Industry and CompetitionTwo American franchising companies that are successful today are McDonald's and Starbucks (Forbes). McDonald's strategic group is the fast food industry and is known to be a global leader in foodservice retail with over 1.8 million employees, 80% franchised restaurants and 35,000 local restaurants serving 70 million people in at least 100 countries daily (McDonald's). Starbucks is a coffee retailer and distributor in 60 countries that currently operates 9,405 corporate stores and 8,661 licensed stores. Starbucks is known for purchasing and roasting its own coffee in addition to selling a variety of fresh food and registered tea products through other channels. Their ground coffee and bottle of Frappuccino generate approximately $1 billion in annual sales. Together, these two industry competitors compete for market share of the premium coffee segment. Starbucks, as a specialty store, attracts consumers who want to purchase coffee drinks that set them apart. McDonald's, on the other hand, has built a substantial consumer base that can be enticed to try McCafe's premium coffee product offering. Customer Service Customer service is an extremely important function in every business, and McDonald's is no exception. McDonald's priority is to ensure that customers have a pleasant experience from the moment they enter the restaurant, during face-to-face interaction or during travel, until the moment the customer receives the product. No matter how busy the restaurant is, every employee must say "how can we help you" and "thank you." Their main goal is to offer convenience, friendly service and delicious food in a clean and comfortable environment (McDonald's, 2014). To ensure...... half of the document......uality/see_what_we_are_made_of/moms_quality_correspondents/happy_meal_toys_mccafe.html>.Flynn, M. (2012). Succession planning is vital, says McDonald's President Andrew McKenna. Mergers and Acquisitions Report, 25(44), 19. “Food Quality Trends and Innovation.” McDonald's Company. Network. March 18, 2014 Excerpt from .Hiebert, Paul. “More than Teens Toasting Sandwiches: Changing Demographics of Fast Food Workers.” Pacific Standard: The Science of Society. December 16, 2013. Excerpt from "How McDonald's Works." How things work. Np, nd Web. February 26, 2014. Retrieved from