reason why we needed to consult with them on the
60 ground, if we were thinking of doing something radically
