Burger King, McDonald’s and other major fast-food companies are developing programs that give employees a larger role in customer service, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by The Independent. Burger King is also modifying some restaurant layouts to promote more direct contact between workers and customers.
Tom Curtis, Burger King’s president, told the Journal that customers prefer speaking with people and that the company should give that experience greater attention. The planned steps at McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Wendy’s include more energetic greetings, employees available to handle complaints and worker checks to verify orders.
Fortune reported in July that roughly 80% of diners would choose a human over an AI agent.
The changes follow years of automation. McDonald’s added ordering kiosks in 2016. Wendy’s started using its FreshAI drive-thru system in 2023, and McDonald’s later introduced ArchIQ, a drive-thru AI chatbot, through its McDonald’s > NEXT initiative, Fortune reported.
Portillo’s has sent employees outside to take drive-thru orders and used baristas to train workers to begin customer conversations, QSR Magazine said. The Prep wrote in an August commentary that human employees offer accountability, judgment and observation that automated systems lack.
