Recently, Jack Borland wrote about The new McStarbucks experience?. Fast food restaurants are looking to improve their decor to match that of Starbucks or Panera and improve the customer experience. I agree this would be a step in the right direction for the fast-food world, but what about other changes?
In the article, Ready to be self-served?, John Schmeltzer discusses how gas stations, airlines, and grocery stores all have self-service options. He asks whether customers are ready for self-serve kiosks in the fast-food industry. Would customers prefer to serve themselves? Devin Green, chief executive of ESP Systems LLC, which is deploying a system for alerting a restaurant's staff that a patron needs service, does not agree. He thinks "The country is not quite ready for self-serve. This [the restaurant industry] is a people business. People go to a restaurant to be served." But do we? Particularly at a fast-food restaurant. Would service be better if we directed it or do we prefer someone else to do the serving?
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