McDonald’s CEO: No Plans To Replace Employees With Robots Yet

Gorankar said:
It is fine to take pride in your work, but I don't pay for your pride, just your work. A McDonald's "chef's" work is simply not that valuable.
Click to expand...

According to who, you? Work is work. What made up job do you have that makes you so valuable?

In case you didn't realize, there aren't enough professional level jobs for all the professionals we have now. So what are future burger flippers turned professionals suppose to do?

I love all the ignorant people here who love saying "get a better job!" as if that's incredibly easy to do and as if there's just better jobs everywhere all the time!

My uncle use to think this way too until he was laid off and couldn't find another job for 7 months. Took a massive cut in pay too.

So many ignorant short minded no common sense Republicunts on this forum. You'd think people so smart about technology would have some sense.
 
Steve said:
I don't care what the CEO of McDonald's is saying now, he let the cat out of the bag when he said it would be cheaper to install robots than to pay workers $15 an hour. I really do think we are going to eventually end up with completely automated fast food production with a couple human employees around to make sure things are looked after. What do you think?
Click to expand...
It was Ed Rensi, ex-CEO of McDonald's who made the comment about robots being cheaper than $15/hour humans.
 
Well, at least robots can't, yet, spit on the burgers, ejaculate into the "special sauce," etc. But this kind of paradigm shift will cause vast socio-economic issues that we really can't foresee. But then, the same thing was said about Ford's production line. Things will always evolve, for better or for worse.
 
They technically already use robots in other countries. Europe, Asia, Australia all have McD's that you self-order through terminals. Japan you can pre order and pickup using NFC in your phone. Why stand in line for "would you like fries with that?" when you can click?
 
Mut1ny said:
According to who, you? Work is work. What made up job do you have that makes you so valuable?
In case you didn't realize, there aren't enough professional level jobs for all the professionals we have now. So what are future burger flippers turned professionals suppose to do?
I love all the ignorant people here who love saying "get a better job!" as if that's incredibly easy to do and as if there's just better jobs everywhere all the time!
My uncle use to think this way too until he was laid off and couldn't find another job for 7 months. Took a massive cut in pay too.
So many ignorant short minded no common sense Republicunts on this forum. You'd think people so smart about technology would have some sense.
Click to expand...
You got some f*d up perspective man. There aren't enough skilled jobs so now flipping burgers need to be brought up to level. Are you f*king serious?

Next you're going to tell me that those without jobs need to be paid $15/hr too because there aren't enough jobs to go around.
 
Last edited:
So once all the humans are replaced with robots...who is going to be left with any income to actually buy the products the robots are making or serving?

I guess at that point it will all have to be free?

Some folks just don't think ahead far enough. Only till the next financial quarter.
 
snowcrash said:
You got some f*d up perspective man. There aren't enough skilled jobs so now flipping burgers need to be brought up to level. Are you f*king serious?

Next you're going to tell me that those without jobs need to be paid $15/hr too because there aren't enough jobs to go around.
Click to expand...

No, it's not a fucked perspective, it's the truth. Get your head out of your ass and realize that a lot of people working these jobs are doing so out of necessity. Also, yes, with the way things are going there will need to be a universal income at some point or something else needs to seriously change.
 
GlowingGhoul said:
Obviously you've never created or run a business.

They're not a social services agency and burger flipping was not meant to be a career to support a car, mortgage, and family of four.
Click to expand...
And yet that is what big business has done to us. Sent real jobs overseas and turned these teenage jobs into careers for some.
 
snowcrash said:
We're spiraling towards significant income inequality and this is bad news.
Click to expand...

So your brilliant solution is to force the bottom rung to stay low while letting the upper echelon have free reign? Yea, that will totally fix income inequality.
 
I think we are more then a few years out from having robots reliably take over fast food jobs. The order kiosks aren't really that great, can be vandalized and cost more to keep running then its worth even if the min wage was $25 an hour.

What we have had lots of progress on is deep learning. We have created machines that have mastered chess and can handle go. It seems to me its more likely (and profitable) we can replace CEOs with machines. I would rather trust my investments to corps run 100% by machine. No bonuses, No Stock Options, No 8 Figure Salaries... I think for that sort of $ we should be able to develop much better Corp Overlords.
 
