Reflecting on teamwork, customer service and process learning at KFC: a diary study

Abstract

This thesis examines teamwork, customer service, and process learning in a dynamic environment, specifically within the context of a quick-service restaurant. Using an immersive, diary-based research method over 12 weeks, the logs were analyzed through the framework of established organizational and learning models: Tuckman’s stages of group development, SERVQUAL service quality model, Lean management principles, and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle.

This study highlights the required complexity and adaptability in establishing a fast-food restaurant standard, while overcoming the notion that such work is unskilled labor. Insight from the research revealed that the real engine of suc-cess lies not in rigid standardization, but in the capacity of frontline workers to collaborate on the latest technology to respond to unpredictable scenarios and continually do so. The recommendation suggests actionable strategies to optimize employee training, improve operations, and reconcile tensions between in-store and delivery service channels' workflow. The broader goal is to enhance the efficiency of the fast food industry, improve team performance, and increase customer satisfaction.

The thesis concludes that frontline workers are the true core of QSR success, not just standardized processes. Actionable recommendations are proposed to reengineer workflows to make them human-oriented, ensuring the system operates even with low-tech backup procedures, and to redesign training programs around experiential learning cycles.