Changes at McDonalds

[Andy M.]

SO and I took our grandson to lunch today. He chose McDonalds. We haven't been to a fast food restaurant in sometime and haven't been to McD in forever.

We walked into the restaurant to find that there were no registers at the counter to order from. Now there are two computer terminals with a large touch screen where customers place their orders one person at a time. Meal number one, choose the meal category, choose the sub-category, choose the sides, choose any special orders, choose your drink, review your order. Want to order more? Repeat as above. Want a third meal? Do it all again. Take a number placard and enter that number into the computer so your order can be delivered to your table. Then pay.

A lovely young lady was roaming the floor offering to help but the process is tediously slow. She explained they want to make the experience closer to more formal restaurants. In reality, this new process saves the restaurant a number of people to man the registers, reducing payroll costs. It takes substantially longer to place your order via the computer than to speak the order to a smiling employee working a cash register.

All that aside, SO and I tried a couple of their smokehouse sandwiches, a beef and a chicken. Not really enjoyable at all. I came home and completed a survey, letting them know my opinion. I'm sure they don't care as I also told them it's been a long time since my last visit and that I didn't foresee coming back. BTW, three meals came to just under $25.

On the bright side, GS liked his nuggets.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Progress, it won't be long before we go full circle and return to Horn & Hardart's Automat - "Less work for mother."!

 

[Cheryl J]

Yikes! What a shock that must have been, Andy. Like you, having already given my grandson a choice and that's what he requested, I'd have bitten the bullet and taken him to McD's as well. But with that self ordering on a computer terminal, that would be the last time.

I have no idea if our one McD's has that, I haven't been there in years. I hear they have dual drive throughs and people nearly run into each other...no thank you.

 

[Mad Cook]

According to the UK adverts for MacD's you may now have "table service" - a bit posh for MacD's!

You need a stronger stomach than mine to eat regularly at MacD's.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

If you download Mickey D's app onto your iphone you can place your order from home, the road or where ever, pay with your credit/debit card, and it will be ready when you get there, unless you order the new quarter pounder because they don't slap that sucker on the grill until they see your smiling face.

 

[caseydog]

Andy, I have to agree. They say this kind of "progress" is for the benefit of consumers, but I'm pretty sure it is a way for wealthy franchisees to make more money by not having to pay people a living wage. Their employees want to make enough money to just work one job, and not feed their own kids with food stamps. Well, that means the owner of the McD's has to sacrifice... well, nothing, really. But, it gives them something to complain about with their wealthy friends as they eat prime steak, and drink vintage wine, before driving home in their Ferraris.

On my sixteenth birthday, I got my driver's license in the morning, and started my first real job (I had a paper route before that). It was at a Jack-in-theBox, horrible job. The place burned down a few weeks later, most likely insurance fraud. I swore I would NEVER work fast food again. And, I didn't.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

If you download Mickey D's app onto your iphone you can place your order from home, the road or where ever, pay with your credit/debit card, and it will be ready when you get there, unless you order the new quarter pounder because they don't slap that sucker on the grill until they see your smiling face.

Not an option for a guy who goes to McDs once a decade or so.

 

[Andy M.]

...Well, that means the owner of the McD's has to sacrifice... well, nothing, really. But, it gives them something to complain about with their wealthy friends as they eat prime steak, and drink vintage wine, before driving home in their Ferraris...

Not sure a fast food franchise is a ticket to the high life. There's a lot of hard work to make it go, the employee turnover is high and the franchise fees are hefty.

 

[Rascal]

We order all ours through drive through, but the other day I had to take car to mechanic to get a 45 minute job done so there's a mcds about 200 metres away so I walked down to,grab a coffee. First thing I noticed when I ordered a coffee with the guy at the counter, was bunch of people on touch screens, I sat down and watched everyone doing as you say, order on this machine. Then they got a number and sat down. No conversation at all. I couldn't believe it. I'll never order that way. Driveway suits me,lol.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I just do the Burger King drive through and smile nicely at the lady who hands me my food. I surprise her most mornings by telling her "Thank You" after placing my order...maybe that's why she smiles...

 

[caseydog]

Not sure a fast food franchise is a ticket to the high life. There's a lot of hard work to make it go, the employee turnover is high and the franchise fees are hefty.

Actually, yes, it is.

If you want to get a McD's franchise, you have to already be a multi-millionaire. Basically, to get one, you have to prove you don't need one. They are also great tax dodges -- for some franchisees, they are meant to lose money. Most McD's franchise owners rarely ever enter one of their stores.

As for turnover, yeah, it is hard to keep employees when you don't pay them enough to survive. If they can find a job that pays 10 cents more an hour, they jump on it. Can you blame them? Loyalty costs more than minimum wage.

CD

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...Now there are two computer terminals with a large touch screen where customers place their orders one person at a time. Meal number one, choose the meal category, choose the sub-category, choose the sides, choose any special orders, choose your drink, review your order. Want to order more? Repeat as above. Want a third meal? Do it all again....

$25 at McD's? Wow, I haven't been there for a long time. For us, they're pretty much a "McBathroom" while we're on the road. I will admit to getting an occasional coffee or ice tea there when we travel, too.

We encountered those ordering kiosks a number of years ago when we stopped at a Sheetz or Wa-Wa in the Allentown, PA area. Arrived late for a family funeral, the gas station was right in front of our hotel, and we were tired and hungry. Decided to give it a chance. The food was surprisingly decent, but the kiosk confused the heck out of me the first time. We've stopped at Sheetz or Wa-Wa since - I'm no longer confused. About that ordering kiosk that is. Everything else? Still confused...

 

[RPCookin]

I just do the Burger King drive through and smile nicely at the lady who hands me my food. I surprise her most mornings by telling her "Thank You" after placing my order...maybe that's why she smiles...

"Please" and "Thank you" are still good words, even in a fast food joint in the 20-teens. It's true that you get a more pleasant experience just by remembering that little courtesy.

I do go to Mickey D's occasionally. I got hooked on their double cheeseburgers way back when I was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. For a long time they were discontinued, but since they brought them back I stop for one from time to time.

I usually go through the drive through and take my lunch home to eat, but we encountered the new electronic system on our trip to Montana a couple of weeks ago. Since we were paying with cash, it didn't apply to us. I sort of wonder if they will be eliminating cash transactions altogether with this new technology. If so they won't see me around, as I simply don't do fast food on credit.

Some restaurants are putting a tablet type device at the tables now, probably for the same reason, to cut down on serving staff. I've seen it in a couple of places (Red Robin and Famous Dave's are where I've seen it), but we didn't use it at either place.

It's like a throwback to the idea back in the 50's of putting a menu and two-way communication at each table so that customers could call their orders in to the kitchen. In those days it was most common to pay at a register as you were leaving, so that way they only needed a server to deliver your food and the check - eliminated about half of the servers. Now they are just doing the same thing with higher tech.

 

[roadfix]

The last time I walked into a MCD they were offering 2 Egg McMuffins for $1.49..... or was it 99 cents??

 

[caseydog]

I do have to admit that McD's has good coffee. They didn't used to, but they do now. And, it is about a third of the price of a Starbucks coffee.

I also get a craving a few times a year for a Sausage MacMuffin with egg.

CD

 

[SmoothBites]

The most convenient is ordering McDonald's on UberEats. I order and about 25 minutes later someone shows up with my cheeseburger! There's a delivery fee, but if you factor in time, gas, and effort, it's worth every cent! Usually my dad and I will order it for lunch a couple times a month.