Well, to be fair, the person behind the counter is just pressing selection buttons and not really doing anything special, or customizing your order. That is my experience at McDs. BUT, it is still faster to have someone take your order (usually).
Makes a lot of sense. Though the goal is efficeincy for the company..I wonder if accuracy will improve, I'm not sure though if the most errors by employees are made at the register.. or bagging it.
Well, to be fair, the person behind the counter is just pressing selection buttons and not really doing anything special, or customizing your order. That is my experience at McDs. BUT, it is still faster to have someone take your order (usually).
Most of the time, I prefer to TALK to someone when I conduct my business. I hate automated telephone systems. I also don't have any desire to explore a kiosk menu to find the few things I want. I have always thought the bar scene in Star Wars was so profound where the barkeeper said "we don't want their kind in here" (droids).
I could see myself severing C3-P0's head with a light saber after about 20 minutes of his incessant babbling! Shut up you know-it-all freak! Sssshhhhkkkeeewww!!! Thrommppp!!!!! Thud!
They have had these at the Frankfurt Airport McD for at least the past 4 years that I know of. I don't like using them and go to the counter instead, even if the line is a little bit long. In fact, I don't remember seeing that many people using the automated systems when I have been there. They are a bit clunky to use and if you want something special order, you are a bit out of luck.
Carl's JR has had this option for a few years. I said MANY years ago that eventually it would just be at the table and you'd sit, make your order and be notified when ready.
Carl's JR has had this option for a few years. I said MANY years ago that eventually it would just be at the table and you'd sit, make your order and be notified when ready.
There is some new place that opened up near my office; they have Ipads at the tables to order from. I haven't tried it yet since the Yelp reviews are almost comically bad.
20 years ago, I would have told you this would be a bad idea... I used to work at McDonalds and I worked drive-through. I did all three jobs, I would take the order, take the money, get/bag/hand the food to the customer. I did all of this, by myself, in DC metro area rush-hour. I never had a complaint, EVER.
The past few years when I've gone to McDonalds, there are THREE people doing the exact same job that I used to do by myself... and they are serving like... HALF the number of people that I used to serve. Am I awesome? Probably... but really, it's just because I cared... and most people in these jobs don't give a **** at all.
SO... since I haven't been to a single McDonalds in 10+ states over the past 20 years where a single person has given a **** , I think an automated checkout is going to be better, give better and faster customer service.
Carl's JR has had this option for a few years. I said MANY years ago that eventually it would just be at the table and you'd sit, make your order and be notified when ready.
They have been doing that in a few McDs in China for Quite some time now... I remember they were like 2 or 3 stories tall buildings..
Me and my wife were just discussing how they should put these out in the drive thrus since they can never get the order right.
Then a thought came to mind; you ever watch little old ladies at touch screens like an ATM, self checkout lane, etc? If you thought lines were long before, just wait until someone stares at the screen for 20 minutes trying to find the big mac. Also, they will no doubt need a person to stand there and "oversee" the machine (like walmart does with their self checkouts), so when that little old lady can't figure out how to select what she wants, they can help her.
Speaking of McDonalds... I was going through a footlocker that I picked up from my parents house about a month ago (they don't want to hold my crap anymore). So, I just opened it a few minutes ago, and low and behold... my old McDonalds uniform. It's a purple shirt with the golden arches, and a matching baseball cap. Awesome!
Originally posted by BazookaFiero: Then a thought came to mind; you ever watch little old ladies at touch screens like a ATM, self checkout lane, et cc? If you thought lines were long before, just wait until someone stares at the screen for 20 minutes trying to find the big mac.
Heh, I was at McDonalds yesterday. While trying to figure out what I wanted from the menu board, I noticed the board was pretty crowded, making it hard to read. I then noticed it wa was cluttered with calorie counts. That will add confusion to a self serve kiosk read on a small screen.
Back in the 90's sometime a McDonald's in Colorado (for the life of me I can't remember where it was.....south of Denver somewhere) had an automated order set-up/kiosk. O thought I was in the Twilight Zone when I tried placing an order....weird stuff back then. I have also been to a Carl's Jr and (I think) an Arby's with similar set-ups.
Anyway, as was previously mentioned......with the whole insane minimum wage talks coupled with the current healthcare debacle this *is* going to be reality at all the big fast food chains. I imagine the near future drive thru will be "manned" by a voice recognition computer program which will tell the computerized "fry cook" what to make. When you get to the window you'll swipe your card or put in cash (like at the self checkout at Wal-Mart) before your bag of food pops out of a door or lazy susan like contraption. Sure, there will be a couple of actual humans there just to make sure nothing goes haywire, but the restaurants will largely be automated.
