Always be nice to the people that are preparing your food.

That was brilliant. I feel guilty when I say I miss my rotary phone (without a voice mail) and my typewriter. At least the typewriter never asked: "Are you sure you want to delete that letter?"

The rant is due!🤣

The worst for me was watching a female employee showing customers how to work these screens, effectively helping people use the actual computer designed to replace her.

There was a store I'd go to sometimes, and the process of ordering what I wanted took 5 seconds speaking to a person. Then they put in some big touch screens that couldn't easily accommodate a simple request (e.g. no lettuce), and I'd end up having a much longer interaction with the same person about how to enter it on the screen. Truly idiotic.

I completely refused to use those kiosks in McDonald’s or anywhere else. I went to a CVS pharmacy where the counter help was like 2 feet away from the self check out and I walk up to the counter. She says there’s there’s the self check out you can use that it’s like no I’m not using that And well it made her mad so she checked me out. I refuse to use self check out crap it doesn’t make your life easier. It’s a pain in the ass.

Terry, I feel your pain. Lest year I had to go in a McDonald's for whatever reason I don't remember, nonetheless I did. I was told be the 14 year old I had to used the order board to place my order for a cup of coffee. Being a senior I tried to order the senior coffee. Not because it was so much cheaper just because I only wanted a small coffee. I tried to place an order after navigating thur several screens just to find coffee. That was an issues all by itself. After not finding the senior coffee I ask the 14 year old how to order the senior coffee, he promptly tells me, oh we don't have senior coffee. OK, I said so I ordered a small coffee. Trying to add cream and 1 SweetNlow to no avail. I paid for it after more than 15 minutes and sat down to wait. I was reading the local news paper and realized I hadn't gotten my coffee. I went to the counter to discover my coffee was given to someone else. No big deal. I ask what to do now. The 14 year old told me to order it from the order screen, no thanks I said I will live without. It wasn't worth another the 15 minutes of my life for another cup of coffee that I wouldn't like and truly didn't need. Down the road I went...

I wouldn't mind if using the self checkout came with a discount. That's my rate for doing your job.

Self checkout is free labor! Just another way to squeeze the turnips

It's not even a self-checkout, it's a self-ordering screen. To receive your order you still have to go to the counter and have it handed to you by a human, so it's just another stage in the process that slows down "fast food".

Like the line,”another layer of shit”,these corporations think we’re so stupid we can’t figure out why they’re doing self-checkout,so they can cut employees,duh,their greed has no boundaries.

Ever one needs their first job. That kid behind the counter needs the money. Please keep the chance to grow .

I'm so happy that companies are starting to phase-out these self-checkout kiosks.

Right on!! Love u Lew

I just hate that all the coupons and deals used to make the cost somewhere reasonable are mobile order only.

Good Lord I miss the days of the gas station attendant! A cheery man would run up & wash your windshield, check the air in your tires & your oil levels and actually pump your gas, and return any change!!! Now I’m bombarded with commercials from the obnoxious screen playing while I go through a 5 step process to pump my own gas! 😢 Progress??? I don’t think so!

God bless Lewis Black! One of my all-time favorites

That about sums it up. Don't forget, that giant iPad is always out of receipt tape or the printer is broken, so if you don't quickly memorize your order number when it briefly flashes up, have fun collecting your food!

The worst is when at the end the screen prompts one for a tip. Fazoli’s, Steak and Shake here in Indiana both do this. Who the hell am I tipping and for what?????

I just saw you a few days ago in Anaheim. I kept thinking during your show that this is the last time I'll see you perform live 😢 I know why you stopped doing the 15-20min of rants, but I did miss them at the end of your show. Maybe you'll still do small comedy clubs and L.A. will be one of your pit stops. I'll miss you dearly.

Lewis, Year after year, you continue to speak the truth and entertain with a style thats unmistakeable. You are a wonderfull person.

Hi Lewis, you are so loved by everyone and dearly respected for all that you are.❤😅😅😅😅k

I have been developing software for years and the User Interface on these giant IPads looks like it was developed by a freshman majoring in IT. Coding the back end is one thing, but the front end needs to be user friendly and has nothing to do with it knowing code. User interface developers need to understand human interfaces and where the eyes look on a screen and motion. One screen the selection button is up I level, the next screen it's down to the lower right, the next screen is over to the left it, it's like searching for Dora trying to figure out what to do next on the software. When it prints out a receipt to take to the counter it doesn't even include the price! A huge corporation that has probably more money to develop software than anyone and this is the subpar interface they came up with? Now that small businesses are being run out, these mega corporations can pretty much start doing whatever they want without concern for the consumers. If you go to In-N-Out Burger not only are you getting actual beef but their menu board is so simple anyone can look at it and order. Anyone over 55 probably isn't going to be able to navigate the confusing screens.

