McDonald’s replace humans with swipe cards and touch screens - Polidicks

[url=http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food-drink/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-replace-humans-with-swipe-cards-and-touch-screens-blog-10-lovefood.html]Source[/url] [quote]Fast food is set to become even faster. McDonald’s has just announced it is going to introduce state-of-the-art touch-screen terminals to order food and the swipe card payment method in its 7000 restaurants in Europe. According to McDonald’s UK President, Steve Easterbrook, this marks the first major change in the way food is ordered in restaurants in 30 or 40 years. Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he? But how new is this technology? And will it really revolutionise the way you buy fast-food? Touch-screen technology If you’ve ever been to Asia, you’ll know that touch-screen technology is nothing new: it’s already used in many restaurants in the Far East, and indeed this idea was inspired by a trip to Japan. McDonald’s isn’t even the first to bring the concept to the UK - the pan-Asian restaurant Inamo in London’s Soho has been using this interactive ordering method for some years. However, McDonald’s will be the first to make it mainstream. So hats off to them for that. The swipe card system Equally innovative for a fast-food chain is the idea of the swipe card system, which will allow customers to make payments by Visa credit or debit card, replacing the need for cash altogether. Again, McDonald’s isn’t the first chain to try to do this. Vapiano, the international chain of smart pizza and pasta restaurants, also uses swipe cards, but its contactless RFID cards utilise an altogether different technology. By contrast, you’ll be able to swipe any of the Visa credit or debit cards you have in your wallet and expect it to work at McDonald’s. So yes, McDonald’s is doing something pretty unique. But what impact will all this technology have on McDonald’s customers? When you make your order for Big Mac and fries, what difference will it actually make? Efficiency improvements Often touted as ‘the next big thing’ in dining out, touch screen ordering is expected to improve efficiency, with average transactions at McDonald’s three to four seconds quicker for each customer – and as the chain serves 2 million European customers per day, that is a lot of time saving. The new technology will also allow the company to obtain more information about its customers’ food ordering habits. Anyone alarmed by this idea should note that supermarkets and other retailers already do this via their loyalty card schemes. McDonald’s innovations are part of wider changes at the brand, which will be redecorating its stores, opening for longer hours and introducing new menus in a bid to give its restaurants cosier, more sociable feel. It can afford to do so: in the current economic climate, when many businesses are struggling to stay afloat, McDonald’s comparable sales have increased 5.7 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter. A good thing – or a bad thing? The proposed technological changes have divided customers though. Some like the idea that their meals will be even quicker; but others will miss service with a smile and are worried that there won’t be enough terminals in the restaurants, leading to long queues. Others are unhappy about using cards to make payments for the small amount of money that McDonald’s meals usually cost. Many are also anxious about staff being replaced by computers at a time when jobs are already hard to come by. However, McDonald’s dismisses fears of job losses and maintains that, due to business expansion, there’ll be an increase in overall staff numbers and that they are on target to create extra 15,000 new jobs in Europe this year. The fast food giant hasn’t yet provided a date for introducing this technology, and neither has it announced whether these changes will eventually be introduced in non-European markets. So what does the future hold? Is the move into this brave new world a step in the right direction, or is it just change for change’s sake? Will other restaurants follow suit? Will this change the face of fast food – and even restaurant industry as a whole? Will cashiers and waiting staff be replaced by computers? Will eating out become more impersonal – or will we always hanker after service with a smile? What’s your view about touch screen ordering at McDonald’s? Are you loving it?[/quote] Reminds me of the kiosks in Mass Effect 2.

Then it comes to America. Suddenly 1000's of hispanics are without a job. they say it will create new jobs, but thats a load of shit.

These would be better than the cashiers here. On the rare occasion I go to McDonalds I always have to order at least 3 times before they get my order right.

the less human hands touch my food the better

With 2,000,000 customers per day, with a savings of 4 seconds per customer, that is 93 days of saved time per day, which makes sense if you count [B]all [/B]the restaurants in Europe.

i'd be worried what customers will do to the screen both on purpose and being assholes and being greasy/filthy

next step is replacing the people eating there with robots then the society will be perfect

I'm gonna masturbate then go and order a metric shit tonne off the touch screen menus. Better wash your hands after using them :v:

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;30058106]next step is replacing the people eating there with robots then the society will be perfect[/QUOTE] And 1,000 years from now the robots will be replacing the robots with us.

in my experience mcdonald's cashiers are retards

It would be interesting to see how many screw-ups would occur with the machine, resulting in orders would still have to be done by humans, until after a while, the customers would either completely shun the machine or slowly accept it after technical faults have been ironed out. This machine would have to leave good first impression on people or it will go the way of any innovations, good in theory, bad in practice.

I wonder if you can steal them.

[QUOTE=Penis Colada;30058454]in my experience mcdonald's cashiers are retards[/QUOTE] To be fair, who wants to work at McDonalds, unless you're in desperate need of cash?

[QUOTE=Van-man;30058658]To be fair, who wants to work at McDonalds, unless you're in desperate need of cash?[/QUOTE] Teens who don't know any better.

The future work force is computer and machine based this is nothing new.

[QUOTE=superdinoman;30058878]The future work force is computer and machine based this is nothing new.[/QUOTE] This is why tech-savvy people will be the ones with jobs as we'll be fixing the machines. I mean I am basically a shelf-filler. But I'm also repairing the printers, photocopiers, and computers. Even though I'm not supposed to.

