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Part of the issue as I understand it, is that the machine is fairly opaque as to why some failures occur can appear somewhat "flaky" as a result. When this occu
by Bjartr 2y ago
Part of the issue as I understand it, is that the machine is fairly opaque as to why some failures occur can appear somewhat "flaky" as a result. When this occurs during a cleaning cycle, the whole cycle is void and a new 4 hour cycle must be run.
If the machine was clear about communicating the issue, it would be fine. It's not and can require a technician to come out with a tool to both read the machine status in detail and tweak the machine in the necessary ways to stop it being flaky.
This would all be fine except for the fact that
1. Only technicians from the manufacturer are allowed to be used.
2. Those technicians are unreasonable expensive.
3. The company could make the machines easier to diagnose and repair, but don't because repair calls are lucrative
4. Third parties can, and have, made tools that do make the machines easier to diagnose and repair without the need for a technician, but cant legally sell these solutions because it involves circumventing a digital lock (DMCA violation)
5. McD corporate has an agreement with the manufacturer to maintain this status quo in return for a kickback
- oorza 2y agoI worked at a McD's franchise 20 years ago that had hired a "retired" ice cream machine guy to work for the franchise full time. With only a half dozen stores, he would still almost always be too busy to make it to our store the same day and sometimes we'd have to wait as long as 3-4 days. Flaky does not even begin to describe how awful those machines are. I'm not sure if having that guy employed by the franchise was technically kosher or not with McDonald's, but you have to imagine the smart franchises all do this.
- LtWorf 2y agoMcDonald is big enough to change suppliers of machines and impose easy maintenance.
- Bjartr 2y agoIt's not a problem to be solved from McD corporate's perspective.
- davidron 2y ago... If incentives were properly aligned to make this the correct strategy, then this is probably what McDonald's would do. Unfortunately not. https://www.today.com/food/trends/why-is-mcdonalds-ice-cream-machine-always-broken-rcna161446 https://www.today.com/food/trends/why-is-mcdonalds-ice-cream...
- night862 2y agoIn principle, but they probably contracted this out decades ago. Theres a lot of licensing requirements and regulations surrounding dairy. This is actually the real source and meaning of the classic track by Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, "Safe as milk." Dairy is a huge systemic risk, operates on extremely narrow windows everywhere in its production and if left unmanaged will cause outbreaks of horrifying diseases like Typhoid.
- ErigmolCt 2y agoI thought McDonald’s is often locked into long-term contracts with companies