Next Outsourced Job: Fast Food Order Taker

http://www.cadenhead.org/ ^ | 4 11 06 | Rogers Cadenhead

[freepatriot32]

McDonald's has begun outsourcing drive-through orders in 40 of its restaurants, using 125 workers at a call center in California and submitting orders back over the Internet.

The process saves "seconds" on each order. Workers make $6.75 an hour, get no health benefits and handle up to 95 orders an hour in a job that sounds like a workplace massacre in the making:

Ms. Vargas seems unfazed by her job, even though it involves being subjected to constant electronic scrutiny. Software tracks her productivity and speed, and every so often a red box pops up on her screen to test whether she is paying attention. She is expected to click on it within 1.75 seconds. In the break room, a computer screen lets employees know just how many minutes have elapsed since they left their workstations.

One of the dire predictions of the Lou Dobbs crowd is that Americans will be pushed into low paying service jobs because all of our white-collar work is being sent overseas. But McDonald's could just as easily take those orders from Bangalore, where by one estimate a college-educated call center employee earns $2.40 an hour.

[rarestia]

What... the... fsck? This has to be a joke.

[Corin Stormhands]

If this means they'll finally get my order right, this could be a good thing.

[brytlea]

I don't understand how this can work. They still need someone to fill the orders...or do they fill it in CA and then drop ship it??
susie

[skip_intro]

Why in California?

Mexico needs jobs, I hear.

And they work cheap, too.

[TexasCajun]

What possibly could be worst for these workers?

Living in Mexico maybe?

[jpl]

"Would you like couscous with that?"

[Moose4]

Chances are, the McDrones at the restaurant see the order pop up on a screen and fill it, much the same way they do now. The difference is that you don't have anybody with the headset on actually taking the order; the order goes to the call center.

}:-)4

[MikeWUSAF]

"Americans will be pushed into low paying service jobs because all of our white-collar work is being sent overseas."

No, those will be filled by Mexicans.

[red devil 40]

yo quiero papas grande, por favor.......

[orionblamblam]

> They still need someone to fill the orders...

Yup. Note the next time you do a drive-through: someone takes the order, punches it into a computer, and then a second someone fills the order.

The real wonder is why they're going to all this bother. Eventually, and probably not so far away, artificial intelligence or even just punching in the buttons yer own self will replace the pimply teen at the window taking your order.

[discostu]

I heard about this a couple of years a go, they tried it out with some low volume store in Oregon I think, basically piping the drive thru order taking to a different store. Drive thru can be a big man power sink, and since they already have it hooked up to put the order on a display screen for filling and they move it around all over the place for the two window system anyway it's a pretty natural concept to move the order taking elsewhere.

[brytlea]

And so, when they mess it up, I don't have anyone to yell at!
Of course, I don't really yell, but I think about it...
susie

[brytlea]

I've often wondered why they don't just have a keyboard thing and let us all punch in our own orders. Seems like a smarter move than a call center. But then, that's just me. If it's going to be impersonal, at least let me have some fun punching the keys....
susie

[Sender]

Yes I am having your order as a Big Mac
value meal with a Coca Cola and the fries.
But possibly you are not wanting to eat
parts of a cow which is holy?
We are also having a Filet of Fish meal
which does not slaughter cows.
Can I get that for you instead?
Very well then I will submit your
order for Big Mac value meal to
McDonalds in the Philadelphia PA.
I am sorry? You are in the California?
No this is not possible. You must call
back from a McDonalds in California.
No there is no way I can reroute your order.
Please to move your car within 1.75 seconds.

[Kokojmudd]

They'll probably do it with voice recognition software in the future.

[brytlea]

So what happens when there is a technical problem and the line to the call center isn't working? Will anyone in the store have a clue how to take an order?
susie

[appeal2]

First stop California, next stop Bombay, India.

[orionblamblam]

You assume they have that ability *now*. Ever see a McSickness when the computer crashes?

[brytlea]

Probably so. I think we should just all quit eating McDonalds. (I don't like their food, so it's ok with me if everyone else stops eating there and they close! ;) )
susie

[brytlea]

I gotta admit, I NEVER eat at McDonalds since my kids are all in their 20s and I don't have to take them to the playground! That was a blessed day.
:)
susie

[Tevin]

job, even though it involves being subjected to constant electronic scrutiny. Software tracks her productivity and speed, and every so often a red box pops up on her screen to test whether she is paying attention. She is expected to click on it within 1.75 seconds.

---

all they need to do is introduce some electric shock reinforcement and they've replicated one of my lab experiments from college.

[discostu]

Punt. Sure they'll still be able to take the orders, there's only two primary differences between taking an order in drive thru and at the front counter: the headset and where the order goes when you push the "complete" button (at the counter it goes away, in drive thru it goes to the evil screen). So anybody that can work the front counter can handle drive thru and vice versa, there's a little confusion at first re-adjusting the work flow but it's do-able.

[Tevin]

I'd rather starve than eat at mcdonalds, burger king and the like. In and Out Burger is the only fast food place I'll do.