Fuck McDonalds, their food isn't that good anyway. The day they automate is the day that I'll stop going there.

FUCK THE FISHEADS OF THE WORLD WHO CONTINUALY PLACE PROFITS ABOVE EVERYTHING WHILE THEY THEMSELVES GROW RICHER.

 
If McDonalds or any other fast food joint replaces workers with robots... welcome to the world that used to be taught (warned about) in school 10-20+ years ago (if not even longer than that). You start here, get experience, move up (or to a different place for more experience that way). If you don't - you'll eventually work for the person that did or you'll get replaced with a robot. If you don't want to move up and actually like your current job (and I know people who actually do) - then stop complaining about how much you make. Nobody forced that person into the job in the first place. You can make decent money without formal education if you work hard enough... the problem is that there's enough people who don't care and want it anyways - which is pretty sad since they can't even do these jobs well (and makes it that much harder for those that do).

Anybody else see a connection to places like these struggling because nobody eats there anymore. Typically the food is "fine" - but MAN the service sucks (which makes you question the food more). Throwing money at people doesn't instantly change a bad work ethic that likely existed before they even got a job. In fact, it would likely just make it worse. Robots might be the only way that any of these places will even still exist in the next few decades. They probably also need to change how their franchises work - one person owning dozens of restaurants across a dozen states? YEAH, I bet those are all run well! There's only a few that operate in a common sense way (and oh look, the service and food is actually worth it!).
 
LatexRat said:
I've run a successful business for over 10 years. The reason to go into business is to provide something amazing and take pride in what you're doing and how you're doing it. If you're not doing that.. you're doing it wrong.
So, underpaying workers, using the cheapest ingredients... Yea, that counts as doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

What a load of BS, the reason you and everyone else goes into business, is to improve your quality of life, its the same reason people get jobs, leave jobs for better jobs. When someone starts a business, they dont think about creating jobs, they think about creating the best product and or service they can for the least amount of money, why? well because there's always someone else who will make it better, faster, and cheaper. Thats why competition produces the best products and services. By creating wealth, and trying to better your quality life, you increase the wealth and quality of life for others, either by employment or by the products or services you provide. Now, taking good care of your employees is a good practice, but thats why a free market is the best way to find a better job. If you do not like your current job, you go out and find a better one. If you're not satisfied with that, start your own company. People who say they cannot live on minimum wage, do not understand the economics of "minimum wage". That is an entry level wage, menial labor meant for temporary, and or young people who still live with their parents. If you cannot afford to live @ your current wage, then you have two options. Cut back on expenses, or get a better job. Its not the employers responsibility to provide you with a quality of life you're looking for, its your responsibility to go out and find the means to achieve it.
 
LatexRat said:
I don't think you get it. We should all be making more money. Minimum wage is well below adequate thanks to inflation. If a small business can't afford to pay someone $120 a day.. What kind of shitty business can't cover that? and to think that McDonalds can't is just hilarious.
Click to expand...
Have you ever heard of inflation?
 
Mut1ny said:
According to who, you? Work is work. What made up job do you have that makes you so valuable?

In case you didn't realize, there aren't enough professional level jobs for all the professionals we have now. So what are future burger flippers turned professionals suppose to do?

I love all the ignorant people here who love saying "get a better job!" as if that's incredibly easy to do and as if there's just better jobs everywhere all the time!

My uncle use to think this way too until he was laid off and couldn't find another job for 7 months. Took a massive cut in pay too.

So many ignorant short minded no common sense Republicunts on this forum. You'd think people so smart about technology would have some sense.
Click to expand...
It's that way because the market says so. Not because I said so. We value skilled jobs over unskilled ones. Get out of the land of make believe.
 
robots
Click to expand...
Probably not robots. A mini Assembly line with a kiosk to take your order and dispense it to you. Make it all modular and you will hardly need maintenance staff.

A Big Mac is not worth paying someone $15/hr to make. Just isn't. People aren't going to pay Grilled Steak Restaurant prices for one. Just aren't. Is robots or end of McDonald's.

