http://ca.news.yahoo.com/mcdonalds-replace-cashiers-touch-screen-computers-200601087.html
While going through the news today, I came across a very interesting article. McDonalds restaurants in Europe are trying to take away face to face communication to speed up their serving process. Essentially they will have no people working at the cashiers and will have touch screen computers. Initially I thought this idea would not work, but after some reflection I believe this is an interesting concept. A lot of consumers who go to McDonalds are not necessarily eating there because of friendly service. They want fast service for a cheap reliable tasty product. However part of the market could enjoy friendly service so taking this away may hinder business. Although in the past McDonalds has utilized their “Smile” advertising campaign, having electronic cashiers will take away this whole idea. I understand our world is becoming more technological, but is there a limit at how far we go? Being a sporadic McDonald’s eater (I am not proud!) I believe their idea could work in certain locations like airports or high traffic volume restaurants like in Downtown Vancouver. I think it would be better if the consumer had a choice of ordering at a cashier with a server or electronically. This concept is employed at grocery stores and seems to be having success. Being a McDonald’s eater, I think I would like the option of choosing between face to face interaction or touching a screen. Maybe it is just me, but a smile in the morning always cheers up my day!