Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

I think the "fast food robot" theory is absurd. In fast food restaurants like any restaurant customer service matters. As Clown mentioned about cost as well that's a big expenditure to make per store (recall most fast food joints are franchises, so the individual owner is footing the bill, not the corporation). If you walk into the place and for whatever reason the kiosk isn't working (ever try using the self-checkout at CVS or the supermarket?) you're going to lose your entire business for the day as people aren't going to wait around for it to get fixed.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Can't believe I actually ever thought that North Carolina was a decent place to live.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/buck-newton-north-carolina_us_571f82c4e4b01a5ebde34e2c

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Can't believe I actually ever thought that North Carolina was a decent place to live.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/buck-newton-north-carolina_us_571f82c4e4b01a5ebde34e2c

In 2006, VA went full derp on gay marriage. But the suburbs kept growing and by 2014 the rurals just couldn't compete, and VA is now blue.

NC is a decade behind VA.

Educated and sane people are moving into the state and will eventually turn it blue, but the cray cray will make a lot of noise like HB2 before then. Cornered animals are dangerous, but they're also out of options.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

I think the "fast food robot" theory is absurd. In fast food restaurants like any restaurant customer service matters. As Clown mentioned about cost as well that's a big expenditure to make per store (recall most fast food joints are franchises, so the individual owner is footing the bill, not the corporation). If you walk into the place and for whatever reason the kiosk isn't working (ever try using the self-checkout at CVS or the supermarket?) you're going to lose your entire business for the day as people aren't going to wait around for it to get fixed.

Val's Rapid Serve, a fast food restaurant outhouse in St. Cloud, has two kiosks in place, and there's one non-cook in the restaurant to handle any ordering issues. Kiosks wouldn't replace humans one-for-one, but they would remove quite a few.

Still, McD's kiosks will only make a big push into the American market with a large increase in the price of labor. People like people - even when we hate them.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

That all depends. They're not going to spend thousands of dollars up front until the potential short-term savings matches that cost. There's also a downside to these kiosks, and it's that for all their faults, people still like to deal with human employees in most industries. Businesses won't make this change until they see it as a must, and increasing the price of labor to the point of making their variable costs unprofitable is one of those things.

Yeah, especially with people who want changes from the "recipe version" of a meal. It just takes too much time when someone who is "trained" behind the counter is so much faster.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

So. Any guesses?

Ted Cruz said that he will be making a "major announcement" at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, and proclaimed he will keep on fighting despite Donald Trump's decisive wins on Tuesday night.

The Texas senator indicated it could be an announcement for a vice presidential pick, but he refused to reveal the exact subject while talking to reporters in Indianapolis.

He needs a Hail Mary. Who's willing to get on the Cruz train?

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

So. Any guesses?



He needs a Hail Mary. Who's willing to get on the Cruz train?

Hail Sneed!

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Fairly funny.

http://images.dailykos.com/images/244536/story_image/bo160426.png?1461705446

And no, after 17 years I still don't know how to post a friggin' image here.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Former McDonald's CEO Ed Rensi thinks you're going to see a lot fewer employees to make those mistakes once the $15/hr minimum wage comes into effect. And it's not like this trend will end with McD's.

CEOs always say crap like this whenever there is any change and yet those things never seem to happen in the long term. If $15/ hour is too much for the mighty McDonalds they have bigger issues than just the wages.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

CEOs always say crap like this whenever there is any change and yet those things never seem to happen in the long term. If $15/ hour is too much for the mighty McDonalds they have bigger issues than just the wages.

Heck, it only took them like a month to change the McPick Two from $2 to $5.

 

[joecct]

That all depends. They're not going to spend thousands of dollars up front until the potential short-term savings matches that cost. There's also a downside to these kiosks, and it's that for all their faults, people still like to deal with human employees in most industries. Businesses won't make this change until they see it as a must, and increasing the price of labor to the point of making their variable costs unprofitable is one of those things.

ATMs. My BoA tellers want me to use the machine.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

CEOs always say crap like this whenever there is any change and yet those things never seem to happen in the long term. If $15/ hour is too much for the mighty McDonalds they have bigger issues than just the wages.

Given that they set precedence in western Europe, where labor is much more expensive than the average American city, I wouldn't consider that former CEO's words as idle speculation. It's a matter of at what point the order takers become too expensive to keep on the payroll. It's a company that has a history of automating various processes to make staff more efficient (read: requires fewer employees to perform the same tasks). This kiosk idea is no different except in the impetus to its implementation.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

ATMs. My BoA tellers want me to use the machine.

