14 DAY TRIAL // McDonald's seems to keep finding solutions for people to make as little effort as possible for getting their calorie filling from their fast food restaurants. The latest gimmick is that of allowing users to place their orders and even to pay from their mobile phones. So that they don't have to get up from the table and actually walk to the counter.
Customers place their orders by pointing their mobile phones at the items they want. This is done by plugging an RFID reader into the handset, also solving the payment issue. Money transaction is processed through the cellular as well, showing up on the phone bill at the end of the month. Each table will be equipped with a RFID adapter for making this as easy as possible. The customers are also alerted through a text message when their order is ready to go to the counter and pick it up.
There is one major advantage in this solution that McDonald's has developed for its customers. Sometimes queues can get huge in these fast food restaurants and it's quite annoying to have to wait in line for your order. It should be a huge improvement for those working here, as they will no longer have to keep smiling at all times and to actually interact with customers. Still, if the employee only receives this order, how in the world will they have the chance of asking the customer if he "also wants fries with that" or if he "wants to know more about McDonald's XXL Happy Meal"?
McDonald's is currently experimenting this technology in Southern Korea. If it works out in this country, there are all reasons for the service to go out at a global scale, making it available in all McDonald's restaurants. However it will turn out, it is an innovative concept that might get many people excited over just how modern this solution feels.