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McDonald's new ordering setup aims to 'de-clutter' dine-in lines

April 15, 2013

To help remedy possible in-store queue backup from an increasingly diversified menu, McDonald's is expanding its new "dual-point" ordering system. According to Daily Finance, the ordering system is an attempt to make the "dine-in experience less chaotic."

This new setup comes on the heels of a Wall Street Journal report last week outlining McDonald's "broken service." Specifically, complaints about service are on the rise, including lack of friendliness and speed of service. Executives outlined new initiatives to franchisees via a webcast last month, according to the WSJ, citing menu complexities as part of the problem.

The new system features numbers on receipts that will then be shown on an overhead screen when the orders are ready. This should eliminate crowds near the registers.

Additionally, there will be a "runner" bringing orders to the opposite end of the counter, also meant to eliminate crowds near the registers. That runner will also be expected to fulfill additional requests, such as sugar packets.

Executives get a boost in pay

Additionally, McDonald's CEO Don Thompson and former CEO Jim Skinner were given sizeable pay increases according to an SEC filing last week.

The Associated Press reported that Thompson's raise, a package worth $13.8 million, is about triple the amount he received in 2011, which was $4.1 million.

Skinner's package is now $27.7 million, compared to $8.8 million from the year before. This includes a $10.2 million payment as part of his retirement agreement.

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