Walk into any FamilyMart in your area, and you might find one employee working alone and rushing to complete orders. Suppose there’s an easier way to quicken the ordering process and transactions between the employee and customer – will it actually be helpful?
This discourse started when a Twitter user shared an image of a new ordering system implemented by 7-Eleven, specifically for their 7Cafe outlets. The system utilises food cards with barcodes that supposedly ease the work of the store employee by allowing seamless transactions. The user also pointed out that other convenience stores, namely Family Mart, can adopt the same system, perhaps to reduce queue time in their stores.
The tweet garnered a lot of attention, with some praising the new ordering system, saying it would also benefit those with social anxiety or introverted personalities. However, many showed skepticism towards the food card system. Many said the system slows the transaction because customers are often belatedly told that the items they chose are out of stock.
Some netizens have also pointed out that the system won’t help other convenience stores with their queue because the problem isn’t the customers or the employees but the companies themselves. Many lamented that FamilyMart only hire one employee to cover the entire shift, which leads to long wait times as the employee is tasked with many things at once, like taking orders and preparing the food.
According to one tweet, the convenience store chain would purposely not hire more employees despite high interest, leading more to condemn the store. Some netizens even felt sorry for the overworked employees, saying they often feel tempted to help, especially during rush hours.
What do you think about this? Do you agree that FamilyMart management are to blame for wait times? Or do you think the food card system could help with the problem?
