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The company compiled information from franchisees and guests on how to measure friendliness, resulting in the fast food chain training its AI system to recognize certain words and phrases, such as “welcome to Burger King,” “please,” and “thank you.” Managers can then ask the AI assistant how their location is performing on friendliness.

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[-] felsiq@piefed.zip 164 points 3 months ago

Not like I was going to burger king anyway but this is a solid reason not to

[-] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 78 points 3 months ago

I wish I could explain to companies how fucking awkward and horrible it feels to be on the receiving end of forced gratitude. Even if I liked the restaurant, I wouldn't be able to go if they did this.

I guess it's no surprise that rich people think the experience is still the same with or without the consent of the providing party.

[-] Wammityblam@lemmy.world 20 points 3 months ago

They don’t care. They only care about like go up.

They’re hoping to phase out human employees ASAP.

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[-] canadian_commie@lemmy.world 96 points 3 months ago

This is the worst timeline. 1984 was a warning not an instruction manual.

[-] Canconda@lemmy.ca 41 points 3 months ago

And Idiocracy was a comedy not a documentary

[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 31 points 3 months ago
[-] Archer@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

If only we lived in a world where the President of the United States went and recruited the smartest person in the world to solve the most difficult problems

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[-] Chulk@lemmy.ml 67 points 3 months ago

My SO works at a callcenter and they get dinged for the use of what they call "tragic phrases." These include, but aren't limited to:

  • "Unfortunately"
  • Words/phrases that imply uncertainty like "should"
  • Words/phrases that imply non-commitment like "I can't do that" or "that's against policy" or "that's not my dept"
  • So-called sloppy words/phrases like "No problem" or "hold on just a sec"

Its fucking ridiculous. They pay some outside vendor for training and guidelines.

[-] binarytobis@lemmy.world 65 points 3 months ago

As a customer, I would feel much more comfortable talking to someone who doesn’t sound like they have a gun to their head.

[-] PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world 12 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)
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[-] HertzDentalBar 10 points 3 months ago

God dam, that's horrible. Unfortunately it's not my department but I should let you know your not alone, now hold on a sec while I transfer you to purgatory

I'm so glad I can mouth off to customers in my line of work, not that I abuse the privilege but sometimes a customer needs to be told they are a fucking idiot and they could of flooded or burnt the place down.

[-] elvith@feddit.org 8 points 3 months ago

non-commitment like "I can't do that" or "that's against policy" or "that's not my dept"

Ok, I'm not a native English speaker but... I have the feeling that they don't know what non-commitment means. Unless it's commitment to fuck the customer, but then, why bother to offer a call center?

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[-] binarytobis@lemmy.world 34 points 3 months ago

I went to Wendy’s the other day, and they have this automatic pre-recorded English-fluent woman cheerfully ask for your order. While an actual person didn’t indicate that they were ready, I know they won’t do a second intro message either way, so I started to order. A heavy spanish accent comes over the speaker “Fucking wait, god.” My only thought was “Fair enough” and I waited.

Whoever implements these systems is crazy. We don’t pay people enough to be policed that heavily.

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[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 28 points 3 months ago

Jesus Christ. I don't trust any syrupy cheerful, fake happy, overly polite, "I'm sooo sooorry you had the slightest inconvenience" type customer service. No, I've done that job. You know you don't give a shit. I know you don't give a shit. You know I know you don't give a shit. We both know you can barely afford to live. The world is spiraling. Pretending otherwise is insufferable. Just be honest and give it to me jaded, bitter, and cynical like we both deserve.

[-] Eggyhead@lemmings.world 27 points 3 months ago

Is this why I can’t buy a steam machine?

[-] humanamerican@lemmy.zip 24 points 3 months ago

As if that were the reason people don't go to Burger King

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[-] Boozilla@sh.itjust.works 22 points 3 months ago

Does "thanks, mother fucker, have shit ass day, and please go fuck yourself" bring up my numbers?

[-] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

The AI says you have a 120% compliance rate.

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[-] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 20 points 3 months ago
[-] Gsus4@mander.xyz 19 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)
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[-] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 17 points 3 months ago

FORCING Minimum Wage workers to say Please and Thank You will ENSURE that their FOOD QUALITY will go UP while Prices go Affordable!

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[-] jj4211@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago

Pro tip to BK: I probably wouldn't even notice the lack of 'please' and 'thank you'. I would, however, be significantly happier if you stopped making them say "You Rule". Seems like they have to say it as both greeting and a "your order is finished". It's just unpleasantly cringey.

[-] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 months ago

If they want to lean more into the branding, they should do something like make the BK uniforms more regal. I'm thinking flowing robes, little plastic crowns, that sort of thing.

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[-] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 15 points 3 months ago
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[-] ch00f@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I used to work for a consultancy that tried to bill themselves as experts in VR/AR. This is back in 2017 or so. We helped a client make a 3D tracking system with VR/AR applications, and this client let us kind of run with it.

Anyway, I was sort of head of this AR/VR thing, and we were always desperate for free advertising, so I somehow got pulled to provide my thoughts on the impact of VR/AR on the grocery store industry for an article in "The Grocer" or some other industry mag.

Leading up to the call, I was trying to think of what I'd say. My thoughts were on building out virtual grocery stores to test customer reactions before building them for real. Bring in some test subjects, see how they plan their route, how they react to different placements of goods. Track their eye movements to see if the new end-cap design is working. Time how long they spend in the store, etc. Are the aisles too narrow and claustrophobic. I got the idea from another client who was using VR to test out new detergent bottle concepts (apparently a one-off of a blow-molded bleach bottle is crazy expensive).

