Quote:Wendy’s is currently taking flak for testing automated kiosks. They plan to make 6,000 automated kiosks available to their franchise stores by the end of the year. This isn’t a new thing. McDonald’s has been testing this for years in Romeoville, Illinois, and all over Europe, including Berlin of course. As big corporations are wont to do, they cite the prospect of declining profits due to wage increases (which is impossible in Germany with their justly strict worker’s rights). This is about maximizing profits and increasing safety, full stop. 30% of a restaurant’s costs come from staff. Maintaining iPads and burger flipping robots will cost much, much less.

...

It makes sense for McDonald’s in Berlin to become automatized. There is universal health care, education and retirement. If you lose your job at Micky-D’s, you can go back to school for free and learn something new while the state pays your rent, childcare, and health insurance. But that simply is nowhere near reality anywhere in the United States. Unfortunately technology is by-passing basic human rights in the USA. There are going to be a lot of people left behind with no real recourse for forming a new life and career without major sacrifices. That’s just wrong. US policy on basic human rights for its citizens needs to catch up with its advancing technology, fast. It’s sad we’re still arguing in the US about a fair wage for workers the world doesn’t even need anymore.

(06-20-2016 09:56 AM)boroeagle2 Wrote:  I've eaten at a McDonald's outside of Macon, GA that had a self-service kiosk, I placed my order and paid all right there. All the person had to do was hand my food and cup to me and tell me to have a nice day.

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

(06-20-2016 10:16 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

Those things are not related, therefore no lesson is learned, the protests will continue, and the MW will go up under President Clinton.

But you go right on ranting online about it, lol

(06-20-2016 10:39 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:16 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

Those things are not related, therefore no lesson is learned, the protests will continue, and the MW will go up under President Clinton.

But you go right on ranting online about it, lol

They absolutely are related.

(06-20-2016 11:21 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  My basic human right to have a $15 job at McDonalds is being violated.

This is the worst thing to happen since my basic human right to have a job at Blockbuster rewinding cassettes was violated.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

(06-20-2016 10:16 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

Those things are not related, therefore no lesson is learned, the protests will continue, and the MW will go up under President Clinton.

But you go right on ranting online about it, lol

Quote:While the choice will be up to the franchisees, many will likely embrace the option as a way to save on labor costs. Wendy's President and CFO, Todd Penegor, acknowledged recent pressure on the labor market in a recent earnings call.

"We've been able to create some efficiencies on labor across the restaurant ... like customer self-order kiosks, mobile order, and mobile pay," Penegor said. Kiosks could possibly "mitigate any of the inflation" seen on the wage front for Wendy's, and could for other chains as well.

As the fight for a higher minimum wage continues, some argue that higher labor costs will force fast-food companies to cut staff.

(06-20-2016 11:25 AM)UTSAMarineVet09 Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:16 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

Those things are not related, therefore no lesson is learned, the protests will continue, and the MW will go up under President Clinton.

But you go right on ranting online about it, lol

They are not?

Quote:While the choice will be up to the franchisees, many will likely embrace the option as a way to save on labor costs. Wendy's President and CFO, Todd Penegor, acknowledged recent pressure on the labor market in a recent earnings call.

"We've been able to create some efficiencies on labor across the restaurant ... like customer self-order kiosks, mobile order, and mobile pay," Penegor said. Kiosks could possibly "mitigate any of the inflation" seen on the wage front for Wendy's, and could for other chains as well.

As the fight for a higher minimum wage continues, some argue that higher labor costs will force fast-food companies to cut staff.

http://www.businessinsider.com/self-service-kiosks-are-replacing-workers-2016-5

But of course, dont believe the President and CFO of Wendy's...

(06-20-2016 10:05 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  lol, kiosks have nothing to do with the MW...they have been coming for over 10 years, ever since supermarkets put in 'u-scan'

Technology only gets cheaper, and as it does, those employees will be replaced either way.

it is an inevitability.

(06-20-2016 11:32 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:05 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  lol, kiosks have nothing to do with the MW...they have been coming for over 10 years, ever since supermarkets put in 'u-scan'

Technology only gets cheaper, and as it does, those employees will be replaced either way.

it is an inevitability.

While wages alone are not the reason for brining in automation...it is damn sure one of the factors taken into consideration. A tipping point occurs when the cost of employee benefits becomes high enough to justify spending capital on automation. Other factors also come into play..but..to say wages have zero to do with these decisions is false.

(06-20-2016 11:32 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:05 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  lol, kiosks have nothing to do with the MW...they have been coming for over 10 years, ever since supermarkets put in 'u-scan'

Technology only gets cheaper, and as it does, those employees will be replaced either way.

it is an inevitability.

While wages alone are not the reason for brining in automation...it is damn sure one of the factors taken into consideration. A tipping point occurs when the cost of employee benefits becomes high enough to justify spending capital on automation. Other factors also come into play..but..to say wages have zero to do with these decisions is false.

(06-20-2016 11:30 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 11:25 AM)UTSAMarineVet09 Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:16 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:11 AM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  I'm a fan of the kiosk. A nice reality check for those demanding $15/hour for fast food. Kiosks will cut down on wait times, mistakes, and lines.

Those things are not related, therefore no lesson is learned, the protests will continue, and the MW will go up under President Clinton.

But you go right on ranting online about it, lol

They are not?

Quote:While the choice will be up to the franchisees, many will likely embrace the option as a way to save on labor costs. Wendy's President and CFO, Todd Penegor, acknowledged recent pressure on the labor market in a recent earnings call.

"We've been able to create some efficiencies on labor across the restaurant ... like customer self-order kiosks, mobile order, and mobile pay," Penegor said. Kiosks could possibly "mitigate any of the inflation" seen on the wage front for Wendy's, and could for other chains as well.

As the fight for a higher minimum wage continues, some argue that higher labor costs will force fast-food companies to cut staff.

http://www.businessinsider.com/self-service-kiosks-are-replacing-workers-2016-5

But of course, dont believe the President and CFO of Wendy's...

so explain why they're popping up in markets with a 7.25 minimum wage? oh yeah, because like I said, and I'm ALWAYS correct, that technology only gets cheaper.

I win yet again...

(06-20-2016 11:33 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 11:32 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(06-20-2016 10:05 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  lol, kiosks have nothing to do with the MW...they have been coming for over 10 years, ever since supermarkets put in 'u-scan'

Technology only gets cheaper, and as it does, those employees will be replaced either way.

it is an inevitability.

While wages alone are not the reason for brining in automation...it is damn sure one of the factors taken into consideration. A tipping point occurs when the cost of employee benefits becomes high enough to justify spending capital on automation. Other factors also come into play..but..to say wages have zero to do with these decisions is false.

Yeah, if nothing else, the push for higher wages could speed up the time frame for kiosks, etc.