Designing feel-good moments
MyMcDonald’s Rewards is now available in more than 1,450 stores in the U.K. Hear from two of the product engineering leaders who made it possible.
by Kaitlyn Pacchini, Senior Manager, Strategic Alignment & Communications
Not many of us can watch our work come to life from almost 4,000 miles away, reaching guests in more than 1,450 restaurants on its first day. But that’s the experience Bryce Boothby and Paul Nguyen had as key members of the team that brought MyMcDonald’s Rewards to the U.K.
“The breadth and depth of opportunities we work on in Global Technology are incredible,” Nguyen, a senior manager of product engineering, says. “Our Loyalty Program is just one example of how we work with people across the globe to create real solutions for our customers.”
Coordinating the launch of MyMcDonald’s Rewards across the U.K. presented both significant considerations and exciting opportunities. The program launched to all the stores at one time — something that was different from previous launches in other countries. This “big bang” launch, as the team calls it, was possible because of the team’s commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
“At every phase, we listened to our customers, crew, and Operators. Their feedback, gathered from multistage pilots, allowed us to remove friction and design a cohesive, enticing, seamless program,” says Boothby, director of product engineering. “Our north star was designing a program that maintained global standardization, but also had the flexibility to attract customers all over the world with varying need states. All while ensuring the program was easy for customers to use and seamless for the crew to execute.”
Nguyen agrees, “We are incredibly collaborative when we design new tools or technology products at McDonald’s. We are in constant communication with business and technology teams within the markets, restaurant operations, marketing, our customer experience team, and many other groups.”
Of course, none of it would be possible without robust systems and technology that work across multiple platforms — something the team prioritized when designing the program. For example, when you order on the mobile app using your MyMcDonald’s Rewards account, your name also appears on the point-of-sale system at the front counter. The team specifically designed that feature to help create feel-good moments for our customers and enhance their overall McDonald’s experience.
“That’s what I love about McDonald’s Global Technology,” he says. “We have full commitment from our senior leadership to keep moving our digital offerings forward and to keep improving for our customers. It’s thrilling to work on a project that hundreds of millions of people across the world will use.”