Sadly, I tend to believe that the orders will be more accurate and the food probably better too.....no one to spit in your burger or piss in your Coke! Quality control just might improve to the point where a Big Mac could be considered edible.
A new local Subway sandwich shop has one of the touch screen marvels at the drive-through line. Works OK if you are in a hurry but I prefer to speak to a human, inside the store.
[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 05-15-2014).]
It's McDonalds. Does it really matter if it's served by a person or an automaton?
Isn't slinging burgers at McDonalds the new American dream? Jobs like that are now a career destination, no longer a stepping stone. Obama and his ilk seem to think these people are worth "a living wage", aka - the same as someone who has invested time in bettering themselves. I can guarantee you, as long as the Dems are in power, no job - however menial - will be replaced by technology.
[This message has been edited by loafer87gt (edited 05-15-2014).]
What I really like about that article is that it sums up the whole ideal of automated kiosks in fast food quite well for being so short.
I know a lot of individuals believe and are stating that the key ideal behind this is to reduce man-power (and thus money paid out) required to work the counters, but the real reason a fast food place would want it in place is ultimately for efficiency. Efficiency is not necessarily an issue on the surface because ultimately the idea of fast food is to be... well... "fast." But if you have really looked into McDonald's business model in the past few decades you can see that behind the counter they have really strived to streamline their food production. Most all their food is portioned out, the "cooks" really do anything but that, and even drinks now dispense themselves through the drive thru. They have done a lot of work to really up efficiency.
The place they still lack is the front-side human element. Many of the individuals who work at McDonalds do not have intricate customer service skills, and McDonalds having to spend the time and money to create an all-encompassing program to train workers on their customer service skills would be a waste. The obvious - and rather basic - solution to this then is eliminate the human element entirely; install automated ordering systems.
Tracking is another key item. Of course McDonalds like any institution can track what it sells, but tying the ordering process to non-cash purchases means they could intricately track what you order and your habits. Think about how it could work; You insert your card when you reach the kiosk, you really like Big Macs, and you have ordered them the past half-dozen times you have came to McDonalds, so right away the kiosk asks if you would like your prior order again or something similar. Bam. Efficiency. Don't want that order? Then you take an additional half a minute or so picking something else, which subsequently gets tracked.
The real issue is can they produce the food fast enough to keep up. Thats usually the problem I have with 'fast' food. Waiting 10 minutes for the cook to get my order wrong. I usually avoid the self check outs in all the stores. 3 out of 4 times, theres a glitch and the scanner wont read the item, i have to tell the clerk my age, or some other stupid screw up...so i end up with a clerk anyway.
Stores have no customer service anymore. I called several places last weekend looking for a specific item. One told me there inventory is online and she couldnt tell me if they had it. I told her im on the lake and dont have a computer with me. That store has permanently lost my business. Another ran me thru 10 prompts then waited 15 mins for a person to help me. He told me to hang on a minute while he asked and disconnected me. Another business I wont use again. I do use McDs, and will tell you if they do automate, the first screw up they do...im done with them too.
I've used them at Carls Junior (Hardees on the west side of the country) and at Sheets regularly for the past 10 years or so. I prefer them to dealing with someone who will likely get my order wrong.
For me they are faster, and more accurate. I'm cool with em, as long as I have a choice.
I've used them at Carls Junior (Hardees on the west side of the country) and at Sheets regularly for the past 10 years or so. I prefer them to dealing with someone who will likely get my order wrong.
For me they are faster, and more accurate. I'm cool with em, as long as I have a choice.
Brad
This.
As Fats and LS3Mach pointed out, the Carl's Jr / Hardees in the OK and MO area have had these kiosks for years. I agree with Fats assessment. The biggest problem I've seen with the traditional cashier is he enters the product wrong or doesn't know where a product key is (Hey Joe? How do enter a Big Mac with NO pickles?.... No I see 'Big Mac' but I don't see 'No pickles'!) making it take forevever just to place my order, much less receive it. The Kiosks - at least the ones at Carl's Jr are all very intuitive, they'll ask you questions if it looks like you're getting stuck, they even offer to supersize . I wish more fast food joints would pick them up.
Now the automated touchscreen fountain drink dispensers that offer like 50 different flavor combinations? I wish EVERY fast food joint would pick THEM up!
