Has McDonald's in your area made any of these changes?

bcla · Nov 24, 2015

tvguy said:
I don't think I have ever been to any drive up window at any fast food place with a recorded greeting.

I think it was a decision from the franchisee. The really odd deal was that it wasn't necessarily a polished presentation. This one starts with a prerecorded (male) voice asking if they'd like to try something, and then goes to the live (female) voice. Both voices seem to be from normal employees.

The kicker is that a lot of people were complaining because they started trying to order thinking the prerecorded message was live. It would have been one thing if it was someone in a professional "radio voice" along with background music where it was obviously recorded.

mom2rtk · Nov 24, 2015

ronandannette said:
This idea is totally lame and it'll never work. The only reason it even sort of works at Subway is because you're standing right there watching what they do and can stop them from putting on onion instead of lettuce and lite mayo instead of regular.

There's a subway near us with a drive through. The order board is automated. I liked that we could tap on every ingredient we wanted, assuring that the order was placed correctly. Then we drove around and they handed us a bag. I looked at that bag with 2 tightly wrapped sandwiches and said to my husband "I wonder how often they get that wrong." I didn't want to sit there and unwrap my sandwich and check ingredients before moving, but it turns out I should have. I ended up needing to drive back around, park the car, and have them make me a new sandwich. Won't be doing that again.

Tiffylv · Nov 24, 2015

bcla · Nov 25, 2015

mom2rtk said:
There's a subway near us with a drive through. The order board is automated. I liked that we could tap on every ingredient we wanted, assuring that the order was placed correctly. Then we drove around and they handed us a bag. I looked at that bag with 2 tightly wrapped sandwiches and said to my husband "I wonder how often they get that wrong." I didn't want to sit there and unwrap my sandwich and check ingredients before moving, but it turns out I should have. I ended up needing to drive back around, park the car, and have them make me a new sandwich. Won't be doing that again.

A lot of restaurants have online ordering now, although that might not work too well with fast food. I remember using an automated kiosk where I could pay in cash if I wanted to. I suppose it removed the risk that someone gets my order wrong because they mistook what I said. I could still see the kitchen getting something wrong.

I don't know if the counter staff really cares. They still have to bring the food out for pickup. I wasn't getting death stares for using it or anything.

PollyannaMom · Nov 25, 2015

From the article:

"When you’re cruising the drive-thru, what matters more: How quickly you get your Big Mac or whether they remembered to hold the pickles?

McDonald’s Corp. is betting on the latter."

They're betting correctly with me! I experienced so many mistakes at McDonald's that I stopped using drive-throughs all together for a while, especially if I was ordering "hold-the-anything" or any dipping sauce. I just found it far easier to go inside in the first place.

But I have noticed more repeating back (even showing special requests on the screen) lately - and at other places too. I like the new trend.

SparklePixie · Nov 25, 2015

bcla said:
A lot of restaurants have online ordering now, although that might not work too well with fast food. I remember using an automated kiosk where I could pay in cash if I wanted to. I suppose it removed the risk that someone gets my order wrong because they mistook what I said. I could still see the kitchen getting something wrong.

I don't know if the counter staff really cares. They still have to bring the food out for pickup. I wasn't getting death stares for using it or anything.

I'm not a fan. I want to talk to a person and if I do run across somewhere that has a kiosk instead of a person, I don't return. I feel by returning, I am agreeing a kiosk is better than a live person. I've never jumped on the 'machines give better customer service than people' bandwagon.

JaxDad · Nov 25, 2015

SparklePixie said:
I'm not a fan. I want to talk to a person and if I do run across somewhere that has a kiosk instead of a person, I don't return. I feel by returning, I am agreeing a kiosk is better than a live person. I've never jumped on the 'machines give better customer service than people' bandwagon.

Do you order anything on the internet? Internet ordering has replaced many, many people at call centers. A kiosk is essentially the same thing, except they are providing the computer and it is at the point of sale.

NFLDERS · Nov 25, 2015

bcla said:
I think it was a decision from the franchisee. The really odd deal was that it wasn't necessarily a polished presentation. This one starts with a prerecorded (male) voice asking if they'd like to try something, and then goes to the live (female) voice. Both voices seem to be from normal employees.

The kicker is that a lot of people were complaining because they started trying to order thinking the prerecorded message was live. It would have been one thing if it was someone in a professional "radio voice" along with background music where it was obviously recorded.

Paragraph 1, 2nd last word "NORMAL" made me lol!

Totally agree with 2nd paragraph.

Straitlover · Nov 25, 2015

Now that they have done away with the Premium McWrap (the big one), I'm pretty much done w/ McD's anyway. Will make the occasional stop for an unsweetened tea or coffee or ice cream cone when I'm on the road, but that's it.

