In its commitment to bringing out the best in its people, McDonald’s Philippines celebrated its first-ever National “Salamuch, Crew” Day in different McDonald's branches nationwide on April 17, 2024, as a testament of gratitude for the dedication and commitment of its employees.
The day was filled with fun activities, including games, bonding exercises, raffles, and their favorite McDonald’s meals, all meticulously organized for the company's crew members.
A special segment of the event involved reading aloud the best customer letters from the “Salamuch!” drop boxes, further fostering a sense of community and appreciation. Certificates were also given to employees in recognition of their exceptional contributions, highlighting the importance of positive recognition in the workplace.
"Salamuch, Crew!" launched in November 2023 to promote a culture of kindness at McDonald’s. The initiative aimed to enhance expressions of gratitude among customers, crew, and managers. It began with the introduction of the “Salamuch!” virtual wall, allowing customers to send personalized messages of appreciation to crew members. This included ten large walls in stores like Katipunan, UN Del Pilar, and Commonwealth. Physical drop boxes for handwritten notes were also set up in selected stores, with the most heartfelt messages displayed on social media-ready walls. The initiative received thousands of messages across platforms, encouraging gratitude towards the crews.
"We’re very excited to celebrate our first ever National Salamuch, Crew! Day simultaneously in our stores all over the Philippines. Salamuch Crew! is McDonald’s way of saying thank you together with our customers, to our close to 60,000 crew who serve our customers every day and allow us to continue growing in the country. It is very heartwarming to read the notes and stories from our customers about how our crew made their McDonald’s experience great, and how these stories foster a deeper sense of appreciation and recognition among our crew," said Adi Hernandez, Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations and Impact, McDonald’s Philippines.
“By leading with gratitude, McDonald’s Philippines is not only elevating the workplace experience of our crew and managers, but we also aim to inspire more in the service industry to do the same— make every individual feel valued, empowered, and fulfilled in their work," added Hernandez.
The culminating event took place on April 17th at the Quezon Avenue-Ligaya store, broadcast live via Zoom to over 380 McDonald's locations nationwide, including the latest addition in Tacloban, Leyte. The celebrations at Quezon Avenue-Ligaya and Tacloban gathered almost a hundred participants, including media and other invited guests.
According to Ben Marasigan, Vice President for Human Capital Group, McDonald's Philippines, who was at the McDonald's branch in Quezon City where the media were invited to witness the celebration, "Each of our crew members are truly valuable members of McDonald’s Philippines. We work towards ensuring that our workplace culture is welcoming and inclusive, allowing for our people to do their work well and grow. This is anchored on progressive people practices like direct-hiring, flexible schedules, only-at McDonald’s benefits, and a training and development curriculum which allows for growth--a vision passionately championed by our Chairman and McDonald’s Philippines master franchise holder, Dr. George Yang. He (Yang), always believed that to succeed and grow, you must invest in people and on the things that make them be and feel their best.”
"Salamuch, Crew! Day" was more than just an event or campaign; it was a powerful reminder of gratitude and kindness. With this initiative, McDonald’s Philippines aimed not only to celebrate its crew’s contributions but also to lead by example in encouraging more Filipinos to sincerely say “thank you” or “Salamuch” to the people who serve us every day in the service industry and beyond.