Page 43 - The Way to the Top
P. 43
Jim CANTALUPO
Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation
I joined McDonald’s Corporation as controller in 1974. Ray Kroc, the
legendary founder of the company, was then still actively involved in
managing the business, so I was very anxious to do a good job in
presenting my reports to him. When I handed him the reports, I noticed
that he went directly to the sales and guest-count data, grumbling at the
regions that were lagging, and smiling and nodding his head at the regions
that were exceeding expectations. When he finished, I asked him if he
wanted to know how our profits looked.
“Listen, young man,” he said, “there’s something you need to know
about McDonald’s. If we focus on satisfying our customers and take care
of the top line of our business, the bottom line will always follow.”
Thirty years later, I still consider that the best business advice I ever
received. The key to McDonald’s success today continues to be both
making the customer the boss and growing top-line sales at our restaurants
by satisfying our customers better than anyone else. When we do that,
everything else falls into place.
Take care of the top line and the bottom will follow
