Posted on 04/21/2016 6:16:47 AM PDT by xzins
A little while back we told you about how the CEO of Hardees/Carl’s Jr. was thinking about replacing employees with machines thanks to the ridiculous minimum wage hike to $15.
Well, it appears he has done it.
It was only a matter of time before this started to happen and you can expect to see more of this in the future.
As the cost of labor rises automation increases especially in low productity jobs. What the pandering politicians fail to understand is that a $15 minimum wage in no way reflects the productivity of the worker in these jobs. To pay a worker $15 an hour their labor must generate enough revenue on average to pay for not only their $15 hourly wage, but cover the other fixed and variable costs of production. Consider a hamburger maker in a fast food restaurant. If only 50 cents of the price of the burger covers wages, that burger flipper would have to average making 30 burgers an hour to pay their wage. Many workers simply aren’t that productive. Business owners either have to raise prices or switch to machine that can easily make 30 burgers an hour and never needs a break, fails to show up for work or slacks off. The choice is pretty obvious.
Nothing more than a small part terminal. Under a thousand. The software would be the biggest cost. Installation would also be an expense. Cuts the hourly labor costs, Healthcare, workers comp, training, and eliminates at least 1 employee for the day. Say they are open 16 hours a day. That’s $240 per day plus taxes and insurance costs. Probably around 275 to 300 a day total. Payback would be very quick.
The real issue is customer acceptance.
“Seriously, anybody with more than two brain cells knew this was going to happen, but the liberals don’t like to be proven wrong. I’m guessing their next thing will be an attempt to “fine” or put an “automation tax” on every self-service kiosk at any business who goes this route.”
It’s probably not just the liberals. Why not put a tariff-like tax on these things to “protect jobs”?
Obama doesn’t want people working.
He wants them stilling around the Section 8 apartment, stoned on “medical marijuana” and collecting “disability”.
People are going to start carrying around a “dirty glove” used to touch these things... I’ve been considering doing that at the supermarket and other places where there are touch screens used by the public.
Polo
Well, it did just that by not having it as a menu selection.
Though the current versions of the software do it by graying out the icon for whatever is out of stock and making it unselectable, so this was either an older version of the software or wherever you were had deliberately locked out the flavor.
Have not been to a Panera since they went full left wing bat bleep crazy and told customers that their legal open carry or CCW were not welcome in their units.
I suspect that the local ones here in GreenAcres (a full open carry state) may tone that down, but decided that they were not getting another dollar from me...and have not been back. Used to spend alot of $ there.
Then they should probably ban all door handles.
The touch screens appear to never be cleaned. Maybe because what will kill the nasty bugs such as bacteria and viruses, ie alcohol, etc. is caustic and can damage the touch screen.
Also, at some point they have to replace the screens because of wear and tear. They have probably included that in the costs.
This is great, but nothing new.
Wawa convenience stores have done this for over 6 years. You order subs, sandwiches, and other food all via touch screen. Much more accurate and efficient.
My kids can order subs for the entire family in under 30 seconds. You pay while it’s being made, grab it, and go.
While ordering from a human, do you rest your hands on the counter?
It was in the menu selection. No indication as to what was available and what wasn’t. I should have known better because I was surprised by the long list of selections. We found it in Parkersburg, WV - not exactly a tech savvy town. Maybe the franchise owner didn’t have it configured properly.
I always thought a great political cartoon for the $15 minimum wage would be a fast food worker leaning up against the counter alone, saying “Wow, Bob, we’re finally getting a living wage! Bob?”
“Any restaurants that deliver and have online ordering are a short step away from automating ordering in their restaurants.”
I’ve been told (haven’t verified since I don’t go there) that the local Chili’s has had touch screens at each table for placing orders since 2014.
The touch screen, not so much. Why? Because most cleaners that would kill viruses and such are hard on a touch screen. If a non-caustic disinfectant doesn't exist, then someone should create one.
This is great! I only hope that English is an available choice on the touch screens.
“Also, at the Denver airport, same thing: Put the kiosks in, took them out.”
The kiosks are so popular at the Atlanta airport that it is now sometimes faster to go to the staffed counter.
It’s the DMV!
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