Well my consultancy had been purchased by a multinational conglomerate a year or so prior, so I got a phone call from some C-suite ass who wanted to brief me on what they wanted me to say to the magazine.

His idea was a service where you could have a store employee wear some kind of camera rig so the customer could sit at home in VR and pilot the employee around the store. This would essentially replace curbside pickup, but with the added benefit of "allowing the customer to pick which apple they want out of the bunch."

I resolved to ignore that advice, but the whole magazine thing ended up falling through anyway. I quit within the year.

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[-] FreshLight@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 months ago

That sounds like a big steaming violation of workers rights.

Is surveiling workers fine where this is planned to be executed?

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[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 14 points 3 months ago

!aboringdystopia@lemmy.world

[-] tabular@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

Please do not, that's disgusting, thank you.

[-] MasterNerd@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 months ago

ignoring the distopian nightmare, this shit isn't free to run. Hiw the hell would they justify this expense?

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[-] dovahking@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago

"Please, go fuck yourself. Thank you."

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[-] mrmaplebar@fedia.io 12 points 3 months ago

Just like basically all of this AI shit... Who is this for?

They should be focused on making their food better and cheaper, not making their employees miserable.

I'll get my burger at whatever restaurant treats its workers and customers like human beings.

[-] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 months ago

Fuck I gotta stop doing to BK now too?

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[-] heiligerbimbam@lemmy.wtf 11 points 3 months ago

I regret choosing the red pill; this reality is getting worse and worse. Can I go back to the 90s Matrix?

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Can I go back to the 90s Matrix?

I've g̵o̴t̴ ̷ s̴̗̺͕͝o̴̜͐̊̇m̷̨͍͍͠e̴̹̕ ̵̡̿ ę̷͕̣͂̆̅r̵̡̪̈͂́̄̔͠r̶͍̲̤̀̏͋͑í̵̹̼̮̩͈̰̊͌͂b̴̯̎̎̅̕ļ̶̘͓̍ē̶̥̺̥̓̉̈͆͘̚n̸͚̳͉̫̪̣͔̬̈́̀̄̉̂̊͆̾̍̀͝ę̴͚͔̺̮̤̺̰͈̖̉̀̃̄̏̾͛ŵ̶̪͓͓͇̥̮̠̩̼̙̻̰͠s̸̼͖̬̦̟̝͊́̓́ ̷̡̨̢̫̖͔͚̻͙̩̈́̆͛̾̿̓̏͑̀̊̈ ̵̺̹͙̼̮̹͍̗̱͇̪͈͑͛̅͜͜f̶̣͊͂̾̾̈͝ǫ̶̛͇̥̖͓̦̳͇̩͙̩͑̇̾̇͊̋͌̇̍̃̏̈́͛̕ͅr̶͚͇̄ͅ ̴̌̋̓̄͊͂͋̈̀̇͐̀͘̕ ̷̡̨̖̺̫͈̪̫̲̩̘͉͚̗̳̖̜̗̣̭̩̩͕̙̯̦͔̟̠̝̣͎̝͍͇̝̅ͅỳ̷̨̛̛̤̹̖̞̙̺̮͇̳̙̤̟̘̦̙̃̄́̄̂̃̊̂̈́̿͛̇̍̀̌̍̎̊͑͗̆̔͘̚̕̕͝ͅơ̴̢̛͇͓̗͍͙̮̲̣̳͖͉͕̳̹̤̩̜̥͔̲̘̩̳̱̩͙̹̝̾͋͐̿͋̀͗̏̀͂͊͗̋̽͐̀̕͜͜͝ǔ̵̡͚͎̗͈̞̱͖̖͎̬̱̜̲͖͈̳̼̥͎́̊̊͐̀͑̈̀̍̂͋͐͆͒̚̕͘͘ͅ.̵̨̨̢̢̨͍̦̻̼̖̩̮̱̣̭̲̼͈̱̭̭͇̺͈̠̲̬̭͍͎̝̮͕̳͕͙̳̺͔̗̪̖̳̙̯͖̥̈́̿͌̌͊̽̈́̈́͛͋̏́̉̊͂̑̄͂̄̈̌͐͆̍̐͒̿̂͘͜͝͝ͅͅͅ

[-] Vieric@lemmy.world 11 points 3 months ago

Not at all dystopian. Orwell would approve!

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[-] doesit@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 months ago

So AI is your boss. And he's there solely to snitch on you.

[-] knightly@pawb.social 9 points 3 months ago

Oh hey, that's almost exactly the kind of cyberpunk dystopia that I grew up reading fiction about:

https://marshallbrain.com/manna1

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[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

Cool, so AI will be replacing the managers first.

[-] IWW4@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 months ago

They cant keep staff as it is, so this?

[-] Carmakazi@piefed.social 9 points 3 months ago

IIRC Burger King was one of, if not the first companies to use computerized inventory/bookkeeping. And they used it to try and crack down on employees giving away extra food. It was a giant waste of money.

[-] criss_cross@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

“Im sorry Sylvia we’re going to have to let you go. You didn’t say ‘thank you’ enough.

It says here you were obsessed with someone named ‘Hank Ewe’. Absolutely deplorable. “

[-] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Forcing them to say please and thank you will not fix the issues with Burger King lol.

That is the shittiest fast food place. I loved it as a kid but it's gone way down hill. The food is awful quality and the employees don't care about anything because they aren't paid a living wage. I stopped going a while ago when they gave me a drink full of moldy ice. I took my kid because he wanted to try the king of burgers. He was so disappointed lol

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[-] Nagrom@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 months ago

So no more Burger King then, great

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this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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