THE NEW KFC SUNDAE: A PRODUCT OF FALSE ADVERTISING

The new KFC Sundae posters at KFC SM Annex North EDSA was so tempting that I tried it and I was shocked with the almost halved serving size. The crew, a Ms. Mocha, even reiterated that it was the correct serving size when I called her attention to it. Frustrated, I dutifully started filming and taking photos of the sundae and the KFC posters for Consumerword.

Only after noticing my actions did the branch officer approached me to apologize and offer to replace the item. She said that Ms. Mocha was new and didn’t realize that her serving was incorrect. Although she brought me a better serving, and I thanked
her for it, it still wasn’t poster-like. I hope that it was the first and last time it happened at a KFC – anywhere.

What’s wrong with serving the right amount shown on the poster anyway? Are your KFC branches on a strict quota and perhaps pilferage is one of the reasons they're unable to cope? Or is this disproportionate serving top management sanctioned?

This is not the first time such an incident happened on a sundae. Twenty years younger ago, I wrote McDonald’s Phils. (Golden Arches Inc.) regarding the often disparity between their sundae’s actual servings and what they show on their posters. Their response was immediate and commendable – their Area Manager called with a promise that the reported incidents were mistakes and that these will be stopped. He even offered to give me a tour of his area’s branches just to show how their branches are complying with the brand standard. I welcomed the promise but I turned down the tour.

Of course, McDonald’s must have had a hard time implementing the brand standard on all of its franchised establishments so it may have been the reason they eventually took down the posters and changed the sundaes’ photos on the overhead menu. At least, with the new photos they’re not trying to fool anyone.