Why are the people behind the counter at Dunkin Donuts wearing wireless headsets? I mean, just what pieces of information are they supposed to receive or disseminate that is worth the expense?
Clearly the Borg invasion has proceeded further than I had thought. Resistance is futile.
Posted by DeLong at August 13, 2002 08:38 PM | TrackbackThey're meant to disseminate the information that more doughnuts of a certain kind are needed, in contexts where the kitchen bit is either large and noisy enough or acoustically ill-situated enough to make the old-fashioned technique of "shouting" inefficient. They disseminate the information because the sets have a wireless connection to a loudspeaker. These systems are pretty cheap (I am aware of them in their guise as the "cox-box" which saves the voicebox of rowing coxes), so the gain in wasted doughnuts and better customer service probably justifies them.
"But why do they have earpieces, DD?"
"Well I'm glad you asked me that".
Basically for the same reason that drive-in ATMs have Braille on the buttons; they're mass produced, and the main market for the headsets is telephones, and the saving of a couple of cents in putting a blank plastic ear clip rather than one with a small transducer in it isn't worth anyone's while to produce a special "transmit-only" model.
Posted by: Daniel Davies on August 14, 2002 02:31 AMStrike a blow for freedom and enlightenment: eat Krispy Kremes. Captain Picard would!
- Superskepticalman
Posted by: Superskepticalman on August 14, 2002 03:56 AMPick Up Window? (It's been a loooong time since I at at one of those places...)
Posted by: Dave Romm on August 14, 2002 10:40 AM