We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines • Hacker News Board

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#231

Post by dan_linder » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:21 PM UTC

next_xibalba wrote: post #227

bombcar wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The machines go into maintenance if not cleaned in time. Smart franchises clean the machine in the morning or after closing each day so it “never runs out”. Just like smart airlines always reboot the plane regularly instead of learning the 787 has to be rebooted every 56 day.

Is this real or a joke that’s over my head? Why does a 787 need to be rebooted every 56 days?

This article from The Register in 2020 has some details, and not just Boeing:

https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/02/boeing_787_power_cycl...

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#232

Post by dan_linder » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:23 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #130

rjbwork wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought it was intentional because the people that control McDonalds corporate also have shares in the ice cream machine vendor and use it as an additional vector to squeeze franchisees for their own enrichment?

>because the people that control McDonalds corporate also have shares in the ice cream machine vendor and use it as an additional vector to squeeze franchisees for their own enrichment? Source?

This article from The Register in 2020 has some details, and not just Boeing:

https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/02/boeing_787_power_cycl...

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#233

Post by devilbunny » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:27 PM UTC

afavour wrote: post #159

devilbunny wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming you know more about what people need than they do is also unwise. For starters, “MyParty(TM) is better for you, you’re just too dumb to realize it” is not a particularly effective campaign strategy. Both major US parties have tried it.

I didn't see the OP campaigning, just stating fact. People vote against their personal interests when convinced to do so. I don't think that's a particularly controversial statement.

It is the height of arrogance to assume that someone is so dumb that they don't even know what their interests are.

I have my interests. Some are satisfied by the Democrats. Some are satisfied by the Republicans. Some are satisfied by both. Some are satisfied by neither. My vote goes to the person who best satisfies my most important interests at the time. Sometimes I have to eat shit in doing so, but that's politics for you.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#234

Post by joezydeco » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:45 PM UTC

MikeTheGreat wrote: post #168

SoftTalker wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, though it was not complicated. Just took a person about 45 minutes. That was to do the milkshake and the soft serve machine. Did it many, many times when I worked there.

Can I ask why it takes / took 45 minutes? That feels like a lot to clean one machine. Was that all 'active' time or was there a 'put things in the dishwasher / autoclave and let it sterilize for X minutes?' Were there a lot of separate parts to wash? Now I'm curious :)

I did this for a year and a half in high school.

The McD procedure involves draining the barrel, flushing it with water, then disassembling each barrel assembly and removing every o-ring and gasket.

https://youtu.be/SaYTx7qNJU4?si=Y2ZjWHQJHiKQfAFh

Each part is washed in detergent, rinsed, and sanitized. Rings and gaskets are relubricated with food safe petroleum jelly, then everything is reassembled.

Forget one ring or misalign one gasket and the machine will shoot dairy everywhere when repressurized. Cleanup and rework after that is messy, and probably wasted a lot of other nearby product and disposables. So don't do that.

After reassembly the machine is flushed with sanitizer then clear water then primed with the mix you saved from the beginning. Let's hope you stored it properly in the cooler before it started to spoil. It's expensive. If nothing has exploded it's ready for use after an hour of cooling down.

To do this in 45 minutes with no catastrophic errors is pro-level. And this is why McD went to a self-sanitizing machine.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#235

Post by lazide » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:47 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #170

xp84 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> decrease in revenue for McDonalds. It’s not a major problem for McDonald’s Inc. though! They don’t sell McFlurries! They lease buildings and land, and they do collect a 4% royalty on sales. But the franchisee loses the other 96% of the revenue and has to pay 100% of the “authorized Taylor repair” bill. So it’s a much bigger problem for them, and a moral hazard for McDonald’s to be able to force the store owners to…

If they want to squeeze more money from franchisees why not jack up the rent or royalties? The Taylor conspiracy is far less efficient at getting revenue (at the very least, you need to pay the technician), and doesn't even seem to be working very well, as evidenced by the number of stores not bothering to repair their machines.

