False Advertising?

I came across an interesting web site the other day that made me wonder if someone shouldn't start a class action lawsuit against the fast food companies for false advertising.

How many times a day are people snookered into going into McDonalds or Taco Bell or Kentucky Fried Chicken by an enticing food picture, only to receive a microwaved, smashed indigestible piece of junk?

The site has wonderful side-by-side pictorial examples of the promise versus the reality.

What would you do if you bought a new car based on the model you saw in a brochure and the dealer drove a discolored, dented vehicle with cracked windows and half-flat tires around front for you to take home?

So why is it okay for fast food companies to treat their customers in the same manner?

People wouldn't take this kind of bait and switch from a sit-down restaurant. They would send the food back.

So why shouldn't we rise up and fight back against a "fast food" restaurant in the same way?

What do you think?

Following the Line to Innovation - Mobile Applications

I came across a queue reduction application for the iPhone and iPod Touch yesterday that was intriguing. The application isn't quite finished or certified for use yet by Apple and Starbucks, but from what I gather it works something like this:

1. User comes in range of a Starbucks WiFi Hotspot
2. Application recognizes the Starbucks WiFi Hotspot or user initiates application
3. Application engages the user interface portion of the application
4. Application makes a connection
5. Application prompts user to order a Starbucks beverage
6. Application user interface facilitates the selection and transmission of the drink order (including a list of saved favorites to speed the process)
7. Application connects to the user's iTunes account
8. Application deducts funds from the user's iTunes account
9. Application creates a visual barcode with the information necessary to register payment
10. User places iPhone or iPod Touch with visual barcode under a reader at the pickup counter
11. User collects their beverage
    

The visual barcode (semacode) and scanner portion of the system could be made unnecessary (or relegated to backup system status), by instead transmitting a payment confirmation to Starbuck's on-site systems directly via the WiFi connection. In the backup scenario, the visual barcode would serve as an electronic receipt to show proof of payment in case the systems in the store doesn't receive the systematic payment immediately.

Imagine the convenience of getting a block or two from your favorite Starbucks, connecting, clicking 'The Usual' and proceeding directly to the drink pickup counter instead of waiting in line to order and pay.

Of course there is no reason why companies like McDonald's or Cinemark couldn't create similar applications to eliminate some of the queueing from our lives. If people could order this easily with their phones then businesses could reduce staffing or reallocate resources from order taking and payment processing to more value-added activities like preparing food or beverage orders.

Apps like this could be extended to the Web through the introduction of a store number field or store locator mini-application or pulldown at the beginning of the application sequence. This would allow you to order out of range of the in-store WiFi over your cellular network or from your home or office internet connection.

Less time spent waiting in lines?

Oh what a beautiful world.