Wendy's to Install Self-Service Kiosks in 1000 Locations by Year's End

You do understand that Wendy's is doing this at the current minimum wage, right, and not at a $15 an hour minimum?

markschultz25 wrote:

You can't completely replace cashiers. What about the blind and the deaf customers who can't read/hear the kiosk instructions?

We'll just send order worms into their brain.

So... whom do I get to yell "Where's The Beef?" At?

Put money in machine. Pick the item you want. The coupon comes out. Give it to cook.

That's been in Japan for the past 100 years.

the problem is going to be the people who are technology incompetent. I currently work somewhere that uses a self service kiosk (not food industry), and it's amazing how some people cannot figure out simple instructions and require help to use the kiosk. Luckily for a restaurant, there will be pictures I'm assuming, but could potentially slow things down. Kind of like self checkout at grocery stores for those who don't know how to use them.

So when is food going to become obsolete?

Free market dude wrote:

markschultz25 wrote:

You want your $15/hr minumum wage huh? Well, Mr. 1's and 0's can do it for much cheaper!

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/wendys-plans-self-ordering-kiosks-at-1000-locations/497712313

Capitalism and innovation will always displace some people, but overall it adds value to the economy. It has since the industrial revolution. The most nimble, innovative, and hard working will succeed. But there will always be those who don't. The alternative is communism.

You obviously hate communism. But this technological unemployment, people losing their jobs to machines, is going to inevitably lead to communism. How else will people survive when 95% of jobs are done better and cheaper by machines? The only answer is a massive welfare state and an entire society of useless people living meaningless lives. I hope you all enjoy your innovation and expanded leisure time once you have made life entirely pointless. Do people seriously want this? Is a world where the only employment is designing and managing machines desirable? Is an entire lifetime spent in leisure what you want?

Can one of you geniuses explain to me why the costs of buying products stays the same or even increases as automation takes over more and more?

win ben steins money wrote:

Can one of you geniuses explain to me why the costs of buying products stays the same or even increases as automation takes over more and more?

The extra money goes to shareholders, directors and top executives.

It actually surprises me that these jobs exist at all anymore. All these kiosks are doing is basically pointing the register screen at the customer, nothing is really all that new here.

Personally, given the option, I go with the human cashier every time. When you are using the self service kiosk, you are basically doing the labor of the the cashier, but for free. The cost is already included in the burger, so all you are are really doing is padding some fat cat's pockets. Unless they give me a discount, I don't even bother. This applies for self checkout lanes and the self baggage check at airports too.

forced jobs suck wrote:

In Oregon, we aren't allowed to pump our own gas. How is that progress?

That's also how it is in New Jersey.

The Washington Post had an interesting article about the benefits of New Jersey's law.

For one, it employs people.

But it also lowers the insurance cost that gas stations require for self service.

And it keeps the customers hands clean.

It has a minimal effect on gas prices when the insurance benefit is netted out.

Jersey gas is generally cheap.

With the food kiosks, they are going to have to employ people to assist with the kiosks and clear errors.

And people still have to put the food together and hand it to you.

Jeanette Rankin wrote:

You do understand that Wendy's is doing this at the current minimum wage, right, and not at a $15 an hour minimum?

If this is happening at less than $8/hr, then it will only spread when that is doubled.

win ben steins money wrote:

Can one of you geniuses explain to me why the costs of buying products stays the same or even increases as automation takes over more and more?

One possibility is that the cost of raw products or production increase. Profit margins for businesses are often quite low. Last I saw the profit margin for a very large percentage of businesses was

L L wrote:

forced jobs suck wrote:

In Oregon, we aren't allowed to pump our own gas. How is that progress?

That's also how it is in New Jersey.

The Washington Post had an interesting article about the benefits of New Jersey's law.

For one, it employs people.

But it also lowers the insurance cost that gas stations require for self service.

And it keeps the customers hands clean.

It has a minimal effect on gas prices when the insurance benefit is netted out.

Jersey gas is generally cheap.

With the food kiosks, they are going to have to employ people to assist with the kiosks and clear errors.

And people still have to put the food together and hand it to you.

Uh no. NJ gas prices used to be a bargain until the new gas tax kicked in a few months ago.

So it's the taxes affecting the prices more than the extra employees, then.

Why are you happy? wrote:

markschultz25 wrote:

You want your $15/hr minumum wage huh? Well, Mr. 1's and 0's can do it for much cheaper!

So, let me get this straight. You're happy that Americans are going to lose their jobs? You want corporations to amass wealth by cutting jobs while workers struggle to feed and cloth their kids? You must be a DemonRat that hard God, America, and apple pie.

Nice point. I was reading an op-ed a year or two ago and the columnist retold a famous story from the 50s or 60s when some Ford or GM exec was taking a labor boss through a new plant and bragging about how they had robotic stuff and machines that would replace the workers. The union boss turned to him and said 'That's great. If we get rid of all the workers, who do you think will buy your cars?"

I think in 50 years we're going to have some weird problems. We'll need phones that self destruct or something after 5 years. Imagine if everything lasted forever, houses, cars, phones, etc. There would be no need to buy anything and the economy would crater.

Wendys >>> McD on food but McD has MUCH better ordering/counter organization.

Most Wendys have a tiny counter, insufficient registers and too small of kitchens etc so lines are a problem.

If this automation resolves that, I'm all for it.

Wendys drive through is usually reliable though.

Mixed bag here for me:

While I do like ordering at my pace/competence/convenience with machines ("Didn't you hear me say 'For here' earlier?"), I want to retain the option to pay cash so less data, esp. my credit card information, is collected.

I remain skeptical about any time savings of self-serve between pokey people ahead of me and errors/freeze-ups. Doing the work of paid workers (as previously posted) also gives me some pause.

And don't get me started on the "personalize your soda" machines....

How many of these locations have $15/hr laws in place?