For the larger, long reaching implications, propably.
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Say goodbye to cashiers in 2,500 U.S. McDonalds by the end of 2017.
- Thread starter KSweeley
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For the larger, long reaching implications, propably.
MrToughPants
Brian Burke punched my mom
Will drive thrus also be equipped with their shitty touch screen ordering? The line ups will be a mile long.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
From my experience most people cant look further than two weeks out.
Exactly, maybe some are lost, but most of them are just "turned into" other positions.
Theonik
Member
This is the reality of technological progress. Our societies need to adapt. If labour isn't needed then it won't be used.
Debatable. McDonald's shops are largely understaffed so they expect the people there to do more work to cover.
When they introduce these machines they help quite a lot as they fill the labour shortage until they want to cut cost again where they will expect less kitchen staff to serve more electronic tills etc.
Charles Brandon
Member
Whatever your opinion of automation is, the truth is that you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. If it works, if it reduces cost and improves the customer experience, then it's going to happen.
Yeah we've had this in France for years now, and I'm loving it! #rimshot
I've never seen a McDonald's with only the kiosks though, they're always there to supplement the classic cashiers.
ozz ex machina
Member
I'm really hoping this is a sarcastic post? If it is please ignore.
People seeing less human interaction as a plus is seriously disturbing to me. It sucks if you struggle dealing to communicate with other humans...I went through that phase too when I was younger. I'd strongly suggest therapy instead of pursuing technological advances to assist you in avoiding a mental condition you are suffering from. I'd imagine you'd be much happier in the long run. I know it's fairly rude of me to make an assumption from "awkward conversations" to social recluse who fears human interaction and is miserable. But I don't think I've ever had an awkward conversation with a fast food employee. These people are trained to speak to you, the problem is totally on your end.
Also the notion that you are celebrating unemployment of unskilled workers because you don't have to speak to them anymore is frankly disgusting.
Right. It's most likely going to be a small tech team that covers a region/collection of McDonald's.
TheOfficeMut
Unconfirmed Member
In the short run this sucks but in the long run it's for the best. It forces people into industries that need them.
Ask yourself, are human beings (the individual and population at large) better off as cashiers and toll booth collectors or should those roles be automated and their talents/intellect be served somewhere else?
The US should be like Japan with it's vending and ticketing machines.
Unless I'm dining at a restaurant, I really don't want to deal with people for simple transactions.
I'd rather just walk up, press on a screen and walk away with my item without having some overworked and underpaid person giving me attitude cause they've had to deal with assholes all day.
Unless I'm dining at a restaurant, I really don't want to deal with people for simple transactions.
I'd rather just walk up, press on a screen and walk away with my item without having some overworked and underpaid person giving me attitude cause they've had to deal with assholes all day.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
For people to develop those talents we would need an increase in the average income. College ain't free.
Fox Mulder
Member
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I like using self checkout but always get stuck behind immensely stupid fucking idiots who have no idea how to read/follow basic instructions or use any technology designed after 1970, so I fear any store that decides to switch to entirely self checkout.
Like, after the 500th time being held up for 10 minutes because the boomer at the self checkout at the grocery store is confused about what button to press when the machine asks a complicated question such as "would you like to pay with cash or card?", waiting for the lone cashier to help the other 4 people with similarly ridiculous problems before going to help them, then cutting myself when they call the cashier back over a second time because they have no idea what to do when the machine asks "credit or debit", I can only imagine how fucked it's going to be when that person has to bumble their way through 20 menus to order their burger with extra cheese and no onions.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
My guess is there will come a point when there wont be enough people with money to purchase whats being sold. At that point things will unravel fast.
Tal Shiar Agent
Banned
The Swiss live in their own little amoral mountain fantasy world, nothing they do or don't do should be regarded as precedent for anyone else.
How we that be smart? If these jobs can be automated, then they should be.
My local Tesco (large supermarket chain) has maybe 10-12 self checkout stations. They're rubbish, and invariably require 1-3 people staffing them at all times, depending on lull and peak periods. But if those checkout stations replace four traditional checkout lanes then Tesco is making a 25-75% efficiency saving at all times on staffing alone. It's no wonder they're so widely adopted.
Giant Panda
Member
So reduce service for their millions of customers to maybe benefit a thousand employees? How does that math work out in your favor?
Well if they can do it, what's stopping others from doing the same?