ATMs are much cheaper for banks' processing costs on a per-transaction basis than tellers. The tellers exists, more or less, for the old timers who don't like new fangled things and for transactions that tend to be more complicated than normal.

 

[mookie1995]

ATMs are much cheaper for banks' processing costs on a per-transaction basis than tellers. The tellers exists, more or less, for the old timers who don't like new fangled things and for transactions that tend to be more complicated than normal.

Mookie hasn't used an atm for over 20yrs.

Also go up to a person

 

[geezer]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

CEOs always say crap like this whenever there is any change and yet those things never seem to happen in the long term.

Are you kidding? Google "industrial automation" and read about what happened to US jobs after the labor strikes. Then read up on employer regulation and wage stagnation.
It's always easy to say "any company can pay anything we ask for without negative consequences because businesses are too wealthy." But you're not thinking things through. If you're ever involved in any kind of service business, you'll find out how NOT generous those margins are. One side always comes with a cost to the other side, you can't just ignore it and pretend there are infinite resources.
This is the easiest I can make it: If you have $20, you can hire a kid to mow your lawn for $20, or you can hire two poorer kids at $10 each. Take your pick. That wishful-thinking extra $20 isn't growing on a tree out back. Grownups make choices.

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Yeah, especially with people who want changes from the "recipe version" of a meal. It just takes too much time when someone who is "trained" behind the counter is so much faster.

Try ordering a pizza. You can either spend ten minutes(15 if you dare use a coupon) on the phone trying to explain your order to a person, or do the same in 30 seconds with about a dozen clicks online.

I think the demand for face-to-face interaction decreases a)as automation gets better, which it will and b) people become more comfortable with technology, which I think is a generational thing.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Try ordering a pizza. You can either spend ten minutes(15 if you dare use a coupon) on the phone trying to explain your order to a person, or do the same in 30 seconds with about a dozen clicks online.

I think the demand for face-to-face interaction decreases a)as automation gets better, which it will and b) people become more comfortable with technology, which I think is a generational thing.

Apparently, some fast food places have phone apps for placing orders. Since you have to give them a certain amount of personal information in order to use the app for transactions, the companies get the added benefit of knowing who those customers are. Millenials are by far and away the biggest users of ordering through those apps.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Try ordering a pizza. You can either spend ten minutes(15 if you dare use a coupon) on the phone trying to explain your order to a person, or do the same in 30 seconds with about a dozen clicks online.

I think the demand for face-to-face interaction decreases a)as automation gets better, which it will and b) people become more comfortable with technology, which I think is a generational thing.

where the hell are you calling that it takes 10 minutes over the phone?

Usually the phone is much faster for me. Maybe 30 seconds to a minute to make the order. At no point have I ever completed an online transaction in under a minute.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Given that they set precedence in western Europe, where labor is much more expensive than the average American city, I wouldn't consider that former CEO's words as idle speculation. It's a matter of at what point the order takers become too expensive to keep on the payroll. It's a company that has a history of automating various processes to make staff more efficient (read: requires fewer employees to perform the same tasks). This kiosk idea is no different except in the impetus to its implementation.

Sure, the $15 minimum wage will be the death knell of the fast food worker. Amazing that I heard the same thing the last time the minimum wage was raised, and the time before that...and I bet the time before that. But sure this time is different. I mean Papa Johns sure went out of business because of Obamacare right? (the last CEO to talk abotu how bad some new cost will change his business model)

Of course maybe if d-bags like this guy hadnt been trying to block smaller raises over time we wouldnt need large shifts like this one which will supposedly cripple one of the largest companies in the world...

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Sure, the $15 minimum wage will be the death knell of the fast food worker. Amazing that I heard the same thing the last time the minimum wage was raised, and the time before that...and I bet the time before that. But sure this time is different. I mean Papa Johns sure went out of business because of Obamacare right? (the last CEO to talk abotu how bad some new cost will change his business model)

Of course maybe if d-bags like this guy hadnt been trying to block smaller raises over time we wouldnt need large shifts like this one which will supposedly cripple one of the largest companies in the world...

That d-bag only had the ability to set the wages for 10% of McD's restaurants. Franchisees are free to set their own wages in the stores they own. Rensi is just giving his perspective on what will likely happen when wages grow to that level. Franchisees can't raise their menu prices with impunity unless the average Joe on the street is willing to pay more for his Big Mac, so they'll have to find ways to reduce costs or take smaller profits. How many business owners jump at the chance to earn smaller profits? The owners of capital want their wages too.