The top of the line cut is probably hard to move without causing a big ruckus. Fluffing individual line items is probably a lot easier.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#236

Post by trollbridge » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:47 PM UTC

ThinkBeat wrote: post #226

The biggest reason I have read for why machines do not work, or are not being used is due to lack of maintenance, and employees who are trained to do so. (and people quit all the time). Having worked at a fast food join (not McDonalds) much earlier in my life, any lacking maintenance and proper cleaning, especially if there has been a power outage will turn the the machine into a rapid incubator for bacteria that wil…

Except Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s outside of the U.S. don’t have this problem.

Somehow I doubt DQ employees are paid better or are better trained or more diligent about regular maintenance. The difference is they don’t have a machine designed to require expensive maintenance visits with a DRM lockout to retard attempts to maintain it by normal restaurant/HVAC maintenance contractors.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#237

Post by trollbridge » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:57 PM UTC

tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #68

mcdow wrote: post #9

Here's a great YT video on why McDonald's ice cream machines are always broken: https://youtu.be/SrDEtSlqJC4 TL;DW: there are some perverse incentives to keep them broken. Basically the owner operators are forced to use a particular brand by corporate. Corporate McDonalds has a deal with a particular ice cream machine company. That particular company is the only company owner operators are allowed to buy from, and th…

Most importantly, McDonalds has a strong incentive to avoid headlines like "37 people hospitalized after shit-bacteria in improperly maintained ice cream machine", which is why the machines self-monitor and shut down at the slightest excursion from some specified norm. And McD wants the machines maintained by the official technician, because they'd rather screw their franchisees a bit than risk someone ripping out th…

Yet Wendy’s and Dairy Queen don’t have the exact same incentives?

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#238

Post by float4 » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 2:09 PM UTC

trollbridge wrote: post #236

ThinkBeat wrote: post #226

The biggest reason I have read for why machines do not work, or are not being used is due to lack of maintenance, and employees who are trained to do so. (and people quit all the time). Having worked at a fast food join (not McDonalds) much earlier in my life, any lacking maintenance and proper cleaning, especially if there has been a power outage will turn the the machine into a rapid incubator for bacteria that wil…

Except Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s outside of the U.S. don’t have this problem. Somehow I doubt DQ employees are paid better or are better trained or more diligent about regular maintenance. The difference is they don’t have a machine designed to require expensive maintenance visits with a DRM lockout to retard attempts to maintain it by normal restaurant/HVAC maintenance contractors.

> Except Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s outside of the U.S. don’t have this problem.

Heck, even Ikea has successfully been selling ice cream (from self serve machines!) here in the Netherlands for like 20 years now. €0.50 back in the day, €1 now. Can't remember the last time all machines (yes, they do have at least 2 usually) required maintenance.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#239

Post by h1fra » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 2:11 PM UTC

ThinkBeat wrote: post #226

The biggest reason I have read for why machines do not work, or are not being used is due to lack of maintenance, and employees who are trained to do so. (and people quit all the time). Having worked at a fast food join (not McDonalds) much earlier in my life, any lacking maintenance and proper cleaning, especially if there has been a power outage will turn the the machine into a rapid incubator for bacteria that wil…

Yeah no, McDonalds in Europe don't have this problem at all. Maybe we take better care of our machines, but I can assure you the turn over is huge too.

Re: We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines

#240

Post by wjnc » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 2:15 PM UTC

trollbridge wrote: post #236

ThinkBeat wrote: post #226

The biggest reason I have read for why machines do not work, or are not being used is due to lack of maintenance, and employees who are trained to do so. (and people quit all the time). Having worked at a fast food join (not McDonalds) much earlier in my life, any lacking maintenance and proper cleaning, especially if there has been a power outage will turn the the machine into a rapid incubator for bacteria that wil…

Except Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s outside of the U.S. don’t have this problem. Somehow I doubt DQ employees are paid better or are better trained or more diligent about regular maintenance. The difference is they don’t have a machine designed to require expensive maintenance visits with a DRM lockout to retard attempts to maintain it by normal restaurant/HVAC maintenance contractors.

My stint as a EU McD worker did give me a feel of how well scripted low skill labour can feel like pleasant work. I didn’t appreciate it at the time but it was six sigma checklist everything. There is a magic to smooth operation. In all my other jobs (dishwasher, mechanic, cleaner and now 20 yrs in insurance) nobody came close to the McD smoothness of operations. I hope I bring some of this smoothness to the people working in my lines of operation. I’m going to ask them!