May I Take Your Order ... From Across U.S.?

[OhioChick]

June 16, 2008

HONOLULU -- More than half of the McDonald's restaurants with drive-throughs in Hawaii are using remote order takers, people who take your order from a call center in El Paso, Texas.

The operation requires special training for the call-takers so they can understand Hawaii customers, KITV in Honolulu reported.

McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii started testing remote order takers in 2006. It then began expanding the program statewide in 2007.

"We want to make sure that our customers get their orders right and they get them in the most convenient way possible," said Melanie Okazaki of McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii.

http://www.newsnet5.com/money/16618333/detail.html

[rox63]

1. I'm sure this is because the pay scales are lower in TX than in HI

How long until we are ordering our Big Macs through a call center in India or China?

[Tesha]

3. I's already being done (although possibly not by McDonalds). (NT)

[OhioChick]

6. Is it? n/t

[Tesha]

8. I can't find you a good reference because the Googlespace is polluted by blog entries....

But a few years back, that definitely was a goal if not
an actuality. And I'm reasonably certain I'd read (in
the "legitimate" news sources) about it becoming an
actuality.

If I get a chance, I'll Google further...

Tesha

[OhioChick]

10. Wow......

I believe you. (No links necessary) Never thought they'd outsource our Mcjobs, too.

[tularetom]

2. "You want curry with that?"

Just a matter of time until the whole shitaroo is outsourced to India.

[Tesha]

4. Plumbing may be the last profession safe from out-sourcing. (NT)

[OhioChick]

7. Not due to outsourcing....

However, a family member is in the heating/cooling and plumbing business and said that most people can't afford a plumber anymore and fix things themselves. Also...The last I heard, Home Depot was offering "Do it Yourself" classes for free.

[Tesha]

9. Many do-it-yourselfers are just generating long-term work for real professionals.

Mr. Tesha and I are do-it-yourself plumbers and electricians,
but we take a lot of care to do things right and according
to the various codes. By comparison, the previous owners of
several houses we're now familiar with were, ahem, "creative"
and were just creating accidents waiting to happen.

While the plumbing (electrical contracting, etc.) business
has the same boom-and-bust cycles as the housing market
in general, there will *ALWAYS* be a call for professional
plumbers to do repair, rework, renovation, and the like.

Tesha

[OhioChick]

11. My Brother

Sees and is called in to repair the same "creative" work at times, but Cleveland is so poor....most can't afford/don't care to have the job done right.

[boomerbust]

5. How about

Soy sauce for your fries?