McD: new registers boost accuracy, ease crews' jobs

Nation's Restaurant News,  August 13, 2007  

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OAK BROOK, ILL. -- McDonald's Corp.'s chief financial officer said a new cash register being used in some 10,000 of the chain's restaurants worldwide has improved order accuracy and "is making crews' jobs easier."

Chief financial officer Matthew Paull told analysts that the cash registers, which are being tested in at least 200 U.S. McDonald's outlets, use color pictures of each menu item instead of buttons labeled with product abbreviations. Mystery shopper scores regarding order accuracy have risen worldwide at outlets using the new registers, Paull indicated.

McDonald's would not reveal the costs of replacing older registers. However, the company said tests had shown that the devices enable drive-thrus, where McDonald's conducts 65 percent of its business, to process about 12 more cars each hour.

Foodservice technology experts say such graphical interfaces simplify order taking for cashiers whose native language is not that of the business locale, and offer other functional advantages as menus expand.

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