[SandwicheGuy]

Chances are, the McDrones at the restaurant...

Oh come one Moose, that is such a cheap shot! These people that you so disparage have a job and are learning job skills. They are also our fellow Americans. Please don't be so elitist and think because these Americans don't have a job like yours, yet, that you can take a cheap shot at their labors to exhibit your superior? job skills.

[KarlInOhio]

all they need to do is introduce some electric shock reinforcement and they've replicated one of my lab experiments from college.

Were you the shocker or shockee?

[Tevin]

why not use voice recognition tech?

[evets]

"... and then?"

[Tevin]

Shocker. Shockees were pigeons.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

I stopped eating at McDonalds when I bought a hamburger one day, took it back to work, commented that it just wasn't as good as when I was a kid, and somebody told me that they don't fry the burgers anymore, they microwave them.

Ugh!!!!

[Sender]

I can see massive confusion resulting from this system. When you get to the pickup window they will have your order completely wrong then will blame you.

"You had the 5 Quarter Pounders with extra mustard right? No? Well what did you have? A fish sandwich meal? I don't have an order for a fish sandwich meal. You'll have to go back in line and order again. Who had the 5 Quarter Pounders? Just park over there sir while we figure this out."

[Snoopers-868th]

But McDonald's could just as easily take those orders from Bangalore, where by one estimate a college-educated call center employee earns $2.40 an hour.

Coming your way soon, http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

[SoothingDave]

Drive thru can be a big man power sink, and since they already have it hooked up to put the order on a display screen for filling and they move it around all over the place for the two window system anyway it's a pretty natural concept to move the order taking elsewhere.

Vocelli's Pizza here has its customer ordering done through a central call center.

Who's going to really care if they took your order in Monroeville or Cranberry? As long as they deliver it to your house.

SD

[SandwicheGuy]

I'd rather starve than eat at mcdonalds, burger king and the like. In and Out Burger is the only fast food place I'll do.

Ah yes, opinions are like belly-buttons, everyone has one! Thank you for yours. At least you don't make disparaging remarks about the workers. Can I ask why you don't like MacD's? There is quite a quality variation in different locales so you may just be unfortunate in your area.

[StoneColdTaxHater]

It is no joke. I work for a large telecom provider. We supply data lines to process drive thru orders that are taken off site and relayed back to be filled.

[SoothingDave]

I can see massive confusion resulting from this system. When you get to the pickup window they will have your order completely wrong then will blame you.

And this is different from now how?

SD

[Tevin]

Mayor McCheese, is that you?

[dfwgator]

Indians taking orders for hamburgers made of dead cow meat?!? Never happen.

[oceanview]

actually, outsourcing isn't needed here.

just invest some $$$s in a decent ATM style machine that lets me enter my own order and confirm it on the screen. if I can do that to withdraw $200 from a bank, why can't I do it to enter a $5 food order?

in europe, cell phone software can be used to make transactions like this - you enter it into your phone, drive up, point the phone to a device, and transmit your order.

this is a perfect example of how we could lower the demand for low skill workers, if we invest in technology.

[dfwgator]

I gotta admit, I NEVER eat at McDonalds since my kids are all in their 20s and I don't have to take them to the playground! That was a blessed day.

You don't know Hell until you've been to a Chuck E Cheese's.

[discostu]

Papa John's has ordering on the website, although the one time my wife tried it you couldn't get two pizzas with different toppings (two pizzas was fine but they had to have the same toppings), they probably fixed that by now but since then their quality has gone to crap so we don't care. Depending on what kind of business style and volume you're dealing with having people sitting around taking orders can either get pricey or be a bottleneck (and some bad days both), finding creative solutions for that is good business.

[who knows what evil?]

This is great news for college graduates!

[BurbankKarl]

yes, so what. I bet they get the order correct on the first try, WHICH IS BETTER THAN MOST L.A. McDONALDS!

[SoothingDave]

just invest some $$$s in a decent ATM style machine that lets me enter my own order and confirm it on the screen. if I can do that to withdraw $200 from a bank, why can't I do it to enter a $5 food order?

This is exactly how you order a sandwich at one of our local super mini mart chains with a fresh deli.

SD

[Calpernia]

You still have pimply teens in your fast food restaurants? Ours are all immigrants.

[L98Fiero]

"There is quite a quality variation in different locales so you may just be unfortunate in your area."

So true. The one near my brother's house in Florida is AWESOME. They are SO nice, quick and the food was good for McDonald's. Where I live is the polar opposite. After you are told how much you owe, you won't hear another word from the employees and if you think they are going to smile at you, you are dreaming.

[orionblamblam]

> You still have pimply teens in your fast food restaurants?

Rural Utah, baby!

Now, California, though... or Salt Lake City...

[Calpernia]

OMG! That was funny!

Oh wait....it is actually true and sad....


I'm so confused.

[durasell]

I refuse to play your Chinese food mind games! -- Jesse, Dude, Where's My Car?

[nickcarraway]

How will teens afford their acne medicine?