I can't WAIT for the grid to go down! Epic rant and spot on!

I’m laughing about people sitting at their devices ranting about technology.

After I tell you this you will never use a touch screen to order food again. My brother was in a McDonald's washroom and noticed two young guys come in, use the bathroom, NOT WASH THEIR HANDS, and then immediately exit the bathroom and use the touch screen to order food. You're welcome.

I'm disappointed that he is retiring and I will never have gotten to see him in person

I just walk out if I can’t place order with a person.

The whole point is to have one less employee.

The touch screens eliminate two potential error points - the irder taker hearing you correctly and the order taker keying in the order correctly. This is particularly beneficial if you want anything customized. I have far fewer errors in my orders when I use the toich screens.

I've missed these rants. Happey see them coming back. Even if they've been sponsored by overpriced over rated water.

Robots don't cry.

He's right and that's precisely why many people in fact, do use the drive thru.

Went to a Wendy's recently where every parking spot near the building had a sign stating it was reserved for online orders. I won't be going back.

Some drive throughs use a remote system for ordering. The "person" taking your order could be hundreds of miles away, if they even exist at all.

Going to see you tomorrow night for the first time ever, can't wait.

I couldn't agree more!

luv this

Thank you Terry. That was just as good as one of Lewis’ own.

My favorite thing about my local McDonald's is that they'll put the staff with the absolute worst communication skills in that McDonald's on the drive thru taking orders

I went to IKEA and wanted to order a hotdog and drink. They had these idiotic screens as well. I decided to skip them and go straight to the register to place my order. As I did I noticed there was a woman who chose to use the screen at about the same time as I approached the register. I managed to place my order, get my food and leave while she was still at the screen placing her order.

I find dealing with self order / self checkout much easier to deal with than most humans today.

FUCK YEAH ! ! !

Love you, Lew!! You killed in Reno!! ❤

Lol, 😂 beautiful! Now do one about the Safeway app

👏👏👏👏👏👏Hi, I've been watching you for 30 years and you never disappoint. Thank you, Mr. Black🤗💙💯🤣😂☠👏👏👏👏👏

I swear those "touch menus" are designed to ignore ANYTHING that isn't standard, and some things that I want aren't even there. No salt on french fries? Nope, not an option (not because I "want freshly made", but because I hate overly salty food). No mayo or creamy sauce on a burger? You can select it on the screen, but it will be ignored and arrives with that grease filled crap on it. The ONLY way to ensure you get what you want is to get it at the counter. If they hand me a burger with greasy sauce on it, I wipe that crap on the surface of their cash register, and say, "What's that?" then point to the receipt saying "NO sauce". That rarely happens if it's a clerk at a counter, it ALWAYS happens when it's a useless "self ordering" computer.

self checkout is awesome. orders are never messed up. WAWA had them 20 years ago.

Try ordering an iced Decaf coffee. It's not on the menu and they couldn't figure out how to give it to me. I literally had to ask for a small decaf coffee and a cup of ice!

you see inconvenience, I see a way for people who are deaf/ mute/ mentally challenged to have a way to place an order without having that communication barrier.

i don't get it those machines are way easier and quicker, the only Problem is it doesnt list every deal available and mainly only the standard items are available on them. Now the employees getting orders correct has nothing to do with the machines and more with their incompetence . They relay the orders the exact same as the register to a screen in the back for the cooks to read..

I appreciate the vitriol and writing of the rant. But i don't think it conveys the message that it wants to. According to the rant, the employees at McDonald's are the weak link in the chain. I agree whole heartedly. That is why i use the giant iPad or self checkouts. Customer service has never been great but it has gotten astoundingly terrible over the years. If i can avoid contact with the denizens of these places i will. As the rant states, it is the bottom of the barrel of careers. As such, I am usually more qualified to help me than they are. For those who think self checkouts are bad, let's go back to "the good ole days". I've got news for you. They aren't going to hire more cashiers. You're just going to wait in line for 30 minutes instead of zero.

