Steven Bigari, a McDonald’s franchisee, has dramatically increased the efficiency of his 12 McDonald's by reducing its drive-through order time by 30 seconds to a little more than one-minute per transaction. (That’s well below the McDonald’s drive-through average order time of two-minutes thirty-six seconds.)
Plus, this McDonald’s franchisee has increased the number of cars his drive-throughs handle by 15% from 226 cars per hour to 260 cars.
“This transforms my business. It’s bigger than drive-through,” contends Bigari.
What in the name of the Hamburgler is going on here? How can a McDonald’s record such startling order-taking efficiency?
To achieve such efficiency, Mr. Bigari has done the seemingly radical … he has outsourced his drive-through order taking function to a call center in Colorado Springs.
Yes, he has outsourced order-taking at his McDonald’s to a call center.
“Cheap, quick and reliable telecommunications lines let the order takers in Colorado Springs converse with customers in Missouri, take an electronic snapshot of them, display their order on a screen to make sure it is right, then forward the order and the photo to the restaurant kitchen. People picking up their burgers never know that their order traverses two states and bounces back before they can even start driving to the pickup window.” [source: New York Times article from 7.18.04 (registration req’d)]
What has been the reaction at McDonald’s Corporate offices? McDonald’s is intrigued and has started a small drive-through call center test with three locations near its Oak Brook, IL headquarters. However, McDonald’s is focusing its resources more on other customer service improvement areas such as installing wi-fi access in its restaurants and introducing credit card/debit card payment options.
Pleased with the results of his order-taking outsourcing system, Mr. Bigari now offers customers the option of ordering from their table using a phone and parents watching over their kids in the playground areas can phone-in orders and have their food delivered.
Hmm … whattaya think about this? How do you think this would impact your “experience” at McDonald’s? As long as you get your order faster and more accurate, do you care if a “call center” takes your order?
I know one thing, out-sourcing the drive-through order taking function will make the “drive-through incoherent garble” a thing of the past … which is a good thing.
Further learning:
New York Times article on Mr. Bigari's drive-through call center
Brand Autopsy post on McDonald’s testing self-service kiosks
Fast Company article on self-service kiosks
The idea of outsourcing a drive-through order is absolutly facinating. If it really increaces efficiency and accuracy, what difference does it make? Most people that order via drive through window are not exactly doing it so they can interact with employees and take in the enviorment. They're trying to get their food and hit the highway, so I see this new idea as a plus for the business and customer.
Posted by: Craig Chester | July 18, 2004 at 10:49 PM
This is fascinating innovation. Just great use of technology. Thanks for posting.
Posted by: Ankesh Kothari | July 19, 2004 at 05:37 PM
How bout just punching buttons on an order board? Get that shit down to 15 seconds.
Posted by: | July 20, 2004 at 09:57 PM
I would have never though to apply what seems like such a drastic solution to what seems like a simple and small problem.
Posted by: Chuck Conway | July 21, 2004 at 03:12 AM
"Robble robble." ~ The Hamburglar
Posted by: Brand Examiner Paul | July 22, 2004 at 03:59 PM
Thanx for that great post!
I'm writting a paper about the behaviour of McDonald's in Switzerland and your article was realy interesting.
Go on!
Posted by: Yanis Guesmia | October 11, 2004 at 07:52 PM
A rise in efficiency and productivity is never a bad thing (I can see the slogan now - Getting you Fatter, Faster!) but what happens to the people who worked the drive through window? Laid off or shipped to the fry basket? I wouldn't be super-stoked over something that took a job away from someone in my community and gave it to someone in another state, all in the name of 34 more cars an hour. Ultimately, it benefits the owner the most. Does the restaraunt and it's patrons see any benefit from the maximized earnings, like, say, a safer playground or healthier, more diverse menu options?
Posted by: Matt C | January 16, 2005 at 11:58 PM
Well seeing as NcDonalds is now a high tech manufacturing job in the US I'm glad to see threm gearing it up for outsourcing to an offshore call center as our local news reported would be the case today.
With WalMart and their RFID tags soon there won't be any cashiers there either.
http://www.nocards.org
America can send all their jobs away.We have too many of them as it is.
Posted by: Kim xo | February 02, 2005 at 05:20 AM
Well seeing as NcDonalds is now a high tech manufacturing job in the US I'm glad to see them gearing it up for outsourcing to an offshore call center as our local news reported would be the case today.
With WalMart and their RFID tags soon there won't be any cashiers there either.
http://www.nocards.org
America can send all their jobs away.We have too many of them as it is.
Posted by: Kim xo | February 02, 2005 at 05:21 AM
I think taking customers orders in another state is a good idea, but might be very confusing to both mcdonalds crew workers and mcdonalds customers, our regular customers know that when i'm there i know exactly what they want right when they walk through the door, they don't need to order, now if they have to order by calling it in then that might upset our regulars.... Why call in their order when we know what they already want....
You stated parents can call in their order with their cell phones while their children play in the playground, good idea, BUT, what if some people don't have a phone?
anyways good luck!
Posted by: annominous | March 24, 2005 at 02:06 AM
Beware of hackers. If some 40 year old guy in his parents basement can hack into Paris Hilton's Sidekick, what stops him from taking control of the order process and order nine Big Macs for the guy in the black Audi? It seems like everthing is being changed to 1's and 0's. This is not a bad thing, but always expect other people to be able to control it. I guess Mc Donalds can always blame it on the Hamburglar.
Posted by: Jason | March 24, 2005 at 08:44 AM
Are you brain dead or just didn't read the post correctly?
"I think taking customers orders in another state is a good idea, but might be very confusing to both mcdonalds crew workers and mcdonalds customers, our regular customers know that when i'm there i know exactly what they want right when they walk through the door, they don't need to order, now if they have to order by calling it in then that might upset our regulars.... Why call in their order when we know what they already want....
You stated parents can call in their order with their cell phones while their children play in the playground, good idea, BUT, what if some people don't have a phone?"
Posted by: Tokakeke | March 29, 2005 at 09:28 PM
I heard this in Tom friedman's book also.
It is not very clear to me why the order taking -which seems reasonable simple should take more time at the local window than through the call center?
Posted by: ravi | June 10, 2005 at 04:25 PM
HI I WAS JUST WANTING TO KNOW HOW MANY MC DONALDS IS IT, IN THE USA? THANK YOU
Posted by: annette vaughn | September 19, 2005 at 02:52 PM
where do you apply for jobs. not as restraunt crew. but for the call center jobs. PLEASE HELP ME!!
Posted by: not_sayin | August 23, 2008 at 05:30 PM