[QUOTE=HatredViral;30058911]This is why tech-savvy people will be the ones with jobs as we'll be fixing the machines. I mean I am basically a shelf-filler. But I'm also repairing the printers, photocopiers, and computers. Even though I'm not supposed to.[/QUOTE] I find it funny though, people complain about no available jobs and then wont go to college for a degree. Its only going to get worse. The bad thing about the tech industry is having to renew your degree every few months to couple of years as the tech advances.

[QUOTE=Bletotum;30058011]the less human hands touch my food the better[/QUOTE] Do the cashiers touch your food? Usually they just take a wrapped burger from the shelves and put it on your tablet when you give your order. Unless they have robots making the food it will be touched by as many hands as before.

[QUOTE=Johnnsen;30058922]Do the cashiers touch your food? Usually they just take a wrapped burger from the shelves and put it on your tablet when you give your order. Unless they have robots making the food it will be touched by as many hands as before.[/QUOTE] What I don't get is we have HACCP practicies for a reason, and in the UK at least our McDonalds are often well managed and I've never gotten sick from eating at one.

This is stupid. Finding a part time job in the UK is hard enough, especially if you're a student studying for a degree. These 15,000 new jobs will probably be maintenance jobs for the machines or will seek qualifications that people like me don't have yet. People say "LOL WHUD WONT TO WOERK AT MCDONALDS IS FOR RETDARDS211!", well quite frankly most of us. You can't get by without money, and these easy jobs happen to be most of the jobs that are available. I have two student friends who work at McDonalds, and I work at a Subway (fortunately nothing there's become automated yet). These fucking self service machines make it that little bit more annoying to get a first job. Not to mention it takes fucking forever for a middle aged woman to work out how they work; and those fuckers are usually too stubborn to accept help. I hate these fucking things.

I'd rather pay by cash, sure something automated might be faster but I don't want to arse around with my debit card when I want something to eat especially if I'm paying for something that's under a tenner and I have cash with me, I've seen people before buying stuff that's came to a couple of quid and they paid by card.

[QUOTE=AnotherGuy;30059017]This is stupid. Finding a part time job in the UK is hard enough, especially if you're a student studying for a degree. These 15,000 new jobs will probably be maintenance jobs for the machines or will seek qualifications that people like me don't have yet. People say "LOL WHUD WONT TO WOERK AT MCDONALDS IS FOR RETDARDS211!", well quite frankly most of us. You can't get by without money, and these easy jobs happen to be most of the jobs that are available. I have two student friends who work at McDonalds, and I work at a Subway (fortunately nothing there's become automated yet). These fucking self service machines make it that little bit more annoying to get a first job. Not to mention it takes fucking forever for a middle aged woman to work out how they work; and those fuckers are usually too stubborn to accept help. I hate these fucking things.[/QUOTE] It's not stupid, it's business. Cashiers aren't the first jobs to be rendered obsolete by machines.

[quote=BrainDeath]It's not stupid, it's business. Cashiers aren't the first jobs to be rendered obsolete by machines.[/quote] I didn't imply that these are the first jobs to go, that's not the issue. The issue is we don't need any more of these jobs to be automated. When you're studying, especially in this town, there are very few jobs you can move into. You can work for a supermarket, either Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys or Morrisons. This is fine, but now they've also started using self checkouts. Even getting a job at Sainsburys is tough due to the benefits you get working there. Not only are you fighting against other students to get a job there but also mothers and the elderly. You could also move into retail, again, this is high competition. There are about 200 shops in this town, each with about two positions going a year. There's not even any factory work to do. Every process that becomes needlessly automated just to save money that companies ten years ago managed to not save is making one kid's life tougher. As a point of reference, there are three McDonalds in this town.

As an employee of Mcdonalds I say this is fucking stupid. The customers get their food fast enough. I mean I am trained to make a fucking burger in 25seconds. I shit you not.

[QUOTE=Bletotum;30058011]the less human hands touch my food the better[/QUOTE] How does ordering the food yourself with a touch screen change that?

Well, good. Will make it faster for the customers. And before you go all "Oh but think of the jobs" We have no fastfood places in our town, only two super markets, and 8 retail stores. and some-how none of us have a problem finding jobs. Must be that darned free college education.

YESSS. Now they wont be forgetting my sause every friggin time!

[QUOTE=Konigstiger96;30058626]It would be interesting to see how many screw-ups would occur with the machine, resulting in orders would still have to be done by humans, until after a while, the customers would either completely shun the machine or slowly accept it after technical faults have been ironed out. This machine would have to leave good first impression on people or it will go the way of any innovations, good in theory, bad in practice.[/QUOTE] In america we already have these types of machines at markets and other goods stores. They work fine and only require one person to supervise 8-12 automated checkout lanes. This is a similar concept and I imagine will work just as flawlessly. I always prefer self-Checkout it is faster and saves the store money on payroll which saves me money on goods.

Maybe this technology could help make McMuffins to [i]not[/i] be put together all lopsided and shit.

[QUOTE=-n3o-;30059187]As an employee of Mcdonalds I say this is fucking stupid. The customers get their food fast enough. I mean I am trained to make a fucking burger in 25seconds. I shit you not.[/QUOTE] This is only going to substitute the cashiers, the cooks will still have their job.