What is Digg?117 Comments
- webtickle, on 10/12/2007, -5/+60If it helps get me my food faster, I would not mind placing an order at a vending machine.
- Lososaurus, on 10/12/2007, -7/+54Through a series of tubes, duh.
- gr4v3d1gg3r, on 10/12/2007, -12/+55Ranjit was trying to get a call center job in India. The hiring manager called him in and said "You need answer only one question correctly to get this job. Make a sentence using the words pink, yellow, and green."
Ranjit thought for a few minutes and said, "The telephone goes green, green, green, and I pink it up and say, yellow, this is Ranjit, how may I help you?"
Ranjit now works at the call center as a technical support specialist. You probably spoke to him last time you had a Windows problem. - noodlez, on 10/12/2007, -3/+44or the jobs created by technology.
someone has to build the damn voice recognition software and hardware to take your orders. - HawaiiSEO, on 10/12/2007, -4/+44In Japan... they have a vending machine that takes your order. It spits out a ticket with your order on it that you give to the cook. It eliminates the waitress or cashier.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -17/+54In Soviet Russia ..... I got nothin'
- Topher06, on 10/12/2007, -1/+34The only problem with a vending machine system is when you get some idiot that doesn't know what they are doing, and they take 10 minutes to place their order.
I mean, I get them all the time when I am waiting at a bank machine or at the automated ticket booths at a movie theater. You get some person that was born yesterday marvelling at the wizardry that is a touch screen monitor. They need to read EVERY item of text on the whole screen before they press the BIG BUTTON that says "DO THIS TO CONTINUE" and then they don't seem to quite know how to get their finger centered properly on the big button that takes up 80% screen space and so they keep pawing at it, finger in the exact same position, unable to understand that if they moved their finger up or down a few centimetres that the screen would probably register the finger press. When they finally get their money or ticket stub, they have to verify that this do-hingy actually gave them the right amount or the right ticket, so they stand there for another 5 minutes. Of course, when I get to the screen, I flash through the options and get my money or ticket in like 20 seconds.
But, having said that, it is still way faster then going to a bank cashier or ticket agent when you start getting these same idiots actually trying to speak to real people. - fernando26, on 10/12/2007, -11/+37@floridiot: No worries son, I got your back:
In Soviet Russia, order drives through you! - spiffyfitz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+28Fast food joints can't get my order correct when I'm 20 feet away, how should I expect them to get it right across the globe?
- evilTak, on 10/12/2007, -4/+26Great, so now they're going to be too small?!
- awizeman, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23It humorously points to a growing problem and an even larger outsourcing pandemic.
- rbell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17@Topher06
I had a lady in front of me once at the grocery store using the self-checkout. The short version is that she was buying fruit and had to stop three times to figure out how to push the 'Apples' button on the screen. When she finally made it to the payment stage, she (eventually) opted for cash payment. The machine said, "Please insert coins in the coin acceptor, before inserting bills in the bill acceptor." She just stared at it.
The machine repeated itself. She continued to stare.
The machine said it again, and she whirled around to look at the cashier/assistant running the self checkout. "I don't have any f$%cking coins!" she screamed. Calmly the attendant said: "then just insert your bills, ma'am."
Then I said something brilliant like, "You know, there are still human cashiers available, you don't have to use these." She glared at me and left. - Otto, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14The vending machine or self-serve touchscreen systems work fine, as long as they don't replace a human assisted ordering method completely.
Topher06 and rbell are basically correct, stupid people cannot work out technology. So as long as there's a single person to assist these dumb people in the old process, and thus get them out of my way so I can use the touchscreen, I'm all for it.
rbell's example of a person being too stupid to put money into a machine asking for money is really an example of bad design in the first place. I've seen those machines saying "put coins in before bills" and really, it's completely unnecessary. The reason for the message is that the machine gives change the moment it has the necessary money, so if somebody wants to get a specific sort of change back (say the total is $4.60 and you have $5.60), then they need to put the coins in first. If they stick the bills in first, it'll give them their change before they can insert coins. But the machine itself can take the coins/cash in any order, so it's potentially confusing, for total imbeciles like this woman he's talking about. However, she'll likely never use the machine again, which is good. Let her wait in line instead of me. As long as she has that option.
Another example is my local movie theater. There's two touchscreen machines you can buy tickets from. Every time I go there, nobody is using them and there's always like a dozen people waiting in line. I walk up, insert a credit card, and have my tickets in under 15 seconds flat. Walk right past them all to go get my popcorn. Now, the only reason I can see to stand in line there is is because people don't have a credit card and have to pay cash, and the machines have no cash capabilities. Sometimes people see me do this and then follow my lead, simply not knowing the machines were there to do that sort of thing. This is a design flaw, because even though they are placed at the entrace to the line, they display a logo and "touch screen to begin" sort of message, and it's not entirely obvious that you can buy tickets from the things. If it said "Touch screen to buy tickets with a credit card" or something similar, then it would likely get more usage.