[This message has been edited by OKflyboy (edited 05-17-2014).]
Most all their food is portioned out, the "cooks" really do anything but that, and even drinks now dispense themselves through the drive thru.
I was curious what you meant here about the cooks. Not too much has changed in the back compared to what it was 2 decades ago. I know the only problem with the auto-drink dispenser is that it'll usually make drinks when someone screws up the order. It's usually not that bad, but in the past, a drive-thru person might say... "Hey, that's a large instead of a medium." (or a diet instead of a regular) but the machine would have already made it. Not a huge deal. But with the food... it's pretty much the same process. It's an assembly line burger, but you still have someone with a flat grill with a press. They take the pre-cut patties out of the box, put them on the grill and put the steel block on top of them. The burgers will get heated up quickly, and then they get collected and put into a translucent tray next to the assembly station. The assembly station will have everything... lettuce, tomato slices, whatever... and everything is in little trays that you pull out. The sandwich assemblyman will then check the screen, and they know exactly what to put together, and which wrapper to use. They'll assemble the burger, and slide it down the stainless steel slide to the receiving area. In some cases, there's a person that moves them into different areas where they can be quickly picked up (this is usually for the sandwiches for which there are many, and they are commonly eaten.. like hamburger/cheeseburger/big-mac, etc...). But, the sandwich making is still a very manual process and they generally have two sandwich makers, with a third person who's responsible for making the burgers and ensuring the bins are properly stocked.
Everyone pretty much takes turns putting the fries in...
At least the automated cashier should be able to count change correctly. Some of the biological cashiers seem to struggle with that.
"That will be $7.80 at the second window". (Customer drives to 2nd window, hands the girl a $10 bill and then 80 cents) Cashier looks at the bill and the change in her hand, then up at the display, then back at the customer. Calls supervisor over to explain what to do.
"That will be $7.80 at the second window". (Customer drives to 2nd window, hands the girl a $10 bill and then 80 cents) Cashier looks at the bill and the change in her hand, then up at the display, then back at the customer. Calls supervisor over to explain what to do.
I like to play a little game where I give the cashier enough coinage to make sure my change is in multiples of 25 cents. Not only do I need the quarters, but it's an exercise in basic math skills. Plus, there's a much lower chance of the person picking out the wrong coins to give as change (which sadly has happened on many occasions).
"That will be $7.80 at the second window". (Customer drives to 2nd window, hands the girl a $10 bill and then 80 cents) Cashier looks at the bill and the change in her hand, then up at the display, then back at the customer. Calls supervisor over to explain what to do.
Even more confounding to said cashier is: "That will be $10.80 at the second window" and the customer hands her a $20 bill and a $1 bill. I do this a lot so I just have a single $10 instead of a lot of singles, etc. It really throws some people off.
Even worse is handing her a $20 bill, a $1 bill and a nickel so you'll get a $10 bill and a quarter back. I've done this before only to get 2 dimes & my nickel back because they were out of quarters. D'oh!
Originally posted by mrfiero: Even more confounding to said cashier is: "That will be $10.80 at the second window" and the customer hands her a $20 bill and a $1 bill. I do this a lot so I just have a single $10 instead of a lot of singles, etc. It really throws some people off.
Even worse is handing her a $20 bill, a $1 bill and a nickel so you'll get a $10 bill and a quarter back. I've done this before only to get 2 dimes & my nickel back because they were out of quarters. D'oh!
It's really sad how often handing them an extra bill to make the change a larger bill ($10.25 back instead of a five, four ones and a quarter) makes cashiers just lock up. I've even had them hand back the "extra" money I gave them.
if this works, I see Robby the robot cooking your burger behind the kiosk and then when you press the wrong button or picture or whatever they use I see Robby the robot with smoke spitting out the sides of his head, then his head spinning around and shooting his lasers at customers willy nilly.
Ayup.
see the first two lines in my signature.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
I consider myself to be above average, very good even, at basic math, but when I worked fast food and working an 8 hour shift with every customer either giving me exact change or a basic simple change dollar amount and someone threw me something clever at a half-hour before going home, I locked up too. If I'm making simple change for an average of 70 customers an hour(With some hours being as high as 90 customers an hour) for 7 and a half hours, your mind gets in a rut and that 36th person in hour 7 gives me a non-standard change requirement, it takes a minute to change tracks.
. I wish more fast food joints would pick them up.
