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[Phoenix]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - McDonald's has eliminated the middle man standing between the fast food lover and his burger, with an advanced test of technology that promises to shorten lines and give consumers more control over ordering.


Outside Chicago in St. Charles, Illinois, longtime McDonald's Corp. (MCD: up $0.20 to $26.92, Research, Estimates) franchisee John Lardas has reconfigured his restaurant, replacing three ordering stations manned by employees at the front counter with one traditional station and four stand-alone computers, or kiosks.


"You see no lines because people are spreading themselves out," said Lardas, who estimates that 70 percent of customers now opt to use the technology.

McDonald's, which only recently admitted its service problems and vowed to fix them, is ironing the kinks out of technology some believe will transform fast food the way similar systems have revolutionized bank transactions and airport check-ins.


Each kiosk allows a customer to place an order directly with the kitchen, using a touch screen with pictures of food, English or Spanish text and verbal prompts.

Read the entire article @ CNN Money

 

[DCX]

ohh....wow....

Tech +1

This just in Burger King will have Minority Report style organic 3D interafacing while ordering...complete with the " ball " system to see if your order was a success, failure, or just plan stupid.

DCX

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

They still have no answer to God's gift.

Praise be to teh...let me take a closer walk teh.

 

[Desperado]

The less I have to deal with fast-food employees, the better. Especially McDonald's.

 

[DCX]

The less I have to deal with fast-food employees, the better. Especially McDonald's.

But that's the highlight!!

DCX

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

McDonald's should just call in sick. 99 cents...sniff

 

[Desperado]

But that's the highlight!!

DCX

Eh?

 

[DopeyFish]

when mcdonalds was running that promotion where if they took more than 30 seconds to give you the meal, you'd get a free burger... i swear i never saw service so fast.

After ordering right when I paid I had my meal sitting in front of me, I was almost floored.

 

[Scoobert]

This isn't new though. The kiosk is on the counter with the registers. It's a touchscreen and takes credit cards, debit cards then giving you your receipt. It's only good though around tourist areas and colleges where lines get really long.

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

If they get rid of the retards working at the counter, then they should lower the prices as well. The middle man is out, right? Which means more profit for Mc D's.

That's what I hate about all this self service bullshit going on everywhere. They make your ass work but they don't give you a discount. What the balls is that about?

 

[DopeyFish]

If they get rid of the retards working at the counter, then they should lower the prices as well. The middle man is out, right? Which means more profit for Mc D's.

That's what I hate about all this self service bullshit going on everywhere. They make your ass work but they don't give you a discount. What the balls is that about?

It's not like the machines were free

 

[StrikerObi]

Disney World tried this a few years ago, they got rid of it months later.

 

[Diablos]

Man, I dunno. I realize a lot of fast food workers are... odd, to say the least. However, if all those jobs are lost what else are they gonna do?

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

It's not like the machines were free

True, but the retards make at least $15,000(each) a year, the system is probably no more than $7,000 per store. That's a whole lot of money bags they're saving.

 

[way more]

I always wanted to get a bunch of friends together so we could all work at McDonalds. We'd act like they do in the commercials. "Welcome to McDonalds!," while grinning like idoits, oblivious to our shitty jobs. I think it would be fucking unnerving.

 

[neptunes]

They've just eliminated 1000 teen jobs.

 

[Lemurnator]

MORE AUTOMATION MEANS LESS JOBS FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE.

YAY TECHNOLOGY.

 

[Defensor]

Can't wait to charge 4 Bigmacs for only $2

 

[Desperado]

They've just eliminated 1000 teen jobs.

Damn wait this is bad...The teen job market is already shrinking...sigh

 

[Dead]

this is the greatest thing ever

 

[DCX]

a big blow to the job market...i would have credit cards be accepted and maybe have workers just bring the stuff to you,,,maybe if you sit down and eat have them bring it to you...but u need to keep some of these kids.

DCX

 

[Hitokage]

McDonalds is answering nobody with this... they've had it on the table for months now.

 

[Matlock]

Hitokage: not everyone knew that. Including a large national corporation that's one of your favorites.

 

[Bebpo]

They still have no answer to God's gift.

Praise be to teh...let me take a closer walk teh.

But...but..it's SQUARE!

 

[Outlaw]

Where are those kids going to get money to rice up their cars now!?

 

[DCX]

" Have it your way "

DCX

 

[Suikoguy]

I don't mind typing in my order if its gonna be right, haha

 

[Matt]

True, but the retards make at least $15,000(each) a year, the system is probably no more than $7,000 per store. That's a whole lot of money bags they're saving.

What the fuck man? "The retards"!?!?

 

[DCX]

An affectionate way of saying fast food service professionals.

DCX

 

[Matt]

An affectionate way of saying fast food service professionals.

DCX

I know to whom he was referring, I was commenting about how incredibly offensive and moronic the remark was.

 

[ruffles]

Alright! And is Spanish too.

 

[DCX]

I know to whom he was referring, I was commenting about how incredibly offensive and moronic the remark was.

Yeah...well, i can hinestly say there had to be retards working on Seventh Cross and Soul Fighter for Dreamcast

DCX

 

[Echoes of Pink]

I usually only spend like 3 minutes in line at McDonald's anyway so this seems kind of pointless.

I'm be much happier if Burger King could find a way to get your drive thru order to you in less than 5 minutes...

 

[DCX]

Alright! And is Spanish too.

Hey now, i'm spanish...what say you?

DCX

 

[neptunes]

hey I used to work at McDonalds......Jackass.

 

[DCX]

Ironically, i never got hired at the McD's i applied too...cruel world i tell you.

DCX

 

[OmniGamer]

Waits to hear stories of people touching the screen frantically to order a bunch of random items and then just leave.

 

[DCX]

" Our of Service " come back in 4 hours, have a cheeseburger on us..

DCX

 

[cvxfreak]

I sort of approve of this - but the cash register folks ought to switch the kitchen work instead of being fired.

 

[shoplifter]

Bush is going to have to come up with some new manufacturing jobs now!

 

[ohamsie]

People are already too stupid to work those self checkouts at supermarkets, it is going to be unbearable waiting for morons to try to order food.

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

Okay, they're not all retards. Just the majority I've encountered.

 

[Hitokage]

Hitokage: not everyone knew that. Including a large national corporation that's one of your favorites.

Am I the only one who reads Time, Newsweek, or US News with any semblence of regularity?

 

[krypt0nian]

Now maybe I can get a burger instead of having to "interupt" the worker's conversation to order.

 

[Phoenix]

Am I the only one who reads Time, Newsweek, or US News with any semblence of regularity?

Apparently so. The only non-industry mag I read is Business Week and that's because its so useful for my MBA studies.

 

[Ecrofirt]

Do any of you guys have the Dollar Menu at your local McDonalds? They probably don't have them in big cities, because that would be silly, but they have them around here.

Boy, is it heaven.

$1.00 double cheese burgers, drinks, McChicken sandwiches, fries.... yummy.

They've even got a morning dollar menu, which is also quite nice.

 

[Grifter]

What about Calvin and the community?

 

[Spiritreaver]

"You see no lines because people are spreading themselves out," said Lardas, who estimates that 70 percent of customers now opt to use the technology.

Does anyone find that name even slightly amusing?

 

[yoshifumi]

this is just one step closer to the inevitable machine takeover.

 

[NetMapel]

So... does this machine takes cash as well ? What if I want to pay by cash ?