Want fries with outsourcing? (the next nightmare is here)

[UpInArms]

http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?file=529970.html

Pull off U.S. Interstate Highway 55 near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and into the drive-through lane of a McDonald's next to the highway and you'll get fast, friendly service, even though the person taking your order is not in the restaurant - or even in Missouri.

The order taker is in a call center in Colorado Springs, more than 900 miles, or 1,450 kilometers, away, connected to the customer and to the workers preparing the food by high- speed data lines. Even some restaurant jobs, it seems, are not immune to outsourcing.

The man who owns the Cape Girardeau restaurant, Shannon Davis, has linked it and three other of his 12 McDonald's franchises to the Colorado call center, which is run by another McDonald's franchisee, Steven Bigari. And he did it for the same reasons that other business owners have embraced call centers: lower costs, greater speed and fewer mistakes.

Cheap, quick and reliable telecommunications lines let the order takers in Colorado Springs converse with customers in Missouri, take an electronic snapshot of them, display their order on a screen to make sure it is right, then forward the order and the photo to the restaurant kitchen. The photo is destroyed as soon as the order is completed, Bigari said. People picking up their burgers never know that their order traverses two states and bounces back before they can even start driving to the pickup window.

<snip>

Still, franchisees of two other McDonald's restaurants, beyond Davis's, have outsourced their drive-through ordering to Bigari in Colorado Springs. (The other restaurants are in Brainerd, Minnesota, and Norwood, Massachusetts.) Central to the system's success, Bigari said, is the way it pairs customers' photos with their orders; by increasing accuracy, the system cuts down on the number of complaints and therefore makes the service faster.

...more...

[mhr]

1. I Have Been Unemployed For Four Years And Fear I Will Never Have A Job

Again.

[iconoclastic cat]

11. Wow.

What's your specialty?

[mhr]

18. Thanks For Your Question iconoclastic

No real specialty, I am a generalist - done many interesting things.

Qualifications include: BSEE, MBA, Commercial Pilot, Naval Officer

Worked at some interesting places including the National Security Agency

People scratch their heads when they read my resume because I don't fit the typical bins.

So much for employers wanting diversity.

------

[alfredo]

20. The NSA is hiring.

You will have to go through the security clearance BS, but the starting pay is good.

[mhr]

21. Sent Application And Resume Six Months Ago - No Response

They apparently don't want what I have to offer these days.

[alfredo]

26. FairFax Va is not the best place to live. It is too expensive.

The good pay you'd get would be eaten up by the high cost of living there.

I am an old ASA guy, worked east Africa and surrounding regions. I gave a though of going back inside, but the loss of privacy is too much for me nowadays. I'm too much of an anarchist to put up with any work situation.

[mhr]

27. Chuckles On Your Closing Comments

I worked with several ASAers and spent time in the old Arlington Hall before it was demolished.

Despite its age, I thought it had character and hated to see it go.

I always thought about the stories those walls could tell.

[alfredo]

48. One thing ASA guys did well;

we could drink. Our post consumed so much alcohol they had an investigation. They thought there was a big black market there, but they found that we were drinking it.


If the walls could have talked in Arlington hall, it would have been slurred.

[freeforall]

22. I hear you mhr

Sorry to hear about your job situation. I know what you mean by not being appreciated as a generalist - which means a very versatile worker. It seems that everyone values only specialization, and does not realize how incredibly talented the generalists are. Beats me! A character trait that should be respected, versatility mostly gets bad reviews as people think that generalists are too flighty and unsettled because they like, and are talented in many areas. Go figure!

Well good luck to you! I hope you find an employer who appreciates your abilites and flexibily.

[mhr]

29. Hi freeforall, Thanks For Your Kind Comments

I am honestly very tired of being unemployed and would really like to get back to work.

Sad to say the economy in my neck of the woods is not great.

I have appended a chart from the Dallas Fed showing how Dallas, TX (my home now) has suffered under Bush and his policies. Pretty depressing!

[DemBones DemBones]

30. Yes, if you have "too much" experience,

"too much" education, or are perceived as "too smart," many employers don't want you.

[Greedy Oil Puritan]

43. Tell me about it...

The local call centre pays $10 Canadian an hour and usually refuses to hire college students.

[October]

45. Pilot? Passenger airlines are in a hurt, but there are others

FedEx hires lots of former Navy guys.

UPS? DHL? Other cargo or charter operations? Charter?

I'm sure you've considered all this already...

Best to you. I'm sorry to hear this. Were you furloughed or something?

[olddem43]

2. You should just be happy the call center isn't in India -

That's where a lot of local businesses in the Cities send their customer service calls.

[Philostopher]

3. Give 'em time.

Give 'em time.

