this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2023
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All the McD*nalds in my area have been upgraded with order kiosks. Regardless of all the controversy around self-checkout, and minimum wage, and automation taking our jobs, I personally love them. I can take my sweet time composing my order, I can see the full selection (such as it is), I can see pictures and prices clearly without having to strain my eyes to read 12pt font on the tableau, and I don't have to shout at the cashier to be understood or struggle to hear back. I really believe this is the right way forward.

My only complaint so far has been that the order kiosks only accept card. There is actually a way to pay by cash that the machine never lets you know about - you have to press "cancel" on the keypad when it asks to insert card, and then the screen gives you an order number to give to the human cashier (each store still has one register open) so you can pay in cash. So I still have to wait on line, but at least my order selection is locked in, I can have exact change ready, and there isn't usually a line anyway anymore.

I know all yall Europeans are proud about your nearly total transition to cashless economy or whatever, and you like to boast how not a single euro banknote has graced the inside of your wallet in months. However I personally like cash, and I genuinely believe that a cash payment system is a necessary element of a liberal democracy and secure society. So at least understand my pleasant surprise when I saw these reverse-ATM cashboxes at this restaurant. They work and were being actively used too! (It spat out my dollar coins though, those bastards!) I hope they find their way into more places.

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[–] Castelllan@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

These reverse-ATM cashboxes Work really Well. I have Seen those in some grocery stores. At least in Germany you can actually choose to pay by card or by cash. If you choose to pay by cash you get your receipt and then pay by a cashier.

[–] orbitz@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Last time I went to McDonald's there was a mess up and I was given the cash difference, I really dunno when I'll use it offhand. I'm also in Canada, never had a use for cash after recreational weed happened. Weird they make someone go through unknown keypressss to do cash, vending machines do cash why not just be convenient for customers? Oh right, paying people to deal with the cash, cause that'd hurt McDonald's bottom line heh.

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

The McDonald's kiosks are hands down the absolute fucking worst I've ever seen. With all the self checkout systems that work perfectly easily McDonald's chose utter shite. I quit going just because of how shitty they are.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago (8 children)

I wouldn't call doing someone else's job for free and upgrade.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

They haven't had dedicated cashiers for years. These allow them to spend more time making food and less time dealing with taking orders and handling cash. That's it. If anything, it makes the employees' jobs easier without eliminating positions. Speaking as someone who worked at a McDonald's before that has had these kiosks for years now.

[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How can you be sure it doesn't eliminate positions? Is there some rule that states "every franchise must be staffed by exactly 8 people at all times"? Seems more likely to me the schedules will be adjusted until every worker is still occupied 100% of the time.

I'd personally prefer to focus on making food too, but there could be others who actually prefer manning the register.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

How can you be sure it doesn't eliminate positions?

Did you miss the very first sentence of my comment? They haven't had a dedicated cashier position for a long time. Until that kiosk can also make the food, nobody is losing their job to it.

[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You really don't see the difference between 5 people working, spending 80% of time making food and 20% floating at register, versus 4 people working 100% making food serving the same total number of customers now that registers have been nearly entirely replaced by kiosks and apps?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No. Because not only do they hire the bare minimum for the restaurant already (which yes, actually there are rules for; they're set by corporate), the kiosks aren't the only way to order. You can still go up to the counter and get a real person to come off the line and take your order. Nobody is floating around the register at all until a customer comes up to it to make an order. Again, these simply stop the need for anyone to stop cooking or doing literally any other more time sensitive tasks and take an order.

[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't see why you are being so stubborn about this. If you don't like the numbers I gave you because "you can still go up to the counter and get a real person" it's an easy adjustment to make that tells the same story: before kiosks = 5 people working 75% at food and 25% at register, after kiosks = 4 people working 95% at food 5% at register. The conclusion is the same - your claim that automation does not eliminate positions is simply incorrect. I thought maybe you had some insider knowledge on mandatory staffing levels, but it seems you are just bad at math. Everyone else in these comments was arguing about jobs disappearing (not me! I only wanted to show off the cool cashbox) - it must have been really confusing to see all those people upset about something which you can't even comprehend as a problem.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't see why you are being so stubborn about this.

Because it doesn't fucking happen and your figures are entirely made up? You and everyone else claiming these have taken jobs clearly have never actually worked at a McDonald's and are talking straight out of your asses.

[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is a different situation than self-checkout at supermarkets. There yes you could argue a cashier who is experienced with scanning items all day and has access to a fully-featured POS can scan all your items faster and more efficiently than you could ever do on that locked-down self-checkout pos, and owners who take away cashiers are purely saving money at the expense of your time. But here you yourself have to communicate your order either way. I much prefer to browse at my leisure and tap at pictures rather than shouting my order 3 times while there is an impatient line behind me.

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[–] JokeDeity@lemm.ee -4 points 1 year ago

People get so fucking mad at me when I go up to the counter to order. I'm still going to do it. 🖕

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