Whether or not McDonald’s is making pick-up faster and easier has become a hot topic in the fast-food industry. Recent research reveals that restaurants are getting worse at running drive-thrus, which have become slower and less accurate. The study analyzed more than 1,500 restaurants and surveyed mystery shoppers to determine how accurately the drive-thru processes order and pay for items. The results show that a fast-food chain’s drive-thru lanes have become more frustrating for customers, and people are spending fewer dollars at their locations. Many are using McDonald’s Drive thru near me to reach their nearest drive thru.
Dynamic Yield order-suggestion technology
McDonald’s has begun testing its Dynamic Yield order-suggestion technology in select U.S. restaurants. The technology will eventually be deployed to all digital customer touchpoints, including mobile ordering, self-order kiosks, and its Global Mobile App. The company says the technology will help make customer pick-up faster and easier. However, it is unclear when it will be fully implemented.
McDonald’s loyalty program
The latest addition to McDonald’s loyalty program is the ability to choose to have your food delivered or picked up at the store. Previously, the company only offered loyalty rewards for buying McCafe drinks. But with the new program, customers will also get personalized recommendations, targeted offers, and pick up options. With these new features, McDonald’s hopes to increase customer loyalty by offering new ways to order food and to reward their loyalty.
Pay-it-forward chains
“Pay-it-forward” is a concept that has started to become a common occurrence at fast food restaurants. Customers will pay for the food or drink of the car behind them. The process can become a chain if enough people follow suit. A pay-it-forward chain at a Dairy Queen started on December 24 and lasted two and a half days, generating almost $10,000 in sales. The chain continued the next day, with an estimated 400 cars joining the pay-it-forward chain in its entirety.
Employees’ wages
The minimum wage increased last year, but McDonald’s has yet to commit to the higher standard. In January 2019, the company announced that it would no longer fight minimum wage increases. The company’s executive team said the increase would make it easier to compete in states where the minimum wage is already higher. In 2024, it hopes to raise wages for all employees to $15 an hour. The company plans to implement these changes gradually, starting with lower-paid entry-level workers.
Technology used to predict orders
McDonald’s has deployed new technologies in its restaurants to modernize operations and attract customers. In order to achieve these goals, the company has deployed artificial intelligence devices in drive-through lanes and has enabled mobile ordering. In addition, the fast food giant has tapped into the technology of two AI startups it acquired in 2019: Apprente, which developed voice technology for fast-food ordering, and Dynamic Yield, which uses artificial intelligence to predict customer orders using digital menu boards.
