DoktorEvil
Banned
Just do this, that way no person will ever have to work in fast food again!
Nobody has to interact with people ever again.
/s
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Exclusive: McDonald's Is Secretly Testing Its Own Order-Ahead And Payments App
- Thread starter Fantasmo
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Just do this, that way no person will ever have to work in fast food again!
Nobody has to interact with people ever again.
/s
deltatheta
Member
Why did those ever go away? They're the perfect setup.
All the fast food places around me are terrible about screwing up my orders. We do fast food maybe once a week when the wife and I get off work late and don't want to cook.
When the whole $15/hour thing was getting its face-time in the news I started keeping track of how often our orders would get fucked up when we went out for food. I've got a little piece of paper in the glove box with hash marks under correct and incorrect columns.
The incorrect side is always winning. The shitty thing is I don't even bother telling them to hold anything anymore, and just scrape it off when I get home. My wife doesn't like condiments on anything, and the burger places always seem to slather some type of sauce on whatever she orders anyway.
I feel like an ass for complaining about such first-world problem bullshit, but man it chaps my ass to spend hard-earned money on something only to get shafted and have my time wasted.
Duane Cunningham
Member
The Chipotle app is glorious. Pay online, skip the whole line. Just walk in, pick it up and go.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Thanks obama
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
I wish every CVS had like 10 self serve stations.
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Nope, usually the person who takes my order and who I hand my money to is not the same as the person who hands me the food. Unless it's super dead and early in the morning (3am)
Aquamarine
Member
McDonalds pays $4.8 billion in employee payroll + benefits every year.
Can you imagine how much their profit margins would increase if they didn't have to employ cooks / cashiers at their restaurants any more?
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Why do you say this like it's bad?
Who sincerely values their interactions at McDonalds?
UPS has a 40/year premium service. You can request to pick up your package at pickup center through their website. I think you can request send it to different address too.
Basically, its a "fuck you pay me" fee they charge you to avoid talking to their customer service.
We have that system in France since last year and it is awesome. I just select the restaurant I want to go, choose whatever I want to eat and checkout with my Paypal and go scan the QR code (the app is Passbook compatible) then collect my order at the dedicated counter.
It's a huge help in crowded restaurants as the web-orders are treated first.
I thought McDonald's home country already had it.
EDIT: Oh and you are refunded if you don't collect before midnight.
It's a huge help in crowded restaurants as the web-orders are treated first.
I thought McDonald's home country already had it.
EDIT: Oh and you are refunded if you don't collect before midnight.
Christoff Yurievich
Member
You know, thinking about how many times I have to repeat the toppings I am fully behind this. I even have the spiel in condiment order so it's a quick left to right motion for them. And it's not like I rattle them off at supersonic speed, either.
Cashiers are really bad at taking orders, that's I think a reason that Panera bread recently mentioned their new kiosk stuff. Like... 2/10 orders are incorrect, or something like that.
DoktorEvil
Banned
Things like automation make pushing for a 15 dollar hourly wage seem fruitless.
CyclopsRock
Member
In much of Europe (especially Spain) they have pre-pay kiosks which, by the sounds of it, are basically the same as this app but in a kiosk on site rather than on your phone. Personally I like it, because my Spanish is awful, the menu is different to what I'm used to, and I can take my time, looking at it and making sure that I order exactly what I want without the pressure of having to use my awful language skills, especially when there's a queue behind me. Not a huge problem, I wouldn't turn around if I "had" to speak to a human but my preference for using the kiosk has nothing to do with being "upset" about having to talk to a human or thinking the staff are crap.
Aquamarine
Member
I just tried to order a Bacon Clubhouse Chicken Burger Meal at McDonalds a few days ago, and the conversation took like 2 minutes.
This is literally what my conversation went like:
"I want the Bacon Clubhouse Crispy Chicken Burger Meal with large fries"
"What number is it?"
"It's not a number. It's on the board."
"What number is it?"
"Look behind you. Top left on the board behind you."
"Oh. You want the Bacon Clubhouse Burger."
"No, I want the Bacon Clubhouse Crispy Chicken Burger Meal with large fries."
"You want the Bacon Clubhouse Chicken Burger? Oh okay."
"Do you want that regular or crispy chicken?"
"I WOULD LIKE THE BACON CLUBHOUSE CRISPY CHICKEN BURGER MEAL WITH LARGE FRIES."