Charles Brandon
Member
Historically, that is not what happens. New industries emerge, people work less, earn more, have better living standards, Automation has being going on for 250 years.
newtypepilot
Member
IMO I don't like their kiosks as they dont accept cash and they always have trouble scanning the coupons.
Said nothing about staying static but wants actions to offset job loss.
This is the one I was talking about.
Ok, there is a second one.
Said nothing about staying static, is looking for a strategy for something to happen to help these people.
So fine there were two. That still doesn't mean people who use technology can't speak for those who will suffer.
Sorry, english isn't my first language so I might not fully understand what you mean. Do you mean that you think that only thousand kiosks etc. will be replaced by automatons?
My local McDonald's just got refurbed to put these screens in. They're good and I prefer it to ordering from a cashier. Less judgement lol. However I wish a big company like McDonald's could have afforded something a little snappier. I'm guessing g it runs on some proprietary Windows touch screen thing and it's just a bit slow. Like the proprietary touch screen junk you get in museums. Honestly don't know why they didn't just use a large iPad Pro and a really silky smooth app couldn't have been used instead. Don't need that MASSIVE screen and it would work better. Likely cheaper too lol.
Hopefully they just create a good ordering app you can get on your phone. Order ahead of time even if you want for collection.
My own workplace is bringing in self service terminals and as the older customers die out we're definitely going to turn into a single manning shop babysitter role at best.
Hopefully they just create a good ordering app you can get on your phone. Order ahead of time even if you want for collection.
My own workplace is bringing in self service terminals and as the older customers die out we're definitely going to turn into a single manning shop babysitter role at best.
litigationjackson
Neo Member
yyyyyyyyyyyup
That's what it's happening afaik. They just shift into other positions.
Any time I've been in a McDonalds it seems like maybe 4 employees out of the 20 visible ones are cashiers? They're still going to need at least one person to oversee the kiosks and everyone else involved in the running of the restaurant will remain.
Yeah it sucks people will lose their jobs but if you're gonna get pissed at Trump for cutting regulations and making deals to try and keep the dying coal industry alive, why are you getting mad at places who are cutting redundant jobs?
Automation is happening, either we embrace it and try to mobilize our workforce to adapt or we try to fight it and fall behind other countries.
Yeah it sucks people will lose their jobs but if you're gonna get pissed at Trump for cutting regulations and making deals to try and keep the dying coal industry alive, why are you getting mad at places who are cutting redundant jobs?
Automation is happening, either we embrace it and try to mobilize our workforce to adapt or we try to fight it and fall behind other countries.
The Elite
BOSS
That's what has happened. Food service is actually faster now.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
This is different because the ratio of displacement is not 1:1. Horse and buggy replaced by car you still need humans to repair the vehicles, drive the vehicles, make the vehicles. Blockbuster gets replaced by Netflix.. thats 84,000 employees lost and 3,500 gained.
Ah ok, I see. Closest large chain equivalent here as "The wealthy person grocery store" would probably be Whole Foods, I could see them doing this. Some place like Walmart though? 0 chance.
DiscoShark
Banned
Then you'll increasingly live in a world where you simply don't shop. Do you avoid grocery stores with self checkout lines because they're replacing cashiers too? Do you not shop at Amazon because they're a retailer that doesn't have cashiers at all? Why are we defending the loss of positions that no longer need to exist?
No, but I've had it freeze, refuse to correct my order and fail to print out a receipt. So the kiosks are not without their annoyances.
Charles Brandon
Member
Yeah this is where it needs to be. Specify order, location and time you want to pick up. Pay. Then just turn up and grab your food.
If you're concerned what a McDonald's employee thinks of you then you've got some serious self esteem issues.
dantevsninjas
Member
Trump just proposed building a wall to prevent the kiosks from getting across our borders, as well as replacing all McDonald's with Blockbuster Video's powered by coal.
TheOfficeMut
Unconfirmed Member
Complaining about moving toward automation seems like wanting it to remain static. How do I know? Because logic follows that if you're complaining about the automation, then you're content without it. I'm not sure what your point is. And you're being unnecessarily pedantic because I simply said some people, in which I'm still right.
milanbaros
Member?
Can't that be done in the app?
Charles Brandon
Member
Not really, look at the textile industry in 1800s UK. Thousands and thousands of jobs replaced by machines over a small period of time. People rioted. But the world turned and new industries replaced those jobs and then some.
I don't know. can it? Cool
Monkeyball
Banned
It's progress. This means people -in theory- could do more useful things than selling burgers. I realise it won't be an easy transition though.
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