Posted on 07/18/2018 1:38:23 AM PDT by Cronos
“Would you like fries with that?” may soon be a phrase of the past.
As minimum wage levels approach or surpass $15 nationwide, restaurant customers expecting to be greeted by a smiling face will instead be welcomed by a glowing LED screen.
As of 2020, self-service ordering kiosks will be implemented at all U.S. McDonald’s locations. Other chains, including fast-casual brands like Panera and casual-dining brands like Chili's, have already embraced this trend. Some restaurant concepts have even automated the food-preparation process; earlier this year, NBC News profiled "Flippy," a robot hamburger flipper. Other upcoming concepts include virtual restaurants which eliminate the need for full-service restaurants (and staff) by only offering home delivery
While some consumers may appreciate the novelty or added convenience, the conveniences come at the cost of entry-level jobs.
My concern about this is personal. Without my opportunity to start as a grill man, I would have never ended up running one of largest fast food chains in the world. I started working at McDonald’s making the minimum wage of 85 cents an hour. I worked hard and earned a promotion to restaurant manager within just one year, then went on to hold almost every position available throughout the company, eventually rising to CEO of McDonalds USA.
The kind of job that allowed me and many others to rise through the ranks is now being threatened by a rising minimum wage that’s pricing jobs out of the market. Without sacrificing food quality or taste, or abandoning the much-loved value menu, franchise owners must keep labor costs under control. One way to combat rising labor costs is by reducing the amount of employees needed.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
I can “point and click” and have been for a long time but if I park my car and walk into a McDonald’s I REFUSE to use the kiosk-—I just plain like the personal interaction.
.
I’m just the opposite, but will make exceptions for a couple of the cuter counter girls (sorry).
I have written to markets regarding that theory and mentioned that many of us need to read labels on products for dietary or health concerns. Some of us don’t want to be flooded with contemporary pop music at high volumes.
it has a learning curve, but it’s a short one
And with the kiosk system, your order times will reduce
John only managed 3. what a weakling....
In this case, a limited vocabulary would be more useful than Alexa’s large one. Just the names of the menu items, the sizes and some numbers would be sufficient.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.