California just hiked minimum wage for fast food workers. Some restaurants are replacing them with kiosks

[sarisataka]

California just hiked minimum wage for fast food workers. Some restaurants are replacing them with kiosks


California just raised the minimum wage for the state’s fast food sector workers by $4 to $20. As if on cue, it raised a familiar refrain that those workers would be replaced by technology, such as self-service kiosks.

That’s likely to happen in some instances where business who haven’t yet done so will look to technology to help offset higher labor costs, industry experts said.

But the reality is that automation in the services industry is already on a roll, and the restaurant industry has been embracing it for a while now, even in states where the minimum wage hasn’t increased.

“There are two things in play. One, already in motion for a while is robotics and automation at the store level,” said Rob Dongoski, global lead for food and agribusiness at Kearney, a strategy and management consulting firm. Examples in what is known in the industry as the “quick service restaurant” space include auto-refill technology and automated frying machines.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/11/business/california-minimum-wage-fast-food-kiosks/index.html

Recently went into a store that had automated ordering, not in California. It was irritating to have no employees in sight since the drive through had effed up my order. I had to wait for another customer's food to come out so I could talk to a human.

No people out front gives the impression the customer service is not a priority, that they are only interested in getting your money- now go away. OTOH perhaps it is simply being truthful...

[XanaDUer2]

1. No surprise

AI is next

[Mr.Bill]

2. This isn't only happening in the fast food industry.

When I call my doctor's office, the person who answers the phone is in another state. No on in the office answers phones anymore. I assume this person answering the phone communicates my wishes, such as canceling or rescheduling an appointment, to the doctor's office electronically. I guess it works, but it's annoying.

As far as fast food, I rarely go to those places and they have pretty much priced me out of their product. When I enter a place with no human being to help me, they have seen me for the last time.

[Johnny2X2X]

3. Was already happening

Just more Corporate media bullshit that pushes the idea that slave wages are the only wages and anything more means no jobs.

Kiosks at fastfood and other places has been going on for a decade now.

[Voltaire2]

4. Bullshit source says some bullshit.

" said Rob Dongoski, global lead for food and agribusiness at Kearney, a strategy and management consulting firm"

So CorporateNoiseNetwork interviewed a PR hack for the fast food industry who provided his expert opinion on how paying workers a barely living wage is a Real Bad Idea that will make 'consumers' unhappy. As we identify as part of the Consuming Class, our Consumer Class Solidarity will rise up in anger against these horrible workers, who are likely all ILLEGALS, and the BAD GUMMINT run by nazi-communists, that are keeping us from promptly obtaining our SHITBURGERZS.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. I wonder. If raising employee wages causes price increases, and

unemployment causes folks to avoid restaurant food because they have no money, then the remaining customers are lots fewer but able to pay high prices, what was gained?

[Voltaire2]

6. Or the giant global corporations that run the fast food industry can share more of the profits

with the workers producing the products they sell without raising prices. Somehow we just accept that the owning class is entitled to more profits every quarter.

[Mr.Bill]

7. The fast food places

gained the ability to produce less product while taking in probably more money.

Sort of like price of gas goes up, eventually people buy cars that use less gas, then they just raise the price some more and now can get more money and produce less gas.

I know the whole thing is more complex than that, and it's a chicken or the egg type of arguement.

[Sibelius Fan]

8. That was happening anyway. Our local Taco Bell has employed an AI order taker

at the drive thru for at least 6 weeks.