They have those at Sheetz too, but they're actually pretty quick and easy to use. I haven't tried the McDonald's version, but I can imagine.

Just another example of how PT BARNUM is alive and well

I was a burger cook for Jack in the box in 1985... hear me roar.

McDonald's has a promotion where if you order a Big Mac, you can get a Filet o Fish or 10-piece nuggets for a dollar. I ordered a Big Mac and a 10-piece nugget, and when it came up full price, I asked if that's where I can get the ten piece for a dollar. The cashier added another 10-piece. I'd rather use the kiosk.

This technology isn't meant to make OUR lives easier. It's meant to make the lives of billionaires, investors and CEO's easier.

Had me on the floor, I can totally relate to everything he said. Try going through the drive-thru late at night. Get back to me and let me know how it worked out for you.

Meanwhile, at Chick-Fil-A, you get to talk to a (usually) upbeat person, who spends a few moments chatting with you about which version of their cardboard-tasting chicken you'd prefer today. Food's not really much better, but the experience is less soul-crushing.

I love watching old people like I don't mess with that.

also fun- buying produce from a grocery self- checkout. I have ditched my produce several times when there is a huge line at the only manned register. Oh well, no veggies today I guess

I need to write Lewis a rant about Xfinity's new "smart" dvr "features."

In Las Vegas some of the hotels have done the same thing. Using a kiosk to check in so you never talk to a person or even get a key. What happens if your cell phone dies? How do you get into the room?

You have to go through the whole crappy process just to get a cup of coffee - it's utterly absurd and the sheer number of upsells are silly.

They are pretty darn handy when traveling in another country and you don’t want to embarrass yourself trying to order your Royal avec Fromage in broken French. Just tap the little British flag and suddenly everything makes sense!

Our Taco Bell added those damned ipad things to their counter a few months ago.. All three times I've tried to order the Party Pack to go (12 tacos), I couldn't find the right thing on the screen and someone working there had to look for it.. The last time, the guy gave up and just ordered it on the cash register there that had everything still there to order from.. Yeeaahhh, THAT saved SO much time.. 🙄😠

I love you your rants give me life! when I’m having a bad day I just go to your channel and everything is perfect. Thank you Lewis you are a blessing. I recommend the CVS one!

I kinda like the order kiosk , cause I know my order is input right.

While I understand the frustration from the consumer point of view, let us take a look at it from the Companies point of view. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in MOST places. If you have a part time employee at 25 hours, that equals $181.25 a week (before taxes) that the employer has to pay. In places like California, New York and Oregon, the minimum wage has jumped to $15 an hour or more. That same 25 hour employee is now making $375 a week (before taxes) that the employer has to pay. That increases his labor casts by more than double. So the solution to maintain profit and viability of the company is to cut the number of employees and replace them with technology. The same thing happened in every other industry that has used low/repetitive skills. And MOST McDonald's are franchises. They are owned by people who borrowed money to open their own stores.

I absolutely ****ing HATE fast food self-checkout kiosks and apps. I refuse to use them. And I work in IT.

Went to Wendy's yesterday for lunch, was really hungry so when 10 minutes at the counter went by without being waited on I walked out and so did half the line behind me. Went to McD's a few blocks away that recently reopened after a remodel and nobody at the counter. This time I only waited about three minutes and walked out, went to a grocery store and bought some frozen burritos and went home. Hey McD's, I am NOT using those robo ordering stations. People do not know how to use them and so it takes forever, but also because I only ever order a quarter pounder without CHEESE like substance that you call cheese. That is not on the menu boards. And there are two things McDs always defaults to, cheese on every sandwich so even when I order it without cheese half the time it has cheese on it and it has to be returned. The other is ordering black coffee, more than half the time it has that powdered non dairy creamer. You most certainly cannot have it your way at McD's and if you are going to leave customers standing and waiting to order then you are going to lose customers because I do not want my new pickup smelling like McDs grease.

It's not crappy pay any longer. They're getting upwards of $17 an hour now and prices are through the roof. Operating hours have been cut compared to what they used to be and the food quality is also worse. A Big Mac looks like someone threw it in a paint can shaker and then shot shredded lettuce in with an airgun. A local group recently sent me a picture of them going through a local McD's drive thru and the kid had his hand down the front of his pants. Some of them have so much metal in their faces it would set off alarms in an airport. It's unbelievable they're still in business---and actually expanding with whatever that new chain is they started, can't remember the name.

