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Ultimately, McDonalds will have to transition to being a full-service vending machine. Realistically, in an automated world, their flesh-and-blood employees pr

by douche 9y ago

Ultimately, McDonalds will have to transition to being a full-service vending machine. Realistically, in an automated world, their flesh-and-blood employees provide negative value. I wish dearly that I could just enter my own order on the POS system when I am in such places

WesleyLivesay 9y ago
Around where I live (SW Missouri) most of the McDonald's already have screens where you can enter your own order. I wonder if McD's sees this delivery stuff as an easy way to increase revenue without vastly increasing cost. If they can pair it with downsizing in-building personnel due to automation could turn out to be a big win for them. Then in a decade or something they can just automate the delivery with autonomous cars/drones.
wingspar 9y ago
That's a done deal at our local McDonalds, and it's horrible if you special order, they never get it right, not sure but I think it's the kiosk... http://www.pcmag.com/news/349707/mcdonalds-pilots-mobile-ordering-and-self-service-kiosks http://www.pcmag.com/news/349707/mcdonalds-pilots-mobile-ord...
- biastoact 9y ago
  They remodeled the Seattle Northgate location and put in screens. Was not an easy experience despite some pretty slick software. They will have to retrain their customers to the new system (much like they trained us to use the extra value meal numbers back in the 90s).
joemaller1 9y ago
That seems to be the direction they're moving. Several flagship McDonalds have popped up around NYC with fully self-serve computer ordering kiosks. I haven't been yet, but people are talking about them -- people who I've never heard talk about McDonalds before. They've got a pretty big gulf of social-class-stigma to get past, but it seems like McDonalds is at the beginning of a comeback. Delivery might be a guilty pleasure gateway.
- Declanomous 9y ago
  There is a McDonalds with a kiosk on my drive to work. The drive-through gets backed up out on to the street, so I started parking to go in. There's often a short line at the counter, but if you use the kiosk you can literally place your order within 20 seconds of stepping through the door. Maybe it's because I grew up within a couple miles of the headquarters of McDonalds, but the only people I know that don't go to McDonalds are health nuts. That being said, the stores around here are way nicer than the ones I've gone to in other parts of the country. I think proximity to the HQ probably keeps the franchisees in line, plus there are a bunch of corporate owned stores which are amazing.
drdeadringer 9y ago
> Ultimately, McDonalds will have to transition to being a full-service vending machine. I wonder if Japan would be a testing ground for such a concept. They already have pizza-ready vending machines, for example.
- teknologist 9y ago
  I thoroughly enjoyed going to the automated sushi restaurant in Tokyo which had kiosks at each seat and no need to talk to any living person
vmarsy 9y ago
> I wish dearly that I could just enter my own order on the POS system when I am in such places Visit France. Not only the burger quality is much better there, but also you can order yourself on self serve POS systems for almost a decade. They're also implementing restaurants where your food gets brought to your table.
- teknologist 9y ago
  Can vouch for visiting France for McDonalds being the thing to do
  - kmdmsmkdmksd 9y ago
    Is this Reddit?
accountyaccount 9y ago
Machines could definitely make the food more accurately than the sad husks of human beings who have no where to work but mcdonalds.
flukus 9y ago
> I wish dearly that I could just enter my own order on the POS system when I am in such places As others have mentioned, they already have in several places. The UI is horrible and confusing though, you have to find the picture of the burger you're after, like selecting a netflix movie, which is even worse with McDonalds because the picture looks nothing like what you get. Much like self serve checkouts they increase time but move that cost onto the customer.

by douche 9y ago

WesleyLivesay 9y ago

Around where I live (SW Missouri) most of the McDonald's already have screens where you can enter your own order. I wonder if McD's sees this delivery stuff as an easy way to increase revenue without vastly increasing cost. If they can pair it with downsizing in-building personnel due to automation could turn out to be a big win for them. Then in a decade or something they can just automate the delivery with autonomous cars/drones.

wingspar 9y ago

That's a done deal at our local McDonalds, and it's horrible if you special order, they never get it right, not sure but I think it's the kiosk... http://www.pcmag.com/news/349707/mcdonalds-pilots-mobile-ordering-and-self-service-kiosks http://www.pcmag.com/news/349707/mcdonalds-pilots-mobile-ord...

biastoact 9y ago
They remodeled the Seattle Northgate location and put in screens. Was not an easy experience despite some pretty slick software. They will have to retrain their customers to the new system (much like they trained us to use the extra value meal numbers back in the 90s).

joemaller1 9y ago

That seems to be the direction they're moving. Several flagship McDonalds have popped up around NYC with fully self-serve computer ordering kiosks. I haven't been yet, but people are talking about them -- people who I've never heard talk about McDonalds before. They've got a pretty big gulf of social-class-stigma to get past, but it seems like McDonalds is at the beginning of a comeback. Delivery might be a guilty pleasure gateway.

Declanomous 9y ago
There is a McDonalds with a kiosk on my drive to work. The drive-through gets backed up out on to the street, so I started parking to go in. There's often a short line at the counter, but if you use the kiosk you can literally place your order within 20 seconds of stepping through the door. Maybe it's because I grew up within a couple miles of the headquarters of McDonalds, but the only people I know that don't go to McDonalds are health nuts. That being said, the stores around here are way nicer than the ones I've gone to in other parts of the country. I think proximity to the HQ probably keeps the franchisees in line, plus there are a bunch of corporate owned stores which are amazing.

drdeadringer 9y ago

> Ultimately, McDonalds will have to transition to being a full-service vending machine. I wonder if Japan would be a testing ground for such a concept. They already have pizza-ready vending machines, for example.

teknologist 9y ago
I thoroughly enjoyed going to the automated sushi restaurant in Tokyo which had kiosks at each seat and no need to talk to any living person

vmarsy 9y ago

> I wish dearly that I could just enter my own order on the POS system when I am in such places Visit France. Not only the burger quality is much better there, but also you can order yourself on self serve POS systems for almost a decade. They're also implementing restaurants where your food gets brought to your table.

teknologist 9y ago
Can vouch for visiting France for McDonalds being the thing to do
- kmdmsmkdmksd 9y ago
  Is this Reddit?

accountyaccount 9y ago

Machines could definitely make the food more accurately than the sad husks of human beings who have no where to work but mcdonalds.

flukus 9y ago

> I wish dearly that I could just enter my own order on the POS system when I am in such places As others have mentioned, they already have in several places. The UI is horrible and confusing though, you have to find the picture of the burger you're after, like selecting a netflix movie, which is even worse with McDonalds because the picture looks nothing like what you get. Much like self serve checkouts they increase time but move that cost onto the customer.