Outsourcing fast food?

[Aliengod3]

I have started to notice that all of the fast food places around me have outsourced the employee that greets and takes order at the drive thru to people in the Philippine's, India, and who knows where else. Is it just me or does this seem really odd? I understand it from a business perspective but it is just strange.

 

[freakinacage]

it depends what they are like. in the uk, the foreigners are often nicer...maybe it's because i live in a rough area! depends on how good their english is as to whether it's a good idea or not. sends out a bad message if you can understand them

 

[Niall]

You can pay them less basically. If they are an illegal immigrant then the employer can get away with paying them less than minimum wage as long as the home office or US equivalent don't catch on! Plus that job might seem quite good to them but to people who were born in the country working as a greeter in a fast food place is possibly the worst job known to man!

 

[noneedforaname]

Its a growing trend whereby the employees are 'employed' in there native countries by a third party company and thus receive a salary based on that nations wage scales, then these 'employees' are leased to companies in the west to work under a group contract. Its essentially a new form of slave labour which drives down the average wage for nationals. It enables companies to lower there labour costs without 'technically' breaking the law. Massively Immoral. I would much rather see these people go through a proper immigration process and settle as residents to receive the same wage as every other resident in a similar role. Unfortunately this only benefits the employee and not the employer.

 

[Dwight Fry]

Tests and Studies are being/have been done. In many cases its faster, more efficient, and cost effective. Whether its 'right' is another question.

What happens is there is a person in a call center that will take the order and add it to the que making this that persons ONLY job. Ideally it is supposed to improve customer service and speed as a 'live' person is unneeded in that position and better suited to deal with the in house guests.

I believe Wendy's was one of first to pioneer this idea.

 

[Ickthorne]

Aliengod,

Name names man. Who is doing this dastardly deed and we'll not spend our money there. It's time to take back our countries from the evils of the global slave masters! I can cook I don't need to give them my hard earned money. That is until some political wack job decides that we need to bail out the fast food industry with our tax dollars. Besides it already costs an arm and a leg just to buy one mini these days. I wonder what I would have to do to get my nutrients from the air like a fern?

 

[supervike]

So the little voice at the drive through speaker is in Pakistan?

What a strange world we live in....

 

[uberdark]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/11/national/main679730.shtml

a bit old, but is in wide use across the u.s. now. in fact all the mcdonalds in my town only take the money, no ordering in the drive thru anymore.

 

[supervike]

We just got drive throughs in our area!!!

We're hoping for paved roads and that fancy gourmet coffee you big city folks enjoy!

 

[uberdark]

you dont have truckstops?

 

[3dken]

Yeah, here in California it's been that way for DECADES! Most of the time it's a Hispanic (mostly Mexican), and sometimes you just can't understand their English. I will say it has got a lot better over the years. I don't speak Spanish, but I can understand some of it, and can at least say a few words back (and naughty ones too! hehe!) I don't care what nationality one is, but if you have to communicate with the public at large one should be able to speak clearly without strong accents.

 

[devoncodain]

I know that it is done at the 2 local McDonald's here in my town. Instead the employees outsourced across the globe they people taking the order is in an office behind the main McDonald's. The ladies in the window still have to wear the headsets though which is kinda ridiculous IMHO.