[TA]

5. Or happy the call center isn't in Mexico

If you order paPAs you will get fries.
If you say PApas you will get your father.

[burrowowl]

35. Or fried Popes!

:evilgrin:

[Rose Siding]

4. I'd wear Groucho glasses when I order

psych


I'd like to see someone try to take my picture and my money.

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. Cool... I'll send the baby sitter to pick up and eat the food

She can call me on her cell phone and let me know how it tasted.

And now that I've outsourced the eating too, it not only allows for greater efficiency, I'll lose weight into the bargain! How can anyone NOT embrace this marvelous idea?

Choose Kerry Lose Bush - FUCK BUSH - Drop Bush Not Bombs!
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[lanparty]

7. I'd rather the kid down the street take my order ...

... they get experience in the work world that way.

Have no doubt that once the infrastructure is in place, these jobs will be outsourced to India and China.


"Wuju rike'a fwies weejat????"

Poor Engrish is no barrier to greed.

[Thor_MN]

12. You don't have to outsource to get poor language...

I was at a gas station and went in to pay. The women at the counter said "Tingles?" I wasn't really paying attention, so I said "Excuse me?" She repeated "Tingles." I had absolutely no clue what she was saying, thought about saying "No, you are attractive, but there's really nothing tingling at this point" and settled on "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you just said." She then said slowly with her heavy accent "Iz der anyting elze?" I told her no just the gas...

[rabbit2484]

14. Here in northern WI

I ordered a Mountain Dew and the girl working didn't know what I wanted. All the restaurants are hiring kids from Europe and Asia to work in the summer. In Wisconsin Dells, a big tourism spot, they bring them in by the plane loads. Most are actually very polite and nice, but when they can't get the orders then I get angry.

[daleo]

8. The photos are destroyed, they say

What about photos of people who ask for French Fries, instead of Freedom Fries, or just plain Fries. Those photos could be sent directly to homeland security.

Yes, I am kidding, sort of.

[Mountainman]

9. I wonder how soon they can say, beam me up a Big Mac Scotty

[KittyWampus]

10. You Can't MAKE This Shit Up Anymore

and it's hard to believe they're saving all that much money.

Taking your picture?

This story leaves a bad taste.

[diatribe]

19. Proof of cheap labor conservatives....

they don't even want to let people make $5.15 an hour at the local restaurant.

I'm wondering though, how many jobs were created at the call center, at what rate, in other words, the positive economic impact.

[nolabels]

28. “CHEAP-LABOR CONSERVATIVE” ISSUES GUIDE

“CHEAP-LABOR CONSERVATIVE” ISSUES GUIDE


http://www.ccgdata.com/5269-4.html

For those of you just arriving, who haven’t seen the lead article, the following is the operative concept. From “Defeat the Right in Three Minutes”:

When you cut right through it, right-wing ideology is just “dime-store economics” – intended to dress their ideology up and make it look respectable. You don’t really need to know much about economics to understand it. They certainly don’t. It all gets down to two simple words.

“Cheap labor”. That’s their whole philosophy in a nutshell – which gives you a short and pithy “catch phrase” that describes them perfectly. You’ve heard of “big-government liberals”. Well they’re “cheap-labor conservatives”.

Once you understand the general concept, you will frequently find yourself in debate over specific issues, like healthcare, social security privatization, public school vouchers, the “war on drugs” and of course the war in Iraq. What better way to put your conservative opponent on the defensive than by exposing the true motivation for his position – “cheap labor”. Can you really find the “cheap labor” angle in every conservative policy initiative, and every conservative position on any particular issue?
(snip)

http://www.conceptualguerilla.com/blurbs.htm

[Sugarbleus]

37. Hoo boy, you got that right!

:wtf:

STOP THE MADNESS!!

[iconoclastic cat]

13. Could McDonald's spread more evil?

Is it even possible?

The Waltons. The Bushes. McDonald's. The Pope was onto something.

[Gregorian]

15. America- the ultimate in class

Here I sit watching the Tour de France, and seeing the incredible culture and beauty. The price for profit is high. Very very high.

I've made a lot of money in my life. It was all by accident. I was striving for beauty, but I failed. To me, it was a failure. I'll take beauty over money any day.

[BloodyWilliam]

25. I have plenty of beauty!

And my parents could use a Honda... care to trade? :)

It's interesting being an idealistic intern/college student/young'un.

[Geo55]

16. "The photo is destroyed as soon as the order is completed"

They're gonna link ALL the shit together....
you will not make a move without it going in the database.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

32. Yeah, sure it is. I believe that.

not.

