Day 123 - 09 May 95 - Page 51
1 a good working relationship with our franchisees; I think,
2 in large part, we do. There would be no reason why they
3 would not want to share that information with us. They are
4 paying for it. I mean, we are there to assist them. We
5 are there to help them be more successful.
6
7 So, if they are having problems in whatever area it might
8 be, the more informed we are, the better able we are to
9 provide assistance and counsel to them. So for them to
10 stonewall us on providing information about the operation
11 of their business, I mean, that is in their -- that is
12 certainly not in their best interests, so it has been my
13 experience that they would be forthcoming with whatever
14 information we would request.
15
16 Q. But, I mean, if it came to a dispute about it, would you be
17 able to say: "We want to see those papers; you have to
18 show them to us. That is part of the agreement"?
19 A. Generally, no. I mean, if we asked them to show us
20 their labour schedule, you know, for last week, they do not
21 have to give us that information. If there is information
22 that is pertinent to -- and that is important information
23 -- but if there is information that is pertinent and
24 important to ascertaining whether or not they are running
25 the business effectively or, perhaps, violating some law
26 with regard to that labour schedule, that they might be
27 working minors passed a certain hour or above a certain
28 maximum number of hours for a day or a week, then we would
29 need to know that information. We could require that
30 information.
31
32 But, outside of that, outside of that, it is not our
33 practice to demand that kind of information. We give them,
34 as I indicated earlier, broad parameters in which to
35 operate, but just to make sure that they are not doing
36 anything that would in any way impugn the good reputation
37 of McDonald's, we could request certain documents, certain,
38 you know, information.
39
40 Q. So, you have the power to require documents if you
41 reasonably believe you need to see them but, in general,
42 you would not be using that power, you would be doing it
43 based on trust?
44 A. That is right.
45
46 Q. Is that fair?
47 A. We have a working relationship with them where there is
48 a free sharing of information. We give them information.
49 They provide us with information. They are a very, very
50 valuable source of information to the McDonald's system.
51 By that I mean that many of the things that we do today are
52 the direct result of input that we have received from our
53 franchisees.
54
55 Some of the procedures, operating procedures, that have
56 been implemented have really come at the suggestion of our
57 franchisees. So, there is a free sharing of information;
58 it is not just one way, us giving them information and
59 telling them how they ought to do things. They have come
60 back with us with many recommendations and embellishments
