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Wendy’s Serves Up Big Kiosk Expansion As Wage Hikes Hit Fast Food

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Lippsman

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2001

Posts: 87445

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 8:08 PM ET #1

So fast food workers wanted to fight for $15 an hour for an unskilled job. Well you are getting exactly what you wanted. Enjoy the unemployment line

https://www.investors.com/politics/policy/wendys-serves-up-kiosks-as-wages-rise-hits-fast-food-group/

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TheGoldenGoose

Legend

Joined: Jan, 2003

Posts: 32176

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 8:49 PM ET #2

LOL and the Corporate Fukks will get exactly what they deserve. No Customers.

Today in a Large Supermarket Store they had ONE Main Checkout Lane open, ONE Express checkout lane open (for 12 items or less), and FOUR Check Yourself Out Lanes. I had about twenty items. I chose to go into the Express Lane.

So when I start checking out, the line is now six people deep. The cashier tries to "shame me" by saying I have over twelve items. Trying to put the blame ON ME for the long wait line.

No, no, no, no, no. I have TWO separate orders here Ma'am. Each are UNDER TWELVE ITEMS. But, perhaps, if your Manager would have more cashiers on duty instead of FOUR SELF-SERVE Cashiers, the customers would be more satisfied. I said it loudly so everybody heard and the monkey was OFF MY BACK and over to Management who is responsible for this clusterfukk.

Corporate Fukks trying to pass the buck onto the workers and customers.

Maybe if there had be some logical wage increments to the minimum wage laws over the past fifteen years we would not be facing such a steep increment to catch workers up to a reasonable "Living Wage".

DO NOT blame the workers because the Middle Class has been systematically assassinated by the Corporate Fukks.