In any case, I love touchscreen ordering. It tends to separates those who are capable of speed from those who are not and need hand holding of whatever sort. Which is just fine with me. - sideshowRAHEEM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11i would rather has a teenager screwing up my order at Macdonald's, than have that same teen breaking into my car or selling drugs in my neighborhood because he could find a job. i know people who work fast food may not be a the highest level of society but i rather have them employed than unemployed.
- noodlez, on 10/12/2007, -13/+24hmm...
in soviet russia, outsourcing loses jobs to you? - RadiantBeing, on 10/12/2007, -8/+18I hope they squeeze every last drop of inefficiency out of the system. Eventually the call centers will be replaced by voice recognition, but no one ever talks about the jobs lost due to technology.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15What was the question he had to answer?
- iamcanman, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13@Loso
Just as long as my burger doesn't have to take the tubes from India to get to me, so be it.
Then again, who says it doesn't already? *shudder* - coolian, on 10/12/2007, -7/+16"Thank you, come again."
Aaaaargh! - wdog61, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I manage at one of the stores that is currently uses the system. ( its a crappy job but it is getting me through school ). The system when its working right does what its meant to do. Push through orders. However the accuracy of the orders coming to our monitors to make is horrid. ! out of every 3 orders are messed up depending on who is at the call center at any given time. And when you have 10 orders on your screen at any given time and 3 of them are wrong, the system bogs down and speed decreases. Also most customers are placing orders to a recording telling them to wait one second to order. You could be amazed by the amount of amazed and angry customers i had to inform because a 13 item order that had about 20 customizations on it was never heard or taken.
And the only reason why late night sales jumped is because the call center would handle any drunk ***** holding up the line while sober customers would place an order at one of the two other lanes ..
Also for the job thing .. we cant get enough intelligent help .. - pmpsta, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Throw them for a loop and ask for a cheese burlger, friz-ize, and a large colt.
- 98acura, on 10/12/2007, -9/+16in india, they would worship your burger...
- BradC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7My wife recently went through the drive through mentioned in this story, and she said that people were just sitting there at the order box for a long time, before realizing that you have to push a button to tell them that you're there and ready to order. Apparently that's how you notify them you're ready. So it took her about 10 minutes to get through.
We didn't realize it was an outsourced one at the time, but it makes sense now. Although the order times that they're talking about only take into account the time from when you place your order to when you get your food. They didn't add in the time you are waiting in line behind two cars who didn't realize nobody knew they were there until they push the button. - Araya213, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Well, me and most of the people I used to work with already lost our jobs to India, so fast food is out of the budget.
For the record though, I will actively protest and boycot any fast food chain that does this. Hell, I might even burn a few to the ***** ground. - sideshowRAHEEM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7"when a company outsources they trade customer service for low prices thats not a trade i am not willing to make that trade."
Maybe i should out source my comments to India, what the hell am i taking about. lol.
thats a trade i'm not willing to make. - Madh2orat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7FTA - "one restaurant experienced an 18 percent increase in late-night sales overnight after the new system was implemented. Two employees also quit the next day."
I wonder what they were doing at night..... - marnaq, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7And the sound quality actually was better!
- jmack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5How about a touch screen where you can eliminate user interaction altogether!
- anteyekon4myst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4So does this mean they're going to drop the price of a mcburger? I think outsourcing is great, if it means its cheaper for us. That's actually making the economy efficient. But, if prices remain the same. Then that corporate greed is what is creating the inefficiency.
- EvilFerret, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5More accurate? In my experiences, call center employees in India don't comprehend english very well......They're getting paid $8.50/hr, which unless I'm mistaken is a hell of alot more than the average drive through fast food employee makes. I just don't see the point to this at all.....
- HoboMaster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6This seems like it wouldn't be that cost-efficient. The person working the drive-through usually does other jobs at the place anyways, like making drinks, putting stuff in bags, handling payment, etc. They need a person to do all this anyways, so why not stick a mic on them and have them take orders while they do it? That's usually what they do now anyways. I can't see this becoming that common.
- stupidfathead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I think off-shore outsourcing is good and bad. Companies can save money because someone who is running the risk of starving and going without the niceties we take for granted will work much cheaper than someone who has the niceties and never worries about food. On the other hand, if we outsource enough of our own work we run the risk of creating severe unemployment among the unskilled, or less-educated people in our own countries. We all need someplace to work and fast food restaurants are a good stepping stone for our own youth and those who are challenged to work in other sectors. Taking jobs from our own people and giving them to foreign workers just seems counter-productive in the long term. I think Wendy's and Rotten Ronnies are profitable enough without hosing us further in the work force economy. I want my neighbors kid to take my order not some faceless foreigner.
- VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I order pizza over the Internet. It's nice because I always Google some coupon codes and end up getting Buy 1 Get 1 Free, which I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It also makes things more accurate because I order No Cheese, and if they don't get it right (understandable, because they're making pizzas with cheese all day long), I have a defense in writing.
- chubbymidget, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3McDonalds has been testing this for a while. Mentioned in a Red Herring a few weeks back.
- dvddesign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3From reading the article, I dislike it even more now. If I ever discover that my order wasn't taken by a human on location, I'll stop going there.
Speed and profit don't factor in for crap. Those are corporately enforced goals.
They act like people working at fast food restaurants are incapable of mulittasking period. I managed okay during high school. I worked in an ice cream store, and it'd be me and a cashier working the line for hours during the summer.
If quality suffers from people not being able to multitask, they need to hire better people.
Find me any stay-at-home mother. Raise kids, shop, cook, clean, and more and they don't bitch about earning $6 an hour. And they still do all of these chores without letting the quality of their work suffer beyond the perceptions of those they cater to. - tavisjohn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5This would ONLY work if they trained the people on the system to SPEAK CLEAR ENGLISH! It is SUCH A PAIN when I call for tech support and I get someone from India or around there, and they can not understand what I am saying, and I have NO CLUE what they are saying!
Now keep in mind the drive through speaker system would make James Earl Jones hard to understand. Put someone who barely speaks broken english on that and I will NEVER go through the dirve through there again!
There are plenty of 24 hour restauraunts that I can walk into and get food. I want to feel confidant that when I order a Big Mac I do not end up with a Fish Sandwitch! - Araya213, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4What part of a chicken is the nugget again?
- CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7everyone needs to read the sci-fi story Manna. its here online http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm
it describes where this is all going - stryker2you, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Personally...I welcome our new outsourced Indian overlords...
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You do realize New Hampshire is not a foreign country (to the US), Right?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Two things I'd like to ask you about:
1. Do you really think that you can get high quality people for $6 an hour? Do you think that you can keep them for more than a few weeks? If you do, you're dreaming. Anyone with anything going for them is going to laugh at that salary and if they are forced by circumstances to take a job at that salary they aren't going be there for long past the first decent offer they get.
2. If you are a married man, I really. really, really feel sorry for your wife. - glitchbit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Umm... let's think about this, the problem is that these employees are bad at multitasking in this environment...so what they do is eliminate the additional task so that it is no longer a multi-task...
And the best way of doing this is by having someone take an order for you who is 3,000 miles away? If you ask me they are just as well off adding an additional room in the resturaunt and giving the order taker all the materials they need to take the orders and up sell soley IN the place not somewhere else. I think it is more important to do it that way vs having all the order takers in one building way off somewhere then risking miscommunications and technical problems would be bigger than if all the locations were self sustaining. But hell what do I know. - Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2So, I live in Nashua, NH (Well, next town over).. Where the hell do my order calls go, Pasedena?
At least now maybe I'll be able to understand the accent when I travel within the country. And maybe I'll actually get what I want when I order a Frappe and a Tonic. Heh!
Little known bonus fact: "FAA Boston", the FAA flight control center that covers the entire Northeast is located in Nashua, New Hampshire. - Ascus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Likely because on of the few things that is fun about working in fast food is working the counter and meeting people. Now it just bag it and toss it, no social interaction.
- Cerebral, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Obviously nobody on here has dealt with indian tech support. It will take us 10 years to place the order. Besides that how are they going to handle all of the people that come through late at night all stoned, drunk or what have you... plus how many times is there 4 people talking in the car changing their order... This is going to be a mess. This would only work if we were all drones who ordered the same thing with NOTHING DIFFERENT (e.g. #2 diet coke etc.) Plus we will be on hold forever!
I have always wondered why they never had touch screens to begin with... I guess people would destroy them.
I don't care anyway... Taco bell will never go for it. "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Good.
- Kappa3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why did the 2 employees quit? The whole article explains how much easier it is for the in store employees. Then they throw that comment in and don't bother to explain it.... maybe I'm lost here?
- shoblime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4In Pennsylvania (US), we have a convenience store chain where you use a touch screen interface that prints a numbered ticket so you can pay for your order right away with your drink or gas or cigarettes, and the order is displayed for the short order people (they have great 100% Angus burgers mmm and their fries are overflowing and golden..they seem to change the oil a fair amount) who then make the food and call out the number when done.
- dnthomps, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5It is sad to say, but at least if my order is put through to India, it has a better chance of coming back right.
- crash128, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sitting at a desk looking at a screen all day, your performance metrics auto-logged giving your boss the ability to yell at you with printed-out proof, for $8.50 an hour. Sounds like a dream job to me.
Software developers, you have seen the future. -
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