People who think you can just decree better wages are fucking people over for their ideology. Specifically here both people who need that McD job and people who can only afford McD to give themselves a break on cooking.
 
So, when the wages are $15 an hour, how much are restaurants going to need to increase their prices? I seriously doubt they will remain the same. Right now, a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder costs about $4 where I live. Am I willing to pay $6? Maybe.
If automation is utilized, I suspect the prices of the food will continue to increase. The robots still cost money and they need to make profit to stay in business.

McD's is a publicly traded company. The CEO reports to the shareholder - bottom line is increasing earnings and rewarding the shareholders. I'd like to see the numbers over a 5 year period. Purchase robots (expensive up front) . Factor in maintenance, upgrades (?), etc. What is the projected cost savings over time?
Another question - I know a lot of people (myself included) welcome robot automation for fast food, but what about the rest of the public? Are they ready for this?
 
Raise minimum wage any more and you'll begin to see ALL jobs begin to go away. It's only a matter of time anyway, I would never hire worthless people who cause all sorts of problems if I had a business
 
Gorankar said:
It's that way because the market says so. Not because I said so. We value skilled jobs over unskilled ones. Get out of the land of make believe.
Click to expand...

No, not the market. It's all greed. You don't think a place like McDonalds can't afford it? You think all those billions in profits every month couldn't support it? As much as people like you are against people having decent lives something has to change whether you like it or not. We can't keep having people be out of work due to jobs moving overseas or being replaced by robots and just keep thinking that they can just find some other job and that the economy and buying power of the American people can somehow stay the same. It's not me who is the land of make believe.
 
The market is greed based. It does not matter what McD can afford, what matters is what the workers will accept. The raising of the min wage will only hasten the already inevitable automation. It is a fantasy to think otherwise.
 
Mut1ny said:
No, not the market. It's all greed. You don't think a place like McDonalds can't afford it? You think all those billions in profits every month couldn't support it? As much as people like you are against people having decent lives something has to change whether you like it or not. We can't keep having people be out of work due to jobs moving overseas or being replaced by robots and just keep thinking that they can just find some other job and that the economy and buying power of the American people can somehow stay the same. It's not me who is the land of make believe.
Click to expand...
You're a moron if you think their profit margins are that large they can eat that kind of wage increase can be eaten and they can still produce a product for that same price.

You remind me of hte union workers at the Hostess Twinky Plant who thought management was 'bluffing' about bankruptcy and refused a pay cut. Or teh UAW workers that swear the GM Bankruptcy was staged to screw them out of wages and the Bankrutpcy never really happened (they do exist).
 
The keyword is "yet". As soon as it's practical they will. The option is to raise prices and it seems like the market has already spoken on that, if the prices aren't dirt cheap customers will go elsewhere. Cost and price are inexorably linked, which is why here in Canada, where minimum wages are higher, fast food is significantly more expensive (yes, taking account of the exchange rate).

viscountalpha said:
i'm still waiting for an automated store to catch fire and burn down. It's going to take a few of those even with near perfected technology to make it unprofitable.
Click to expand...

Not really, businesses have insurance. It would have to be a regular occurrence to really matter.
 
McDonalds is going to replace it's employees as soon as they can anyway. The minimum wage will just be their scapegoat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ChadD
like this
If he is NOT planning this he should step down. If I was a share holder I would be screaming for his head.
 
One of our greatest presidents spoke about how every company should pay a decent wage for a full weeks work. Good to see that we all are going back on that based on the BS ideals we have been using for the last 30 or so years. That greedy fucking mentality really put us in a good spot going into this century.
 
DukenukemX said:
But desk jobs have very little human interaction. And unlike that teenager at McDonalds who gets paid $35K a year, you get paid 100k. Nobody is going to miss you, and the company saves a lot in not having to pay for you. Plus, since software like AI can do your job, it's extremely cheap to replace you. Who has more incentive to be replaced?
Click to expand...

You're out of your mind if you think that anyone except the top store manager at a McDonald's is making 35k a year! Most people are part time, if you are lucky enough to get full time it would take 40 hours a week @ $16.82 an hour to get $35k! I think most top store managers are under $50k starting out. Most people in the midwest states are making around $8 hr part time.
 
