McDonald's Admits It Has a 'Customer Relevance' Problem

McDonald’s, the world’s biggest restaurant chain, has had a tough time of it lately. Some of its U.S. workers, and plenty of others, have been criticizing its low wages. Franchisees, who operate almost 90 percent of the more than 14,100 locations in the U.S., have been frustrated with the expanding menu and constant promotions. Customers have complained of slow service.

And now the company’s chief executive officer, Don Thompson, has summed out the domestic situation facing the fast-food giant: “We’ve lost some of our customer relevance.” That comment came Thursday after the chain announced that sales at established U.S. restaurants fell 0.2 percent in 2013. The number of customers declined even more: 1.6 percent.