I can't imagine being too dumb to use a self checkout, holy cow.

I’ve recently noticed that McDonald’s has become actively hostile towards those who want to eat inside their fast food restaurants, and only those who order their food from their cars in the drive thru are the ones able to get what they want to eat.

I don't go to restaurants that have the large touch screens to order my food. Problem solved. When they discover many will not use touch screens, self checkout they will get rid of it. I'd like to see Digital coupons disappear. They are a pain in the ass for both cashier and customer.

Europe McDonalds ONLY had these ordering systems

Now this maybe because I'm younger and a bit more used to such technology but I've had a pretty easier time with these machines. However, one technological advancement in the restaurant industry I can't stand is electronic menus, I hate those things. Like, lets say you're new to a restaurant chain and want to figure out what item on the menu appeals to you the most but suddenly, a huge ad takes over all three screens!

Damn, Lewis. We're getting old!

They don't want you in the store at all. Notice the trend began by Chick-Fil-E of multiple drive through lanes? Notice Chick-Fil--E making it painful to go through the line and order. Please pull forward, what would you like to order? They want you moving and ordering. They don't want to hear you want to look at order screen. F's up the whole system. Order, and pay on the app. Then slow down slightly as you pass and they throw the order in your car. Then they can a) cut staff and b) sell your information the app collects from your phone

Miss the rants rant on sir rant on.

I see it at the same as a self-checkout and that is free labor. I don't work for free.

Way to punch down on service workers! Not everyone can be a millionaire!

I love the touch screen food ordering at Wawa. It works great. I think these systems can be designed well or poorly. The self checkout at WalMart is poorly designed and I use it only in dire need.

Between these screens, the French fries 🍟 (only thing on the menu I thought I could eat) turning out to have dairy in them (which is why I seemed to always get a puffy lip when I ordered fries there 2x a year) and their coffee being notoriously bad, oh and also those fries aren’t served during breakfast hours??? I don’t think they’re a business anymore, they’re just a front for real estate money laundering I guess, because they’re clearly trying to do everything in their power to eliminate sales, and yet there are McDonald’s everywhere!! A even if they had just one edible thing on their menu, that huge iPad that they force us to order on is the last straw.

I can't deal with the frustration. I walked into a McDonald's. I looked at the screen. I thought it's a sterile environment that serves sterile food. I'll just eat later somewhere else.

💜

I hate tech. I like your rants. Keep up the good work. Always a fan, Stay safe

Best is if you go to the counter to order instead they act like its a huge inconvenience

Ya know, of the few MickeyDs I frequent I've noticed these days they are slooooow...except the drive thru.

Stopped eating at McDonald's when they put these things in. If I can't talk to a person I'm not ordering anything there.

Walked out in port augusta after standing there with my number for twenty minutes apparently l hadnt paid. Last time maccy d's last time.

I wonder what Franz Kafka would think of the world today.

Likewise, Panera Bread!

Can't just call now, must use the app. I'm out

Haven't eaten at a McDogshite for over 2 decades, Fast Food is slow death !

I got baked and decided to act on my craving for fries. I paid five fucking dollars for a large fry and they charged me 30 cents for two sauces! Fuck fast food! Support local pizza shops!

my local McD's installed these things, while standing in line I was told I could use these to place my order, I asked Do they take cash? "No" then they are fucking worthless to me, I've never actually seen anyone use them.

I'll stick to the drive-through or just walk in there and talk to a person. There is such a thing as too much technology.

Paraphrasing, "I prefer going through the drive through where you have to repeat your order to an actual person." No, I went to McDonald's and the drive-through was AI. However, it was the best drive through experience I have had. Well, except when I get to the window and the woman doesn't know which order is mine. but that was due to McDonald's having two lanes, not the ordering system. No, I have only done the AI drive-through once and I suspect some day in the future, as more of these pop up, I will hit one that just doesn't have any idea what I am asking for. Also, I don't know f you can ask the AI questions, like "What is on that burger?"

I stopped eating ALL fast food in 2012. Ive been to the drive thru at Arbies maybe 3 times since then. I wouldnt recognize the inside of a fast food place. My wife likes to cook. I THANK "GOD" The SPIRIT answered my prayers for her to come into my life in 2010. 18 months before i gave fast food up for good. I ate it almost daily before that. I dont miss it thanks to her and my distaste for all things fake.