Lisa Zhu | A little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T

"I'm lovin' it!"

Almost everyone associates this catchphrase with McDonald's, but few Penn students would agree that it applies to the franchise's branch on 40th and Walnut streets. With customer service complaints like the ones described in The Daily Pennsylvanian last week, it's no wonder many local residents have rejoiced at the firings of several staff members.

"A lot of students expect bad service from McDonald's because it's been happening there for so long," said College sophomore Keith Williams. Williams got into an altercation with several McDonald's employees some weeks ago and had started a Facebook group to retaliate against the establishment.

But if the customer-service complaints at the 40th Street McDonald's are that frequent, they point to a problem that can't just be solved by getting rid of a few bad apples. Disrespectful behavior from a handful of students, as well as McDonald's human-resource practices, could also play a part in the branch's poor quality.

With Penn students, the problem is easy to explain. McDonald's is one of the few places open on campus at three in the morning. When you take into account drunk students and the omission of Big Macs from the late night menu, you have a tantrum waiting to happen. "The majority of our complaints come from the overnight shift," said McDonald's employee Nina Lester. "I hear from the overnight staff that they sometimes get cursed at or get sauces thrown at them."

In contrast, Lester, who normally works shifts during the day and in the early evening, has almost never had to complain about a customer. "Without Penn students, this store wouldn't make much money," she said.

Another part of the customer-service problem could be credited to McDonald's corporate human-resource practices. The company has been notorious for having extremely high turnover rates - 80 to 90 percent annually across the globe for entry-level positions, according to a May 2008 Wall Street Journal article. Salaries are minimal, and employees typically have little previous work experience - and therefore fewer alternative job options. According to 40th Street McDonald's general manager Anthony Hill, "Everyone already thinks McDonald's is the lowest of the lowest, and we want to make sure our crew doesn't feel that way."

Given these conditions, McDonald's should probably invest more in making its restaurants a slightly friendlier place to work. After all, "There may be a perfectly good self-interest argument," said Legal Studies and Business Ethics professor Nien-he Hsieh. "If the company wants to succeed, maybe they're better off treating their workers with respect."

Case in point: After Williams and his friends were poorly treated by staff members, he tried to organize his peers to boycott the establishment. Although managers at the 40th Street McDonald's cannot definitively say how much revenue the negative publicity cost them, the controversy certainly didn't win them any additional customers.

Whether McDonald's will change its overall hiring structure remains to be seen. But for now, the 40th Street branch can take simple steps to help prevent future outbursts. For instance, Hill listed a number of employee incentives the company implemented to boost job satisfaction, including management-training programs and trips to Dorney Park. Additionally, Lester suggests hiring more overnight employees and adding Big Macs to the late-night menu as ways to reduce the number of unsatisfied customers.

At the same time, Penn students can also try to understand the mentality of many of the employees and behave more respectfully when in the restaurant. McDonald's staff members work a low-paying job that seems to be constantly disrespected by mainstream society - this combination of factors is enough to put anyone on edge. Of course, that's never an excuse for rudeness - but neither is getting drunk and having the munchies at three in the morning.

Lisa Zhu is a Wharton and College senior from Cherry Hill, N.J., and United Minorities Council chairwoman. Her e-mail is zhu@dailypennsylvanian.com. Zhu-ology appears every Thursday.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.