Posted on May 13, 2014
7,000 touch-screen Cashiers at McDonalds now. Is this what $15 min/wage buys you? If only we could get CIF to do the same thing!
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http://www.cnet.com/news/mcdonalds-hires-7000-touch-screen-cashiers/
How long until this becomes the norm?
How long until this becomes the norm?
Posted in these groups: 
Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 44
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Sadly as cost effective as it is...folks will be out of jobs. But I can't say that I blame them for coming up with this. There is a similar system at Sheetz gas stations to order food there. Give it time it's going to become the standard.
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There may be a cost savings to the franchise owner, but will not help the economy with jobs.... well, actually, I suspect it will help the economy about the same amount as $15/hr. Just sayin.
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Maj Chris Nelson
Interesting way to look at it. I see your points and as long as much of the employment is done inside the USA, I could see that this would be true. Only drawback would be that many of the people that would be flipping burgers may not qualify for the types of support jobs created, thereby not necessarily helping the demographic that needs the most help. Not sure which idea is better!
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SPC (Join to see)
Ed & Maj Nelson, if the machines improve businesses, we can export the machines to other countries. We need skilled labor to make the machines, and once costs rise in foreign manufacturing facilities, they will be happy to replace their labor with our machines.
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A self serve ordering machine? They will probably work with the same quality of efficiency as the self serve check out lines at WalMart or The Home Depot.
I actually see this as an opportunity for large fast food chains to make more profit. They will boost the price of the burger, claiming that the higher cost of labor is causing it, all the while cutting staff. I mean the math shows that hiring 10 people at the current $7+ minimum wage is about the same as laying off four of those people and doing the same work with six. Wages will go up, work load will increase, prices will increase, and companies will make more money. Mostly because consumers will most certainly not stop buying the food.
Forgot to mention that it will decrease competition because the local mom and pop joint doesn't have the operating capital or the bulk buying power of the large chain franchises. So they will eventually buckle under the exponential overhead.
I am not an expert; I don't have any retail management experience so my theory is simply what I have experienced in life. Feel free to flame or dissect my theory as you see fit.
I actually see this as an opportunity for large fast food chains to make more profit. They will boost the price of the burger, claiming that the higher cost of labor is causing it, all the while cutting staff. I mean the math shows that hiring 10 people at the current $7+ minimum wage is about the same as laying off four of those people and doing the same work with six. Wages will go up, work load will increase, prices will increase, and companies will make more money. Mostly because consumers will most certainly not stop buying the food.
Forgot to mention that it will decrease competition because the local mom and pop joint doesn't have the operating capital or the bulk buying power of the large chain franchises. So they will eventually buckle under the exponential overhead.
I am not an expert; I don't have any retail management experience so my theory is simply what I have experienced in life. Feel free to flame or dissect my theory as you see fit.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
McDonalds has been using these in parts of Europe for a while, and apparently it's a much better system. They wouldn't be doing it if it was bad for the bottom line after all..
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SPC David Wyckoff
SSG H.
Is the fast food industry in Europe unionized? If they are, I imagine that has a part to play in automating when and where ever possible.
It's like SFC J pointed out, its more cost effective to maintain one skilled labor or craftsman level employee to fix the machines than several part time minimum wage people to take orders.
Is the fast food industry in Europe unionized? If they are, I imagine that has a part to play in automating when and where ever possible.
It's like SFC J pointed out, its more cost effective to maintain one skilled labor or craftsman level employee to fix the machines than several part time minimum wage people to take orders.
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SSgt George Brown
more unintended consequences of liberal meddling in the private sector. Some others, War on Poverty, more people on poverty after it than before it, and the dissolving of two parent families. Social Security, was a good thing until Johnson allowed its funds to be used in the general budget. Obamacare, people are losing their insurance, hospitals are either cutting staff or closing, doctors are retiring and closing their clinics.
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