Micca · Nov 25, 2015

This is a timely topic for me as of 24 hours ago. I don't go to McDonald's often anymore, maybe 4-5 times a year, but I've never had a screwed up order. That changed last night when we took our two DGDs for Happy Meals with specifications--one burger with no ketchup, one burger with no pickles/onion. Got home with two bags of meals: One with correct burger, the other bag had the fries/Gogurt/Milk...and no burger. It's then that I recalled that when you ask for special orders, you're asking for trouble. This is why when DDs were kids we used to go to Wendy's because they could handle a custom order. If you want a custom burger, McDonald's is a lousy choice. You may believe you're asking for your food the way you like it, you're actually ordering regret and disappointment.

low-key · Nov 25, 2015

The CEO o McDonalds is a Brittish guy ? thats just wrong

manning · Nov 25, 2015

Hello your order is being taken by a computer in order to eliminate human error. May we now take you order...order...order...order?

bcla · Nov 26, 2015

NFLDERS said:
Paragraph 1, 2nd last word "NORMAL" made me lol!

Totally agree with 2nd paragraph.

Well, normal for a McDonald's. Around here the majority of McDonald's employees sound as if their first language wasn't English.

bgirldeb · Nov 26, 2015

scrapquitler said:
The thing I hate at the drive thru is a Sonic thing (though some McDonalds seem to do it to)....I pull up to the window and the voice says "Hello, my name is Kendra, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?". Sorry Kendra, I'm not here for introductions and to make friends. I just want my diet cherry limeade, and I'm not going to introduce myself before I order it.

Our local taco bell's drive thru has a pre-recorded voice saying "Hi, How are you?" ... Drives me crazy.

Guess it's better than the greeting I got at a local KFC one time "Thanks for choosing KFC, all we have is wings. May I take your order?" This was at noon on a sunday :rolleyes2

Allons-y! · Nov 26, 2015

SparklePixie said:
I'm not a fan. I want to talk to a person and if I do run across somewhere that has a kiosk instead of a person, I don't return. I feel by returning, I am agreeing a kiosk is better than a live person. I've never jumped on the 'machines give better customer service than people' bandwagon.

I'm the opposite; I love kiosk ordering! It reduces wait times as well as helps make sure my order is right. I live in NJ, where Wawa started using these for sub orders quite a while ago, and when we were in Europe a couple of years ago we noticed them in McDonalds (the kids just *had* to try McD in Feance, lol).

If you boycott all places with kiosk ordering, does your grocery store have one for their deli? Those are very common around here. And if it's personal interaction you want, do you never order anything online? Not me...I love Amazon Prime!

SparklePixie · Nov 26, 2015

Allons-y! said:
If you boycott all places with kiosk ordering, does your grocery store have one for their deli? Those are very common around here.

No. I have never heard of such a thing. :confused3

sasywtch · Nov 28, 2015

tvguy said:
I don't think I have ever been to any drive up window at any fast food place with a recorded greeting.

I didn't notice if they folded the bag or not, but I never noticed before either. Been twice since they started the breakfast all day menu, and yes, ordered breakfast items in the afternoon.

I don't think McDonald's here has ever messed up an order. Taco Bell, well that is a whole other story.

Richards Blvd and I5 did for awhile but no longer. It was annoying because you had to wait for the spiel to be over.

missnic · Nov 28, 2015

The Mcd's by my office has had the prerecorded greeting for several years. It's awful. You start ordering and then the human comes on and tells you to wait.
I went to the one by my house yesterday morning and ordered 2 egg mcmuffins and 1 sausage mcmuffin. I thought it was odd that the manager who handed me the open bag said 'sausage mcmuffin?' I repeated my order to her, and got a half shrug and a 'Oh, yeah' response. Not exactly reassuring me that my order is right.

We just got a new Moe's with a drive thru. It has a touch screen kiosk. Okay.. that's pretty much the only way a drive thru at Moe's would work though. Anyway.. the only time I've gone through their drive thru, they got my order wrong.

I usually love kiosk ordering, but some people have no idea how they work and hold up the entire line.

tvguy · Nov 28, 2015

sasywtch said:
Richards Blvd and I5 did for awhile but no longer. It was annoying because you had to wait for the spiel to be over.

Driven by that one a million times.....and sadly I don't think I am exaggerating the number......but never stopped at that one. My food place on Richards always was Awful Wallys, but that was 35 years ago when I was working day shift at KCRA. I see it is closed now, in the last few years it appears. And my burger place was Torpedo Place at 12th and C.

NFLDERS · Nov 28, 2015

OP here. DANG! So now we are getting "Hello, Hello?" because DH, and I think it's the recorded message we are hearing when in fact it's the real deal. :chat:

It's hard to teach old dogs..

Has McDonald's in your area made any of these changes?

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