Outsourcing Drive Thru

[David]

AP


McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant chain, is testing the use of remote call centers to handle drive-thru orders in an effort to improve service.

Company officials said the idea, being tested at a small number of restaurants in the Pacific Northwest, is aimed at reducing the number of mistakes at the drive-thru window.

"If you're in L.A. and you hear a person ... with a North Dakota accent taking your order, you'll know what we're up to," McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner said during a presentation to analysts Thursday in New York.

CBS News Radio Correspondent Lou Miliano reports the strategy is based on the theory that mistakes come from the order-taker, not the cook line. Sending orders directly to a call center and back to the grill could also allow McDonald's employees to focus on delivering better customer service, the company said.

"You have a professional order taker with strong communications skills whose job is to do nothing but take down orders," said Matthew Paull, the chief financial officer.

Paull said a "heavy percentage" of complaints the company receives are from drive-thru customers who got the wrong order.

"Even if 95 percent of the time it is right, those 5 percent are very upset with us," he said.

McDonald's spokeswoman Anna Rozenich said Friday it was too early to say whether the outsourcing strategy would be implemented systemwide.

McDonald's shares closed down 16 cents to $32.59 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, near the high end of their 52-week trading range of $25.05 to $34.56.

[David]

Not that I like to eat there anyway (the food is a slow death at best) but I can just see, or hear it now:

Customer: Yea, I would like a Big Mac, and a Coke...

Habib from India: Bery goud sur, wood habing fie vid dat?

Customer: Huh?

Habib from India: Bery goud sur.

Customer: What?

Habib from India: *click* *dial-tone*

*cars in line begin to honk horns*

[Tina]

Hi I worked at Mcdonalds for 13 years :P David I hate to eat a mcdonalds
The mcdonalds i worked at here in Fl. has the hand held order taking thingies.. they are pretty cool..
tina

[David]

I worked at Burger King for a time. The only thing they had I liked to eat was the chicken sandwhich so I got myself appointed to the specialty boards so I could always make them. Of course I ate way too many and can't eat them anymore.

[QM3steve]

NYC Mcdonalds

Voice: Yo, welcome to da Big Mac place, you want sumtin?

Cust: What?! Are you talkin ta me?!

[melody1181]

Eck, McDonalds is nasty. Give me subway anyway, or for that mater home made food.

[Jerry D]

My biggest problem with McDonalds was when they started charging extra for Ketchup or a sauce for your mcNuggets, while BK and Wendy's still will give you all the sauce you need and KFC too

[MORTARDUDE]

the worst thing about drive thrus are the stupid speakers..

Larry