McDonald's to start mobile order and payment system
McDonald's to start mobile order and payment system

To avoid long lines and waiting by customers, McDonald’s Corp is all set to test its long-awaited U.S. app. But it also wants to avoid the kinds of service mistakes made by digital debuts by companies such as Starbucks Corp.

McDonald's sees mobile as a way to win back customers after four straight years of traffic declines, but the project is not without risks.

Jim Sappington, Executive vice President of operations, digital and technology, McDonald's, said, “We can't impact the speed or the quality of our food. If its famous french fries are served cold or if mobile customers have to wait for orders, you get a question of 'Why did I use the app?',” Sappington said. "Our focus is to make the overall experience clearly better."

McDonald's believes that automating more orders should cut transaction times, reduce errors and free up workers to do things like deliver food to tables or cars in spots designated for mobile orders.

The app will also track a customer's location to ensure that orders are sent to the right restaurant and timed. Along with this, McDonald's is making adjustments in its kitchens, dining rooms and parking lots.

When the customer arrives at the restaurant, the app will ask for confirmation and payment before sending orders to the kitchen.

"It's better to be right than to be first to market," McDonald's Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said recently.

 
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