Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

liberal N proud

(60,300 posts)
Thu May 12, 2016, 08:31 PM May 2016

Wendy's Increases Self-Service Kiosks Due To Minimum Wage

Investor's Business Daily is reporting that the Wendy’s restaurant chain is increasing its number of self-service ordering kiosks because of minimum wage hikes.

“Wendy’s said that self-service ordering kiosks will be made available across its 6,000-plus restaurants in the second half of the year as minimum wage hikes and a tight labor market push up wages,” the report says.


It will be up to the franchisees to decide whether or not to deploy the technology.

Wendy’s President Todd Penegor said company-operated stores, only about 10% of the total, are seeing wage inflation of 5% to 6%, driven both by the minimum wage and some by the need to offer a competitive wage “to access good labor.”

. http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/eric-scheiner/wendys-increases-self-service-kiosks-due-minimum-wage

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

1939

(1,683 posts)
5. Way it should work
Thu May 12, 2016, 08:48 PM
May 2016

but "labor efficiency" means being able to do more with less.

When I began driving (1955) and you went into a service station, there was an owner, a mechanic or two, and a couple of pump jockeys/grease monkeys on the staff. Today, i go into a gas station and there is a self-serve pump that reads my credit card and in case of a problem or if i want a candy bar, there is a clerk behind bullet proof glass that will handle a receipt printing problem, sell me a raffle ticket, or the candy bar. If I am really lucky, the clerk speaks English.



1939

(1,683 posts)
7. Silver, it really depends
Thu May 12, 2016, 08:58 PM
May 2016

There is a trade off on that. If the labor is cheap enough , it can beat out automation.

Case in point. When my father was promoted from tool maker to manager of a branch shop, there were often cases where a worker or workers would inadvertently mix product (in this case automotive bolts). Now the choice was, do you throw away mixed, and unsaleable product, or do you hire someone to hand sort the product. In this case, it was cheaper, at UAW wage rates, to hire two people to sort the product into saleable lots. If the value of the product had been less, it would have been cheaper to discard the unsaleable lots.

appalachiablue

(41,052 posts)
11. People Get Ready! The Fight Against A Jobless Economy & A Citizenless Democracy, McChesney & Nichols
Fri May 13, 2016, 12:51 AM
May 2016

PEOPLE GET READY! THE FIGHT AGAINST A JOBLESS ECONOMY & A CITIZENLESS DEMOCRACY, By McChesney & Nichols



Co-Authors Robert McChesney and John Nichols presentation talk on their significant new book, "PEOPLE GET READY: The Fight Against A Jobless Economy and A Citizenless Democracy" at the Town Hall Seattle, Washington on March 9, 2016.
The talk is 2-Part with McChesney speaking first and then John Nichols. (VIDEO, 1 hr. 25 mins.).
Make a NOTE to view this compelling discussion of the situation we now face based on the authors extensive two-year research on recent ongoing automation and technological advances in AI/Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 3-D Printing and driverless vehicles which will create 50 percent unemployment in the US in the next ten to thirty years and serious political and social challenges.



Reviews, more, http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016152630
________


 

CanSocDem

(3,286 posts)
14. Great video!!
Fri May 13, 2016, 12:18 PM
May 2016


I sincerely hope that Americans are given a choice between Fascism and Democracy this fall.

I understand that they may once again have that choice taken away.

But don't listen to me. I'm 0-2 in my votes for democracy this year.


.

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)
9. "It will be up to the franchisees to decide whether or not to deploy the technology."
Thu May 12, 2016, 09:11 PM
May 2016

The franchisor in our area paid his staff full wages while they were off for months after a fire burned the restaurant down.

madville

(7,397 posts)
10. I think the future of automation
Thu May 12, 2016, 09:43 PM
May 2016

Is fascinating. Ideally citizens will get a standard minimum income paid for by taxes on corporations and businesses. I would guess that in 50-100 years almost all human physical and intellectual labor will have been replaced by automation and Artificial Intelligence.

ladyVet

(1,587 posts)
12. I hope our local Wendys won't use them. We'll likely stop going there.
Fri May 13, 2016, 10:25 AM
May 2016

When my mother and I are out and about, we often stop at one of the local restaurants for a small lunch. We adore the usual person taking orders, who is so friendly and helpful. She knows her regular customers and is always asking them about themselves, or their families.

A machine can't do that. The prices won't go down, the food won't be any better, and likely the wait won't be any shorter. I see no benefit except to the owner's bottom line (and the parent corporation).

I refuse to use automatic checkout lines in grocery stores or places like Lowe's. I tell the managers I prefer to talk with people, rather than struggle to get the crappy machines to work -- which requires an overworked human to come and fix, by the way. Most auto checkouts are empty, while lines grow where there are people running the register.

Perhaps if society moves towards a guaranteed income without requiring working at shitty jobs, it might be different. But for the present time, I'm not for automated services like this.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Wendy's Increases Self-Se...