"Okay. Would you just like the sandwich or do you want the meal as well?
That's really exactly how my conversation went. I'd much rather just order it ahead of time, or interact with a computer.
These cashiers can be really inept sometimes.
jediyoshi
Member
Nope, my McDonald's is not your McDonald's. It's nightmare town here at times with the dual line flooding out through the parking lot blocking spots.
I think a lot of fast food and sit in chains are really pushing this mobile order and payment scheme, because there is legitimate reason for it.
Kiosks were a step in the right direction, but an app goes all the way when it comes to removing lines - kiosks can still have lines, for example.
When it comes to accuracy, fast food restaurants are actually not great - and it's something a lot of restaurants try to resolve. Ordering via kiosk or app is significantly more accurate, and short of really weird orders (I'd like a mcDouble with bacon and a chicken nugget in the middle or some shit) you can customize it pretty thoroughly.
I was at an A&W a few weeks ago near my place and there was a kiosk, tried it out and I was in and out before people who entered right before me - who were still in line. So speed is also a factor, a smart UI can get you what you need in a handful of taps.
I also imagine there is opportunity to easily gather data using an app like this - who orders mcdoubles? 20 something year old males seem to!
Edit: Also, maybe they can use non-traditional payment options and reduce payment fees that they find with visa/mastercard etc.
And yeah... probably a reduction in labour.
Kiosks were a step in the right direction, but an app goes all the way when it comes to removing lines - kiosks can still have lines, for example.
When it comes to accuracy, fast food restaurants are actually not great - and it's something a lot of restaurants try to resolve. Ordering via kiosk or app is significantly more accurate, and short of really weird orders (I'd like a mcDouble with bacon and a chicken nugget in the middle or some shit) you can customize it pretty thoroughly.
I was at an A&W a few weeks ago near my place and there was a kiosk, tried it out and I was in and out before people who entered right before me - who were still in line. So speed is also a factor, a smart UI can get you what you need in a handful of taps.
I also imagine there is opportunity to easily gather data using an app like this - who orders mcdoubles? 20 something year old males seem to!
Edit: Also, maybe they can use non-traditional payment options and reduce payment fees that they find with visa/mastercard etc.
And yeah... probably a reduction in labour.
DoktorEvil
Banned
Lol I just caught that as well.
I think you confused your cashier more than he/she confused you.
This shit goes both ways, picture prompts for people who can't read good.
outunderthestars
Banned
Seems like a good way to cut overhead in response to calls for minimum wage increases.
Having to talk to the cashier is the worst part of the experience, so I look forward to all fast food places having apps.
Having to talk to the cashier is the worst part of the experience, so I look forward to all fast food places having apps.
Aquamarine
Member
I think "crispy chicken" is enough of a tipoff that I meant the damn chicken sandwich. ;-)
I love those at stores. Seriously. Its going to suck when people become less and less afraid of them. At many of the stores with self checkout, folks barely use them; so I get to skip 10 lines and check myself out instantly.
outunderthestars
Banned
Drive into a parking space, scan code and place order. A few moments later someone walks out with your food. No need to drive around, try and dechiper the intercom, or hand your credit card to someone making minimum wage.
Seems ideal to me.
DoktorEvil
Banned
enanogrande
Member
Probably nothing in the long run, as their competitors copy the idea, see the same gains in margins, and then pass on those savings to the consumer in an attempt to make their product more compelling, forcing McDonalds to lower their prices as well to compete.
Razgriz-Specter
Member
How about first just making burgers plain to start with unless specifically asked for extra crap?
Terareflection
Member
Around the clock, Drive-thrus always have crazy lines here in Oklahoma.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
There was speculation on this since last Feb, so it's not like it wasn't in the news before.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Good. The better we can stop pretending this shit is "employment" and face up to our underlying issues the better.
chickdigger802
Banned
screw drive through... if only we had delivery like 1st world countries....
Is there speculation of them bringing back McPizza, McSpaghetti returning or making a McGriddle Burger a regular item!?
New York City has deliver brah
Not at night, it ain't.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
New York City has deliver brahscrew drive through... if only we had delivery like 1st world countries....
nckillthegrimace
Member
Are you upset by the relatively low wages or the concept of unskilled labor in general?
The Last Wizard
Member
Welcome to the future, soon human interaction will be even less than it is today.
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