After failing to meet sales expectations for its recently introduced menu items, McDonald’s is making more drastic changes that will change the way fast food is served. This time, the fast-food franchise is rolling out a system that will enable a client to create their own burger or sundae and customize the way they want it.
The new digital kiosk uses a touchscreen interface that allows the customer to “build” their burger and preview the resulting culinary creation before sending it off for preparation. The touchscreens have already been placed in major outlets and so far have received positive reception in China and France.
Allowing customers to order by themselves would significantly cut the food chain’s labor costs, helping to bolster their bottom line. In addition, McDonald’s new do it yourself approach will position it as a market leader in allowing customers to have more say on how they want their food.

Kiosk Solves Customer Service Issues, Speeds up Order

Despite gaining popularity for fast food preparation handled by its staff, the present system has definite drawbacks, some of which the touchscreen-ordering system intends to address. The system has potential to cut costs as well as speeding up preparation time. These benefits will be fully realized once all the other dishes on McDonald’s menu will be incorporated into the touchscreen order placement platform.
It is not uncommon to have a customer complain that their food was not prepared the way they wanted it. This usually arises from misunderstandings between the customer and the staff member receiving the order, but it can also be a result of a customer failing to mention something when ordering, only to ask for it when the food has already been prepared. When a customer refuses to accept the food they ordered because it does not meet their specifications, the food goes to waste. The kiosk ordering system should cut down on the ordering mistakes because the customer puts everything together and then reviews it before finalizing the order.
Macdonald’s kitchen staff will also appreciate the new ordering system because each order is accompanied by unique identification codes for each dish needing to be prepared. This will simplify and streamline their work.

How to Make Your Own Burger at McDonald’s

While there is staff on standby to provide assistance, each customer orders their own burger on a touchscreen located near the sales window. There are a total of six steps, but there is also an option to skip all the steps and pick one of the readymade choices.
In each step, different burger “building blocks” are shown to the customer, starting from the kind of bun they want, then moving on to the beef, cheese, greens, sauces and toppings. The user can skip one or more steps if they do not want to customize those elements.
To make the procedure more interesting and intuitive, the components at each stage are accompanied by images and short descriptions so that the person gets a clear picture of what they are choosing. Once the client has built the entire burger, they are then shown how it will look. Only after they confirm the order does the staff go ahead and prepare the food.
For customers who do not wish to go through the burger building process, there is a separate menu on the screen with a list of readymade burgers that they can choose from. The system is made to suit perfectionists who want to decide on everything as well as those who don’t care much about the details.
Going by the positive reception it has received so far, the new digital ordering system is likely to bring a smile back on the face of Ronald McDonald and on the faces of McDonald’s shareholders who have not been doing very well in recent years because of the chain’s lackluster results.