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Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

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Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#101

Post by redwall_hp »

josephwegner wrote: post #5

I will say, there is a Wendy’s near me that is piloting an AI drive-thru experience, and I prefer it 10-to-1 to the human version. It had a clear voice, it didn’t disappear randomly, it understood what I meant the first time (even though I was speaking naturally - I didn’t know at first it was AI), and it asked me for feedback (“what sort of sauce?”) in a very understandable way. Drive-thrus are famously a bad experi…

I've had minimal contact with drive-thrus in the past decade, because ordering ahead online is superior in every way.

It's also parallelized instead of having a single queue.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#102

Post by redwall_hp »

jameslk wrote: post #68
lordnacho wrote: post #64

Why order when you arrive at the place? Just have people talk to their phones, and make sure the order has some sanity checks and orders something similar to what they can order online? There's less noise talking to your phone, and you can do it without being in line.

Some assumptions it seems you’re making: * The customer has a phone * The customer knows how to use the phone to do what you’re expecting * The customer has cell service in their location * The customer has the patience or ability to order before arriving at the restaurant

Yes, I would like to go to this restaurant that sets higher expectations of its customers.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#103

Post by SOLAR_FIELDS »

redwall_hp wrote: post #101
josephwegner wrote: post #5

I will say, there is a Wendy’s near me that is piloting an AI drive-thru experience, and I prefer it 10-to-1 to the human version. It had a clear voice, it didn’t disappear randomly, it understood what I meant the first time (even though I was speaking naturally - I didn’t know at first it was AI), and it asked me for feedback (“what sort of sauce?”) in a very understandable way. Drive-thrus are famously a bad experi…

I've had minimal contact with drive-thrus in the past decade, because ordering ahead online is superior in every way. It's also parallelized instead of having a single queue.

Works when you actually have that option. Usually the only time I ever go to fast food places are late at night when everything else is closed. Most open-late fast food joints in smaller cities and towns will only have the drive through open, not the restaurant area.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#104

Post by midnightclubbed »

bee_rider wrote: post #100
EZ-E wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always been puzzled that Starbucks drive through is a thing, and even has long queues. It's coffee, do people really drive there just to get a cup? I understand if it's along the highway but otherwise. You pay the premium of the brand without getting to see or enjoy the facilities. Just my feeling as european, maybe just a cultural thing.

They make the dessert-coffee drinks that some folks like. Those can be kind of a pain to clean up after, with all the frothed milk and sugar… Of course, probably shouldn’t have one every day anyway! Coffee-to-go can make sense if the place already has a pot going, I guess.

Yeah it’s this, Starbucks isn’t a coffee place; it’s a caffeinated drink place. Their brewed coffee (outside of their higher end tasting room stores) is deliberately undrinkable to push you to their espresso drinks or their sugary concoctions.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#105

Post by midnightclubbed »

EZ-E wrote: post #98
BobbyTables2 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a StarBucks near me that takes about 3-4 minutes per car at the drive thru. Frequently there would be 3-6 cars in line. Yes, people literally wait 15-20 minutes in line before they can even order, much less get their order. Sure, maybe they’re just inefficient and shouldn’t be rewarded. However the people there are indeed working feverishly (and paid poorly). Going inside and ordering isn’t any faster. I’d pu…

I've always been puzzled that Starbucks drive through is a thing, and even has long queues. It's coffee, do people really drive there just to get a cup? I understand if it's along the highway but otherwise. You pay the premium of the brand without getting to see or enjoy the facilities. Just my feeling as european, maybe just a cultural thing.

Some people stop every day on the way in to work rather than make coffee at home in the morning. They’re often ordering some caffeine concoction rather than drip coffee. I have known people with $100+ per month Starbucks habits.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#106

Post by seanmcdirmid »

reaperducer wrote: post #28
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has mobile ordering to the next level. Every McDonald’s has a set of two sided lockers, you just scan your order QR code and the locker your order is in opens…no human contact what so ever. In the USA, McDonald’s app is pretty bad compared to Starbucks at least. Nowhere near where it is in China (well, if you do the wechat plugin). I find it isn’t worth the trouble and will just use the kiosk for the rare times…

Every McDonald’s has a set of two sided lockers, you just scan your order QR code and the locker your order is in opens…no human contact what so ever. Little Caesar's had this in the States at least as far back as 2016, when I first ran across it. I wonder if you still order a pizza from the Hut by texting a pizza emoji?

I’ve never seen un in the USA and it is pretty ubiquitous in China. Anyways, it would be cool if American companies would adopt them but it is probably horribly expensive to source them here vs in China.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#107

Post by midnightclubbed »

micromacrofoot wrote: post #83
RogerL wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or because their kid or dog is in the car. Or because they have difficulty walking. Or because they just want to decompress and scroll their phone or listen to the news for 10 minutes. Or they hate crowds. Or they are immune compromised and don't want to be mingling with a bunch of people around a counter. Or they have social anxiety. Or they have a cold and just don't feel like getting out of their car. Or they are…

people are allowed to make broad generalizations without listing caveats for every exception, this kind of pedantry is exhausting people on the whole are lazy and bad at math, yes some people are not... that's not who we're talking about

I think your parent made a perfectly good point. Going into the store is a whole lot less pleasant than staying in my car and waiting a couple extra minutes in an environment I enjoy.

If I’m in a hurry then yes maybe I can shave a few minutes by going in, but if I’m getting fast food I probably don’t feel like interacting with people, and listening to crappy piped music while standing in an artificially lit corporate chain restaurant waiting for my order.

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#108

Post by Daz1 »

nickthegreek wrote: post #18
akerl_ wrote: post #16

I’m shocked that anybody with a smartphone is still ordering by talking into a voice box, regardless of whether it’s a human or an AI on the other end. There’s a Starbucks near me that is pickup-only. You mobile order, and inside there’s just a rack where the employees set out drinks as they’re made. Walking inside felt like I’d stepped into a glorious alternate reality.

I’m shocked that anybody with a smartphone is installing tracking fast food mobile apps, creating accounts, giving emails, and even enabling notifications. Another capitalistic hellscape flimsly masquerading as a great deal for you.

"capitalistic hellscape"

get a grip lmao

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#109

Post by pluto_modadic »

lordnacho wrote: post #64

Why order when you arrive at the place? Just have people talk to their phones, and make sure the order has some sanity checks and orders something similar to what they can order online? There's less noise talking to your phone, and you can do it without being in line.

a LARGE amount of /drive through specific/ food purchases are impulse purchases /as they're driving down the road/. You /don't/ want someone using an app to do that. It misses the mark of what actual customers are doing in favor of "let's do a cool thing because smartphones/AI exist".

Re: Taco Bell AI Drive-Thru

#110

Post by [deleted] »

toofy wrote: post #82
autoexec wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really like people or interacting with them, but I know that the wage slave taking my order doesn't give a shit about me and will forget about me the moment I leave. A company using AI will be far more likely to be collecting my voice print, analyzing my speech to build a psychological profile on me, A/B testing everything from their word choices, inflection, and sales pitches to get me to spend more, etc. Th…

yeah this should have been on my list as well. just let me buy an order of fries without the fries having some creepy behind the scenes motivations. just let me order an oreo shake and i’ll give you $4. the restaurant should focus on making their oreo shake better than the other restaurants, not the stack analyzing my order history.

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