{NG}Fidel said:
One of our greatest presidents spoke about how every company should pay a decent wage for a full weeks work. Good to see that we all are going back on that based on the BS ideals we have been using for the last 30 or so years. That greedy fucking mentality really put us in a good spot going into this century.
Click to expand...

How about the greedy assed employees of McDs who think they deserve anything at all when the food is so terrible?
If they are good employees they can get these things called "RAISES" if they suck they should get fired, everyone in the middle who doesn't give a shit can go screw themselves.

Working at McDonalds is not supposed to be a real job. Maybe for the manager, but for everyone else it is supposed to be a part time gig.

As for the greatest prez I know who you are referring to and would beg to differ. I would also strongly suspect that the prez you worship would tell these burger flippers to get a life, as his social programs were intended to help people who deserved it, not to pacify the selfish and lazy.
 
Mut1ny said:
No, not the market. It's all greed. You don't think a place like McDonalds can't afford it? You think all those billions in profits every month couldn't support it? As much as people like you are against people having decent lives something has to change whether you like it or not. We can't keep having people be out of work due to jobs moving overseas or being replaced by robots and just keep thinking that they can just find some other job and that the economy and buying power of the American people can somehow stay the same. It's not me who is the land of make believe.
Click to expand...

No, they can't afford it, so they have no choice but to raise prices, and that means less business.

I used to go out to lunch almost every day, I also use to go out to dinner at least once a week.
However, the prices kept going up (along with the minimum wage), and I got tired of spending so much for lunch/dinner.
Now I bring my lunch almost every day, either leftovers or a frozen dinner (I stock up on some decent ones for $2 on sale), and we go out to dinner maybe once a month or less.
I must not be the only one doing this based on all the restaurants that have shut down over the
past few years.

A fast food burger or a rice bowl just isn't worth $6 to $8, when I can cook something at home or warm up a frozen dinner for < $2


I will agree with you on the problem of moving jobs over seas, and I'll add to that the replacement of jobs in this country with H1B Visa holders.
 
HardUp4HardWare said:
How about the greedy assed employees of McDs who think they deserve anything at all when the food is so terrible?
If they are good employees they can get these things called "RAISES" if they suck they should get fired, everyone in the middle who doesn't give a shit can go screw themselves.

Working at McDonalds is not supposed to be a real job. Maybe for the manager, but for everyone else it is supposed to be a part time gig.

As for the greatest prez I know who you are referring to and would beg to differ. I would also strongly suspect that the prez you worship would tell these burger flippers to get a life, as his social programs were intended to help people who deserved it, not to pacify the selfish and lazy.
Click to expand...
Great blanket statement, I'm sure your visual observations of McDonald's are as reliable as actual studies indicating anything but what you said. Just fyi lazy people exist regardless of career. Burger flipper or cubicle.
 
Paying more to the common man means everything is going to be purchased more. You can pretend that's not reality but it's happened before.
 
HardUp4HardWare said:
If he is NOT planning this he should step down. If I was a share holder I would be screaming for his head.
Click to expand...

And this is another problem with our system. Shareholders are complete and total fucktards. Every. Single. One.

They do nothing but look for $$$ when a good CEO makes the sometimes unpopular decision saying "we're not ready to do that yet."

If you owned stock you'd be screaming for his head. But, what if the technology is implemented before its ready, things get shitty, and you lose even more customers and make even less money. What then now?

I'm genuinely interested in your response.
 
LatexRat said:
So, they don't care if the food they're selling is bad for the customers and they don't care if the workers get paid enough to survive. Pretty common stance from the biggest corporations. The less you care about people, the easier it is to make bank.
Click to expand...
Survive?

If you're relying on a 40 hour per week or less fast food job paying minimum wage to "survive" you're doing it wrong. The past 3 employers I've worked for, 2 in the tech industry and 1 in construction, have all struggled over the past 10 years to fill positions with skilled employees and paying them $25/hr or more with full benefits, bonuses, etc. and these are not careers that will get automated any time soon. Hell, the minimum requirements for some of the positions I'm talking about aren't even that difficult to fill. HS diploma or equivalent and pass a drug test, with training provided by the employer. Well, I guess people would rather get high while working a minimum wage fast food job than get paid 3-6x as much, get a month of vacation off per year, a massive contribution to retirement savings, full medical coverage for themselves and immediate family, and so on.

