© Peter Becker + © JUAN CARLO/THE STAR + © Kara VanDooijeweert / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – Checking out and paying for your food at a restaurant or takeout spot can be a hit or miss proposition. Is the staff friendly? Do they only accept cash? Can you count on getting napkins and utensils with your order? All of those are legitimate questions, but in New York City there’s an entirely new curiosity to consider: is the cashier physically located within the five boroughs?
At Sansan Ramen, Sansan Chicken, and Yaso Chicken, restaurant managers are increasingly turning to the digital space in an attempt to greet customers and help them with check-out. The chain of eateries have locations on Manhattan, Queens, and Jersey City. Restaurants have hired employees in the Philippines and — using Zoom — connect them to the locations here in the city. Screens placed at strategic locations let restaurant goers interact with the outsourced employees.
Labor cost figures to be the main driver behind the move. While New York City’s minimum wage checks in at $16 per hour, in the Southeast Asian nation of the Philippines, an average hourly wage is around $3.75.
Of course, despite the 8,490 mile difference — you will be prompted to pay the digitally-connected server an 18% tip, if you so wish.
