GREEN TEA OPEN LETTER TO McDONALD's MALAYSIA

To McDonald's Malaysia,

I am glad that I am your once a great lover for your burgers and those craving side dishes that you offered. No doubt over the years, I have greatly enjoy your food better than other fast food chain restaurant. McDonald's has become a brand name since its arrival for quite a time. However, due to the current economy climate and health conscious, I have decided to trim down my appetite for McD but nevertheless still enjoy it once in a while.

However, been observance of the current situation in McD, I can't help to notice that the food menu in your so-called McValue meals keep on rising in prices. It took one RM 7.95 roughly for a Medium McChicken burger set 12 months ago. However the price has been up for several times over the last 12 months. Today, with your current new pricing system, a Medium McChicken burger set costs about RM 9.35, which is an increase of about 17.6%. even Malaysia's inflation rate of roughly 8% does not match the significant rise on the price.

I'm glad that you are now having promotions on your lunch hour value meal and other coupon give-away with discounts. However, how many will be benifited from just going, walking or driving to McD during the lunch hour just for a RM 5.95 meal? How many are free during weekday just for your tempting promotion? How many will be crazily finish-up the whole coupons just for the sake of getting it at a discount price? The main questions here are not about I will be able to have my McD for lunch at the cheaper price or will I get more discount coupons. The main issue is why rise again despite doing so several times over the year.

Besides having an increase in price, I can't help to notice the shrinkage in size. The quality has decrease, as well as the quantity. That will not justify the rise in price or in order to save so much of the management cost. With a difficult economy condition, unemployments everywhere and the recent unknown-status-result-of-the-so-called-boycott-campaign; these will not seems to help McDonald's Malaysia as it may resulted many people from driving away from your store. I have seen significant reduction in number of peoples eating at one of your branch at Berjaya Times Square.

Because of the rising in price, I have decided to so-called 'boycott' your products for the next 3 months starting on 21 February 2009, 12 AM. This is to see whether another price increase will happen again during the period as I have seen for the last 3-6 months ago. For your information, I have not had any McDonald's for the past 35 days since the Chinese New Years holiday. Thanks for your new pricing system, I will continue not to have McD.

I do hope in the next months to come, no price increases will be seen again. Do remember that you are different from Starbucks. Starbucks uses foreign imported coffee beans and have free WIFI and good services but you are not. Unless you are telling me that your McChicken is from USA or unless you improved on your sour-face workers!!

Thanks for listening or rather reading,
BERNARD GREEN TEA