Age Makes a Difference

There is something to be said about the "older" worker. A recent study by the Lancaster University Management School of 400 McDonald restaurants at various locations in the United Kingdom provided some unexpected results. The key result was that customer satisfaction was, on average, 20% higher in restaurants that employed kitchen staff and managers who are 60 years and older.

A McDonald official provided the following explanation. The older workers' cumulative experience, work ethic and people skills appear to have an impact on the younger staff. This same McDonald's official indicated that restaurants with a mix of old and young staff meant higher profits for the chain.

The bottom line is that companies are starting to realize the value of older workers. These workers not only bring experience to the job, but an understanding of the value of the job. A friend of mine once posted a bright orange placard in his service organization that read "Customers are what make paydays possible." Needless to say that phrase became the mantra for his organization and brought a clear mission statement to every one in his organization. As a passing note I might add that his organization was VERY profitable.