16-3-2024 (NEW YORK) McDonald’s, the renowned American fast-food chain, issued an apology after experiencing technical difficulties that disrupted customer orders across parts of Asia and Europe on March 15th.
The disruption affected several markets in Asia, including Singapore, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong, prompting some restaurants to suspend online ordering services and others to close temporarily.
McDonald’s attributed the widespread issues to a “global technology outage,” although the company did not specify the extent of the problem. Brian Rice, the company’s Chief Information Officer, clarified that the outage was not a result of a cybersecurity breach but rather stemmed from a configuration change by a third-party provider.
While McDonald’s assured that the problem was swiftly identified and rectified, some markets continued to face challenges. Mr. Rice expressed urgency in resolving the issue, extending apologies to customers and franchise owners for the inconvenience caused.
Reports of technical difficulties emerged primarily in Asia, with Taiwan and Japan being notably affected. McDonald’s Japan reported operational disruptions across many outlets due to the system failure, while Taiwan temporarily suspended online and telephone orders.
In response to the outage, McDonald’s Hong Kong informed customers via Facebook about a “computer system failure,” urging them to place orders directly at restaurant counters. Similarly, McDonald’s Australia experienced disruptions, with some outlets resorting to manual order-taking methods.
Although McDonald’s in several countries returned to full service by evening, the impact of the outage was felt by customers and staff alike. In Australia, queues formed at drive-thru lanes, with frustrated customers resorting to cash payments due to card payment system failures.
Despite the inconvenience, McDonald’s reiterated its commitment to resolving the issue promptly and ensuring uninterrupted service for its customers worldwide.
