It’s not a good sign when you’re a fast-casual restaurant, and your company’s own chairman wonders whether he should just have just stayed home and had leftovers for lunch instead of driving there. Panera Bread Co.’s Ron Shaich realized that other people would ask themselves the same question, and made changes to the ordering process that are finally paying off. [More]
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Your McDonald’s Could Soon Offer Touch-Screen Ordering & Table Service
By 11.17.16
Last December, McDonald’s began showing a fancier side by testing table service at hundreds of locations in California. Now the company is rolling out its so-called “experience of the future” concept — which also includes touch-screen kiosk ordering but not all-you-can-eat fries — to all of its U.S. locations. [More]
Amazon Adds More Dash Buttons For Condoms, Chips, Energy Drinks
By 3.31.16
For almost exactly a year now, users of Amazon’s ordering gadget, the Dash button, have been able to quickly restock their supply of nearly 30 household products like Tide, Cottonelle, Bounty, and Ziplock. Today, the e-commerce giant announced it would add close to 100 additional products — many not of the household variety — to the line-up, including Energizer batteries, Stayfree feminine pads, Peet’s Coffee, Red Bull, Doritos, and Trojan condoms. As was previously the case, the gadget can be purchased for $4.99, but for a limited time Amazon will provide customers a $4.99 credit for each Dash button they buy. [Amazon] [More]
You Can Apparently Now Tell Your Amazon Echo To Order A Pizza
By 2.3.16
Not in the mood to call, go online, or send an emoji text or Tweet to order pizza? How about just yelling your order at the speaker in your living room? Now you can, at least if that speaker is the Amazon Echo, and you want Domino’s. [More]
Throwing Cold Chicken Nuggets At The Burger King Manager Won’t Get You New Ones
By 11.2.15
For the most part, when ordering a meal from a fast food joint one usually expects to receive a bag full of hot items. That apparently wasn’t the case for an Iowa woman who allegedly threw chicken nuggets and fries at the restaurant’s manager because they were cold. [More]
Amazon Adds 11 Brands To Dash Button Ordering
By 9.2.15
Users of Amazon’s ordering gadget, the Dash button, have been able to quickly restock their supply of Kraft Mac & Cheese, Tide, Cottonelle, Bounty and 14 other products for about five months (or one month if they didn’t receive an invitation early on). Now, they can buy even more, as the e-commerce company has expanded its quick-ordering platform by 11 additional brands, including Ice Breakers, Ziploc, Orbit gum and Greenies dog chews. As was previously the case, the gadget can be purchased for $4.99, but for a limited time Amazon will provide customers a $4.99 credit for each Dash button they buy. [The Washington Post] [More]
Taco Bell Officially Testing Delivery Service At 200 Restaurants
By 7.8.15
Back in May, Taco Bell confirmed it was starting small tests that delivered chalupas, Doritos Locos Tacos and other grub in areas full of hungry college students. Now, the fast food company is taking things a step farther, beginning a pilot delivery option in certain areas of the country. [More]
If You Actually Want What You Ordered, Maybe Best Buy Isn't For You
By 1.6.10
Reader Ryan and his wife tried to order several expensive things from Best Buy. They were not able to actually get any of them. [More]
New Jack In The Box Order Kiosk Removes Final Human Obstacle In Food Supply Chore
By 7.23.09
No matter how much you try to close yourself off from humanity—by not giving out your phone number, by staying in your home on weekends, or by getting a job as a blogger—you still have to speak to horrible, filthy humans when you order from fast food restaurants. A Jack in the Box in Bellevue, Washington has solved that problem.
Subway Launches Text Message Ordering In NYC
By 1.29.09
Subway has launched a pilot program called SubwayNow where New York City residents (Manhattan only at the moment, it looks like) can register to place pick-up orders via text message. According to IntoMobile, after registering with your address and providing payment info, which they keep on file, you set up a list of sandwich orders that are saved as a personal menu. When you’re ready to use the service, you text “menu” to the Subway shortcode, and Subway sends back your pre-set menu. Then you text back the menu item you want, and Subway responds with a pick-up time.
Man Tries To Buy From "The Camera Professionals," Fails
By 5.20.08
“The Camera Professionals” are not actually that professional, nor do they have cameras to sell you. That’s what ZDNet reporter Josh Taylor discovered when he decided to take their Google AdWord bait and buy a camcorder they were offering for nearly $300 less than other stores. He didn’t expect much success, and he was richly rewarded:
Sam's Club Charges More For Bulk Check Purchases
By 2.16.08
An alert reader noticed that something looked fishy on the Sam’s Club order screen when he was ordering new checks—if you decide to order double the number of checks, your price-per-box magically goes up the tiniest bit. We figure the amount is so small that most people don’t even notice it, or they notice it but figure they’ll still save time and shipping so it’s worth the 3-5 cents extra. Still, it’s a sneaky thing for a bulk discount store to do.
$100 iPhone Credit Mysteriously Evaporates
By 1.31.08
Dawn writes to tell us that she and her husband both received the $100 iPhone credits last fall, but when she tried to use them on December 4th she discovered one of the credits had a zero balance. An Apple CSR told her to go ahead and make her purchase without it, and the $100 would be credited immediately to her Visa. Unfortunately, she took his advice.
Pizza Hut Announces Nationwide Mobile Ordering
By 1.17.08
Pizza Hut may not be the world’s best pizza, but now that they’ve rolled out nationwide mobile ordering—via their website on any web-enabled phone, or text message on the rest—they’re certainly one of the easiest pizza joints to order from.
Apple Files Patent App To Allow Wireless Ordering At Stores
By 12.31.07
Apple has applied to patent a wireless ordering system that would allow shoppers to place orders from, for example, their iPhones as they approached, oh, let’s say a Starbucks, bypassing an ordering line altogether and going straight to the pick-up counter. The system would also allow stores to keep data on repeat customers to speed up future transactions.
