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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday March 31 2018, @09:11PM   Printer-friendly
from the manna dept.

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd

Gone are the heady days of cashiers asking if you want your order "supersized."

Not only has the infamous upgrade gone by the wayside, but cashiers at fast-food restaurants are becoming increasingly uncommon. McDonald's started rolling out ordering kiosks at its US locations in 2015, and the chain hasn't looked back since: by 2020, most of its 14,000 locations will have kiosks installed.

Panera Bread has also committed to digital ordering. Admittedly, when I first tried it in 2015, I found it had decidedly dystopian vibes. But it ended up being a fairly pleasant and painless experience.

A recent poll conducted by Business Insider's partner MSN suggests that diners aren't big fans of automated kiosks: 78% of customers said they would be less inclined to go to a restaurant that has automated ordering kiosks.

The popular narrative is that kiosks and mobile ordering are here to take jobs and hours away from underpaid cashiers, ultimately saving companies money in the face of rising labor costs — but the data suggests that isn't true. It may be true for some, but most chains are simply reallocating labor behind the scenes. And with such a tight labor market, many chains are struggling to hire and retain customer-facing employees.

Americans don't seem too threatened by automation in general. Nationally, only 21% of responders to MSN's poll believe their job may one day be done by machines. And restaurants like automated ordering for its increased accuracy and efficiency as more chains look towards cashless options.

But for now, a question remains: are kiosks, in fact, better for customers?

Source: Business Insider


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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:13PM (4 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:13PM (#660969) Homepage

    Is there any way to have your "favorite orders?" Like when you're in the mood for chicken, you order the chicken sandwich combo with a single selection? Or when you know you're gonna star in a Scheiße film later that day you get the super-sized Big-Mac combo?

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:25PM (2 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:25PM (#660973) Journal

    It would be super easy to save those selections in an app. And behold, it probably does exist:

    https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/food/mcdonalds-app-mobile-ordering/ [thepennyhoarder.com]

    “Customers will be able to place orders directly on the mobile app for pickup or have a kiosk recognize their app profile, which holds customized favorites and preferred payment methods,” the company said in a March 2017 statement. “The result is a more stress-free, personalized experience, enhanced by technology and world-class hospitality that puts customers in control.”

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday April 01 2018, @08:48AM

      by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Sunday April 01 2018, @08:48AM (#661086) Homepage
      It's wonderful how "we didn't put stupid blockages in your way" is now the "personalised" option. That should be the default.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 01 2018, @05:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 01 2018, @05:01PM (#661186)

      it is no longer convenient and fast if I have to register my real name through multiple services in order for something to remember for me on a privacy violating leash device that gives the illusion of freedoms (tied to a credit history and travel history and call log and contact list harvesting) that I want a #3, and will pay in cash.

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by fyngyrz on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:44PM

    by fyngyrz (6567) on Saturday March 31 2018, @10:44PM (#660982) Journal

    Is there any way to have your "favorite orders?"

    The app makes this dead easy. Start your order, scroll across your saved favorites, tap, check out.

    I don't know about the kiosks. I haven't been inside a McDonalds since the app came out. I order from the truck in a parking space, they bring it right to us.