Topic: McDonald's shoots down fears it is planning to replace cashiers with kiosks - page 2. (Read 2351 times)

They will still need someone to empty trash, clean the trash in the parking lots etc. McD's and others have automated beverage fillers at the to go window.

Wally World has self-pay and many stores have increased the number of self-pay lines. They began with a couple but have increased the amount. They know that by reducing the live cashiers and creating lines that people will go to the self pay yet continue to patronize Walmart because of low prices. You'll have a choice, wait in line for service or do it yourself. 1 employee monitors 8 self-pay stations at many Wal marts. I'd call that a success.

Why not have both ? Get rid of jobs that the kiosks can handle, but pay the fry cooks and burger flippers a wage that keeps them just above the poverty line.

If the minimum wage were increased to $15 an hour, prices at fast food restaurants would rise by an estimated 4.3 percent, according to a new study. That would mean a McDonald’s Big Mac, which currently goes for $3.99, would cost about 17 cents more, or $4.16.

The study from Purdue University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management also found that in order to compensate for the higher cost of employee compensation at limited-service restaurants, or those without table service or tipping, if they decided to change food sizes rather than prices, the Big Mac would shrink somewhere between 12 and 70 percent.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/08/03/3687171/15-minimum-wage-big-mac/

Yepper - a whole bank account busting $.17 more for a Big Mac. Kinda sets your hair on fire, doesn't it?

Tell that to the people who designed, sold, installed and maintained the machines.

Do you feel sympathy for those who own/operate cemetaries or funeral homes? The rate of burials by year end 2015 will be about 1/2 what it was in 2000

Revenue is down as cremations are much cheaper. Employment is down.

Should we mandate people to be buried because jobs have been eliminated?

If a fast food joint finds a way to pay employees what the govt mandates, and people still show up in droves, then good for them.

On the other hand, if we the people continue to support Democrats, and businesses must automate and cut staff to remain viable, then so be it. We knew what we were doing when we voted Democrat.

Yup globalism sucks so does these machines that cut our jobs so the company can save a buck.

Yup globalism sucks so does these machines that cut our jobs so the company can save a buck.

McDonald's is rolling out self-service kiosks in restaurants across the US that allow customers to order and pay for their food without ever having to interact with a human.

"At least half of the operators in my region are on the verge of collapse," one franchisee wrote in response to a recent survey by former Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski. "With minimum wage for fast food workers potentially increasing to incredibly high levels, we are facing a crisis situation."

Another franchisee wrote, "We are in uncharted waters. The minimum wage issue is a major threat to the survival of the operator community." The franchisee said McDonald's should be "putting every resource available" into finding labor savings, through technologies such as kiosks and automatic fry dispensers.

The price increases needed to offset any added labor costs "would cause a complete collapse in guest counts," the franchisee added. "I see no other options but the company paying to keep operators alive until they figure out how to reduce labor required by 30%."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mcdonalds-shoots-down-fears-planning-202513285.html

My take - From a profit standpoint, it makes sense. I do feel bad for potential cashiers, but technology is going to do it's thing. While I'm all about higher pay for retail and fast food employees, I don't want to prevent companies from taking advantage of cost saving technology.

Yup globalism sucks so does these machines that cut our jobs so the company can save a buck.

Lol. I guess ATMs are doomed as well then huh, since people only want to be served by other humans, not machines.

I think this was rolling out on a timeline independent of minimum wage increases, which are being phased in slowly.

homeless bums like atms to they hang out next to them in citys and panhandle everyone that takes out cash, oh and the bankers dont care at all aboutus being harassed its called globalism.

Who is pretending this wouldn't happen anyway? Do you not think dramatically increasing he minimum wage won't cause this to roll out much quicker?

homeless bums like atms to they hang out next to them in citys and panhandle everyone that takes out cash, oh and the bankers dont care at all aboutus being harassed its called globalism.

Lol. I guess ATMs are doomed as well then huh, since people only want to be served by other humans, not machines.