I will NEVER use a self-serve Kiosk whether it be Fast Food, the Grocery Store, or any other Corporate Fukk attempt to dump extra work on the workers or customers.

~~~~~ZOSO~~~~~

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wallstreetcappers

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2003

Posts: 56880

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 9:13 PM ET #3

This happened in the past too, self serve kiosks in places like Burger King.

They flopped, its too much of a learning curve and it slows down speed of service..slow speed of service means slow sales, it means customers will not want to visit because they are not motivated to self-order.

This will end up being a dumb short sided decision for the company, and Wendy's has made many poor decisions in the past so its right in line with their past mistakes.

I use a self serve all the time in grocery stores because the service lines are too long otherwise, not because I want to liberate myself.

The segment of proficient, interested customers that will utilize this is much smaller than they are anticipating, but it takes getting smacked around to change..and so they will figure it out by losing money and slowing speed of service.

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Lippsman

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2001

Posts: 87445

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 9:26 PM ET #4

I will always use a self serve kiosk. Much faster than the other lines and as you know I embrace tech. I have set up a number of Mickey D's kiosk and they are doing pretty well.

The old farts will hate it and the younger people will love it. Face it, the younger ones are the future and the ones that will make it stick.

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TRAIN69

Covers Rehab

Joined: Oct, 2002

Posts: 54715

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 9:30 PM ET #5

Quote Originally Posted by TheGoldenGoose:

LOL and the Corporate Fukks will get exactly what they deserve. No Customers.

Today in a Large Supermarket Store they had ONE Main Checkout Lane open, ONE Express checkout lane open (for 12 items or less), and FOUR Check Yourself Out Lanes. I had about twenty items. I chose to go into the Express Lane.

So when I start checking out, the line is now six people deep. The cashier tries to "shame me" by saying I have over twelve items. Trying to put the blame ON ME for the long wait line.

No, no, no, no, no. I have TWO separate orders here Ma'am. Each are UNDER TWELVE ITEMS. But, perhaps, if your Manager would have more cashiers on duty instead of FOUR SELF-SERVE Cashiers, the customers would be more satisfied. I said it loudly so everybody heard and the monkey was OFF MY BACK and over to Management who is responsible for this clusterfukk.

Corporate Fukks trying to pass the buck onto the workers and customers.

Maybe if there had be some logical wage increments to the minimum wage laws over the past fifteen years we would not be facing such a steep increment to catch workers up to a reasonable "Living Wage".

DO NOT blame the workers because the Middle Class has been systematically assassinated by the Corporate Fukks.

I will NEVER use a self-serve Kiosk whether it be Fast Food, the Grocery Store, or any other Corporate Fukk attempt to dump extra work on the workers or customers.

So you can read....12 items or less. Its not the stores fault that some people wanna be A Holes to be A Holes.....You were definately wrong in this spot. Why cant you check yourself out? Its really not that hard. The only point you proved was in your blind hatred of "corporate fukks", you made people wait in the express line....

So you were a "noncorporate fukk". 12 items or less brother, it say right there on the sign. I guess if you wanna go 100 mph its fine too even though everybody else limit is 70....I know lots of people like you. Everyone around them is a jerk or stupid.....ya know what i've learned....

Those people are usually wrong and are A Holes

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Quote Originally Posted by TheGoldenGoose:

LOL and the Corporate Fukks will get exactly what they deserve. No Customers.

Today in a Large Supermarket Store they had ONE Main Checkout Lane open, ONE Express checkout lane open (for 12 items or less), and FOUR Check Yourself Out Lanes. I had about twenty items. I chose to go into the Express Lane.

So when I start checking out, the line is now six people deep. The cashier tries to "shame me" by saying I have over twelve items. Trying to put the blame ON ME for the long wait line.

No, no, no, no, no. I have TWO separate orders here Ma'am. Each are UNDER TWELVE ITEMS. But, perhaps, if your Manager would have more cashiers on duty instead of FOUR SELF-SERVE Cashiers, the customers would be more satisfied. I said it loudly so everybody heard and the monkey was OFF MY BACK and over to Management who is responsible for this clusterfukk.

Corporate Fukks trying to pass the buck onto the workers and customers.

Maybe if there had be some logical wage increments to the minimum wage laws over the past fifteen years we would not be facing such a steep increment to catch workers up to a reasonable "Living Wage".

DO NOT blame the workers because the Middle Class has been systematically assassinated by the Corporate Fukks.

I will NEVER use a self-serve Kiosk whether it be Fast Food, the Grocery Store, or any other Corporate Fukk attempt to dump extra work on the workers or customers.

So you can read....12 items or less. Its not the stores fault that some people wanna be A Holes to be A Holes.....You were definately wrong in this spot. Why cant you check yourself out? Its really not that hard. The only point you proved was in your blind hatred of "corporate fukks", you made people wait in the express line....

So you were a "noncorporate fukk". 12 items or less brother, it say right there on the sign. I guess if you wanna go 100 mph its fine too even though everybody else limit is 70....I know lots of people like you. Everyone around them is a jerk or stupid.....ya know what i've learned....

Those people are usually wrong and are A Holes

wallstreetcappers

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2003

Posts: 56880

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 9:42 PM ET #6

Quote Originally Posted by Lippsman:

I will always use a self serve kiosk. Much faster than the other lines and as you know I embrace tech. I have set up a number of Mickey D's kiosk and they are doing pretty well.

The old farts will hate it and the younger people will love it. Face it, the younger ones are the future and the ones that will make it stick.

We both know that the number of kiosks needed is large..the grocery stores around here have them and if there is anything less than 10 kiosks things really bog down...and even then it is slow because for every one slow person it sets back the queue much longer.

The cost savings between the equipment vs a paid employee isnt that large because the speed of service goes down, the ability to upsell goes away and the guest experience can be worse, plus these kiosks need an employee to monitor their performance and answer questions.

If I were running a business I would never do kiosks like that, I would try other avenues like online ordering in advance or app ordering etc which costs next to nothing and is more efficient.

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TheGoldenGoose

Legend

Joined: Jan, 2003

Posts: 32176

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 9:52 PM ET #7

Here we go with the name calling again.

Because I REFUSE to use the Corporate Fukk KIOSK..

That's MY business sir.

If I wanted to use a Kiosk I could have stayed home and have my order delivered to my personal address.

Again, I will NEVER USE A CORPORATE FUKK KIOSK

GET IT??? GOT IT??? GOOD???

NOW LEAVE ME THE FUKK ALONE YOU CORPORATE CREEP.

~~~~~ZOSO~~~~~

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Lippsman

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2001

Posts: 87445

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 10:10 PM ET #8

Quote Originally Posted by wallstreetcappers:

We both know that the number of kiosks needed is large..the grocery stores around here have them and if there is anything less than 10 kiosks things really bog down...and even then it is slow because for every one slow person it sets back the queue much longer.

The cost savings between the equipment vs a paid employee isnt that large because the speed of service goes down, the ability to upsell goes away and the guest experience can be worse, plus these kiosks need an employee to monitor their performance and answer questions.

If I were running a business I would never do kiosks like that, I would try other avenues like online ordering in advance or app ordering etc which costs next to nothing and is more efficient.

I don't agree at all, there are plenty of checkout and fast food workers that are slow also at the registers. Once the customers go through the self checkout and ordering process a few times they speed along. I don't think Wendy's is going all self serve and in the smaller fast food stores I don't even think they can go self serve without losing a hunk of seating.