[pinniped]

41. The purged pics are sent to Langley.

:tinfoilhat:

[Neshanic]

17. It's officially gone too far. A photograph of you is needed?

Think of the Burger King commercials that will parody this fiasco. How did we survive ordering a burger and fries in the old days? "In n Out" seems to have a good system. Theirs is that you pull up, tell them what you want and then they give it you. What a concept.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

23. Are there still people working

inside at McDonald's? Or do you just talk into a mike now and your food is sent down a conveyor belt to you? :eyes:

One more reason not to go to Mcd's anymore!!

How much money can they really save? It seems like they're only replacing one person. The person who keys in your order at the drive thru. You still need someone to take your money and give you your change. 5.15 an hour x 17 hours per day (approx. 7 am - Midnight) x 365 days = $31,955.75 per year. No one works 17 hour days or works 365 days a year, so they're getting rid of 3-4 workers that really didn't make too much to begin with.

Ya, I agree with the post above, I'd rather the kid down the block was getting the money!

[Carolab]

24. Another reason to

support locally owned and operated non-franchise restaurants. I haven't gone to a McDonald's or a Burger King for years, not even when on the road. Local businesses need our support--and the food is much, much better. Forget fast food enterprises altogether. Hit 'em where they live, in their pocketbooks. Actually, apply the rule of conscientious consumption wherever you shop.

[anarchy1999]

31. We will never drive through another McD's again. We never do when at home

we never again will when we are on the road. NEVER!!!!

[LoZoccolo]

33. FLASH THE CALL CENTER!

WE SHALL USE ALL PEACEFUL MEANS TO OVERCOME TYRANNY!
- KMFDM, "Terror"

[Swamp Rat]

34. Fuck fast food and the people associated with it!!!!!!!

I still feel guilty for that Taco Bell bean burrito I ate back in 1998... I'd rather starve than eat that shit again. We still have a few mom and pop restaurants in New Orleans that cook homemade or REAL food, but most have been forced to close over the last 30 years. At least I can go down the street and order a fresh oyster po-boy, but folks who live in rural or poor towns have mostly fast food chains to choose from.

As for the photo thing... this is scary. I am tempted to drive up and order, shoot the bird at the camera and then just leave.

[Pachamama]

36. I love those Oyster Po-Boy's...wish I could have one right now....

Oi Swamp Rodent! How goes it in N'orleans tonite?

Yeah, the fast food thing is scary...after reading Fast Food Nation, I can't look at the Golden Arches the same way again....

Americans are getting fat and obese and suffering from diseases like Diabetes and Heart Disease in record numbers....they need to look no further than the over processed, corn syrup & preservative laden junk food they eat daily, downed by a soda pop....

Not that I can't claim to be perfectly svelte - but I'm a nursing Mom and losing the "baby pounds" slowly....probably the Ice Cream I eat doesn't help, but I'd rather get/stay "curvy" eating something made with eggs, cream and sugar anyday over the fast food...

[Swamp Rat]

38. I haven't read "Fast Food Nation" nor do I think I need to.

I am convinced that fast food corporations are slowly poisoning Americans. The CEOs and owners should be made to eat the crap they sell.

Don't worry about the curves as long as they're from eating good food and being a new mommy. I'm sure you'll come up with a creative and enjoyable way to lose weight. ;)

[truthisfreedom]

39. wow. can i have extra ketchup with that? HEINZ, please?

[pinniped]

40. You may not be able to scold the right person...

in the event someone does make a mistake.

I predict these tele-center McJobs will be outsourced to India by 2010.

[truthisfreedom]

42. i second that. i agree EVERY ONE OF THESE drive-through jobs will be out-

sourced to India in the next 10 years.

[leesa]

44. Corporations can't even afford to pay people from Missouri where wages

are usually very low? They can't even afford to pay the lowest wages.

[Canuckistanian]

46. Didn't Rush Limbaugh come from Cape Girardeau?

I wonder if he'll comdemn this killer of local jobs in his hometown.

[LeftHander]

47. Another reason to drive by McLaxative

I refuse to eat McDonalds shit....

[colonel odis]

49. though i haven't eaten at mcd's since reading fast food nation,

why don't you flip off the camera or cover your face when ordering.

for no other reason than because you can.

[peacetalksforall]

50. Was there a sign or notice saying that they were taking your photo?

Isn't this an invasion of privacy?

If there isn't any notice, isn't it the same thing as theft?

If they post a sign or notice would you order through the drive-in (assuming you eat at a McDonalds)?

Anyone know the law on taking photos?

It's just like Northwest and American Airlines sending all your trip and ID info off to the government.

Poindexter may be out, but I bet the project is still going.

Your face, iris, fingers, dna, health history, and everything else is or will soon be in a database for use by the 'government'. (Remember when we were taught that the government was us?)

Native Americans had it right - photos rob you of your soul.