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There is a research and development center near a major city in America where McDonald's does research on new equipment and company policy changes.  There is a McDonald's restaurant nearby the R&D center where they tend to "try out" new ideas on the general public before "rolling out" the whole package worldwide.

The new item in the store is a payment kiosk, something like an ATM, that's the first thing you see when you walk in the door of the restaurant.

Instead of approaching the register and speaking to a live person, you would approach a robot and punch in your selections on a touch screen.  Then, having selected all your options, that is, just the way McDonald's cashiers have been doing now for about 5 or 10 years already, your next move is to pay for your order, just the way you would have done years ago, but this time, your money goes into the grip of a robot instead of the real hand of a human being in the person of the cashier.

I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time imagining this happening at McDonald's.

So I've been taking a little poll of my own, and it's most fascinating what I've heard.

Wherever I go, and bring up this topic, the immediate reaction that I get from everyone across the board is:

Now, it's reasonable that I might hear this reaction now and then, or even quite often, but EVERY TIME?   I think that's pretty amazing.  Everyone is instantly aware of the economic impact of technology changes as it affects their sons, daughters, friends, family and countrymen.  Losing jobs isn't a fun topic.  

I went to a CVS drug store nearby a newly remodeled McDonald's, in Northridge (on Reseda by Devonshire), and spoke to the manager there.  He was overlooking 3 self-checkout stations in his own store, so I thought he might have an opinion.  Boy, oh boy, did he!  This guy is not a native American.  But he is intelligent, perceptive, compassionate and aware.  I told him about the McDonald's plan and his immediate response was that they used to have 4 (four) cashiers at his drug store, and after these 3 self-checkout kiosks were installed 1 year ago, they now only have one cashier, who basically oversees the robots.  

I added, "And you have to have a live person to chase after the guy running out the door, no?"  He nodded yes.  Shoplifting enforcement is a non-robot function.  That is, so far.   Maybe they could employ a kind of drone next....  But I digress.

He told me with practically tears in his eyes that letting three good cashiers go is not a fun job to have.  They have families.  Sometimes it's a single mother with two children.  Where are they going to find work?  Target?

"Hi.  I'm here to apply for a job.  I was a cashier for CVS and got replaced by a robot.  Do you have any openings?"

"Oh, hello.  Well, if you were a robot, we might have an opening, but we're currently laying off cashiers right now."

I went to Brent's Deli nearby the same place.  Brent's is a world famous Jєωιѕн Deli with a most complete menu and excellent service which is second only to the quality of their food and the size of their portions.  I have heard travelers on jumbo jets thousands of miles away talking about Brent's Deli as if it were a piece of home.  I sat down for breakfast there on the Feast of the Assumption with my friend and we told our waitress about this McDonald's plan to get rid of cashiers.  

Our waitress was a middle aged lady with a no-nonsense manner, and a very cheerfully gruff and dry sense of humor.  She was a hoot!  I was thinking, "You'd never have this much fun with a robot."  When I told her about "the plan," she did not mince her words.  She said, "There's no way they'd ever be able to replace me with a robot.  What's a robot going to do when the order isn't right?"  

I told her, "You're able to not only understand the words we speak, but you can read our emotions and anticipate our needs."  She beamed in full agreement.

I counted 22 personnel on the floor that day in one little deli restaurant with 2,000 square feet.  There were 7 chefs, 9 waitresses, 3 buss boys and 3 cashiers.  Everyone was busy, nonstop, serving a constant flow of customers coming and going.  The ones waiting looked hungry and the ones leaving looked happy. 12 people were waiting for a table and about 100 customers were seated, ordering and/or eating.  The parking lot was full.  

And there are no robots on Brent's horizon.  I hope.  

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