Also just cost wise it's a no brainer for the owners. That machine is much less to run in the long run. They never demand more wages, you never have to train them, they never get sick (Well I guess they will sometime), you don't have to put any money to SS or unemployment for them. The Mickey D's ones I installed have been very solid. The only problems have been communication with the home office servers that was a problem on their end.

All updates are just software, so no problem there. The biggest problem would being having to replace a screen, but solid so far, and they can take a good bit of abuse.

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TRAIN69

Covers Rehab

Joined: Oct, 2002

Posts: 54715

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 10:16 PM ET #9

Quote Originally Posted by TheGoldenGoose:

Here we go with the name calling again.

Because I REFUSE to use the Corporate Fukk KIOSK..

That's MY business sir.

If I wanted to use a Kiosk I could have stayed home and have my order delivered to my personal address.

Again, I will NEVER USE A CORPORATE FUKK KIOSK

GET IT??? GOT IT??? GOOD???

NOW LEAVE ME THE FUKK ALONE YOU CORPORATE CREEP.

Nah, youre just self absorbed. By not using the kiosk you made yourself happy (weirdly) and made the poor person working there feel bad and as you stated, 6 PEOPLE WERE WAITING BECAUSE OF YOU!!!

7 people angry because you think youre proving a moot point?

Not worth it. You're not more important than 7 people or their time. Use the kiosk.

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Rush51

Captain

Joined: Jan, 2005

Posts: 8217

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 11:23 PM ET #10

I agree with Lippsman.. This is such a no brainer for restauruant owners, and will be coming to fast food places soon, particularly here in CA with $15/hour being phased in. Any difficulty that prior businesses had with kiosks (like Wendy's) could be related to any number of things, including a poorly designed/navigation of the screens. This will be figured out, and a $15/hour employee alternative will force the owner to figure out what issues arise.

This is such an unfortunate outcome ; puts unnecessary pressure on young people that want jobs, but owners realize they are not worth it. Such a novel concept, huh ?

I wonder why people think that minimum wage is supposed to be a living wage ? It's not supposed to be , and its supposed to piss you off enough to better yourself and get yourself a better job. It's called mobility.

People do not "deserve" anything. They deserve what they are "worth" on the open market.

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wallstreetcappers

Covers Linesmen

Joined: Feb, 2003

Posts: 56880

Posted: May. 12, 2016 - 11:39 PM ET #11

Quote Originally Posted by Lippsman:

I don't agree at all, there are plenty of checkout and fast food workers that are slow also at the registers. Once the customers go through the self checkout and ordering process a few times they speed along. I don't think Wendy's is going all self serve and in the smaller fast food stores I don't even think they can go self serve without losing a hunk of seating.

Also just cost wise it's a no brainer for the owners. That machine is much less to run in the long run. They never demand more wages, you never have to train them, they never get sick (Well I guess they will sometime), you don't have to put any money to SS or unemployment for them. The Mickey D's ones I installed have been very solid. The only problems have been communication with the home office servers that was a problem on their end.

All updates are just software, so no problem there. The biggest problem would being having to replace a screen, but solid so far, and they can take a good bit of abuse.

My analysis here and in past discussions is how these impact operations and the reasons I give/gave why they fail are based only on the net effect on profitability.

The two key measures of running a QSR is speed of service and check average...these two items are what either makes or breaks a business. Of course operations need to be running smooth with good employees and good cost of goods sold etc...but really what it all comes down to is speed of service and check average.

Why I think a kiosk fails is those two issues...I think speed of service during peak hours will be worse and I think check average will be lower. That is my analysis given my background of course and I think the very need of these kiosks uncovers operational weaknesses in these businesses that should be fixed from a management approach, not buying a kiosk.

The value of a solid hard working casher and expediter is exponential. If you have a cashier who knows the menu, knows how to upsell and create a positive guest experience, the value of that ability is greater than 3-5 times their hourly wage. If you have a cashier that can raise the check average up 5-15 bps the value to the business is huge, plus if that cashier can beat speed of service goals, that means more sales AND more profits.

Solid businesses know the value of good employees and they will pay for those services because they know that the return on investment/costs is the best return in the restaurant. If you have a cashier that can move the line and upsell, you will make so much more money than a kiosk it isnt even a close comparison. But it is difficult to find that skill set and it is a difficult job task that few can do.

I think a business that is seeking to reduce labor by self-serve kiosks does not understand the concept of upselling and speed of service, that NOTHING matters more than check average and speed of service. Ive seen operations that crush lunch hour sales and do so efficiently...you will never see an empty dining room of a clean, efficiently run place. I dont see how these kiosks will last very long and it is a recipe for a loss in sales, loss in speed of service and a loss in employee morale.

Its a big mistake IMO...