No. This is not a "survival" issue. This is a "people are incredibly stupid and want to stay at the bottom instead of working their way up or putting any real effort into improving their situation".
 
OEM said:
The $15/hr wage will hasten the demise of the burger guy. McDonalds doesn't even flip burgers anymore, they have a hot plate that comes down on the top of the patty. I worked at McD's in highschool, starting at $5.15 an hour.
Click to expand...

A clamshell grill (what McDonalds uses) is a bit more than a "hot plate".

I'd know, I worked at McDonalds too (way the fuck back when in 1991).

The whole point of shitty jobs like this is to learn basic work skills (show up on time, work, decide the job sucks and get a better job).
 
LatexRat said:
I've run a successful business for over 10 years. The reason to go into business is to provide something amazing and take pride in what you're doing and how you're doing it. If you're not doing that.. you're doing it wrong.
So, underpaying workers, using the cheapest ingredients... Yea, that counts as doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

No. The reason to go into business is because you believe a market exists, said market is currently underserved, and you think you can turn a profit by servicing said market.

Putting food on the table and keeping a roof over your head trumps pride every day. Especially if you have kids to take care of.
 
OEM said:
And this is another problem with our system. Shareholders are complete and total fucktards. Every. Single. One.

They do nothing but look for $$$ when a good CEO makes the sometimes unpopular decision saying "we're not ready to do that yet."

If you owned stock you'd be screaming for his head. But, what if the technology is implemented before its ready, things get shitty, and you lose even more customers and make even less money. What then now?

I'm genuinely interested in your response.
Click to expand...

Well, the key phrase you used is "before its ready". Making a move toward robotics would have many risks and implications. Not to mention protesting ex-employees who were replaced.

My point is that robotics would be an obvious and necessary move and that he should be "planning" for this as a defacto future move.

McDonalds has been declining for some time now and if robotics can make them more profitable they should be doing serious R&D. That is planning.

I would say that this CEO is clearly LYING. They are probably testing robotics rigorously and simply do not want to agitate their already agitated workforce and harm their public image by appearing to be heartless.

Also, you need to parse his words carefully. He says that robotics would not ELIMINATE the human element. He is not saying that it couldn't significantly reduce the human element.

Also:
Easterbrook has cited improved customer service as a key reason for McDonald's recent turnaround. Higher pay and technological advances are more likely to result in workers being shifted to dining rooms and more service-oriented roles, he said.

So parse that down and he is painting a picture of a McDonalds run by robots were humans play a minor role as human figureheads.

On the stock side of things, McDonalds is a terrible stock and they know it. People want fast-quality food now and McDonalds is not able to compete in the quality arena. They will be around forever, or slowly fade away. This is why they opened Chipolte, and see how that is working out for them.

Anyhoo, I just really hate this "Fight for $15" BS. Someday when the robot overlords are running the shithole McDs and there is one human "greeter" at the door, then he can make $20 an hour. Until then pay should be performance based, not protest forced.

I think, however, the distant future of McDs is going to be like in Idiocracy with a vending machine in the street dispensing fries and bwando.
 
DrLobotomy said:
Some people take pride in cooking. Just because society says it is a shit job and you not liking that job does not make it any less important. Just because society has fucked up values doesn't mean you have to follow. All work is work. Take pride in it no matter what.
Click to expand...

Nobody's saying you shouldn't take pride in your job. That's one of the skills everyone needs to learn. Too many careless sons of bitches out there doing shit work.

However, that doesn't change the fact that a McBurgerShack job is unskilled menial labor. As such, it tends to be low paid (as anyone can do unskilled menial labor). So, the entire point of the job is to make you realize that you don't want to be a worthless, underpaid schlub your entire life and help you begin developing your job skills and career path.

Hell, that's the ENTIRE POINT of the McDonalds franchise and corporate system! To take those workers who want to make something of themselves and develop them as far as their skills and motivation will allow them to go. Everyone else remains a low-paid schlub and eventually goes away as they're adding no real individual value to the company and franchise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top