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SCMP Reporter

Giant hamburger chain McDonald's is attempting to speed up its brand of fast-food service in Hong Kong with a new system that allows patrons to pay for their meals using Octopus cards.

The company has begun trial on a new Octopus card-ready self-service system at its Telford Plaza branch in Kowloon Bay, where customers can swiftly order their meals via an ATM-like booth with a touch-screen that lists both Chinese and English menus.

Orders received by the system, which was designed and built by Hong Kong-based Infrasys, is directly connected to the shop's kitchen for processing. Ordered food is made available to their receipt-holders at a special counter.

Infrasys assistant marketing manager Agnes Ho said the set-up at McDonald's emulated the smart-card systems configuration that Infrasys had earlier developed and deployed for other retail operations in Hong Kong.

Ms Ho said: 'Many retail shops are already offering Octopus payment methods. It is gaining popularity and will be extended to other uses.'

At McDonald's, the whole do-it-yourself process takes less than a minute. Customers can even check the value of their Octopus cards on the Infrasys-designed system as they do at MTR stations.

Ms Ho said the McDonald's project took a year to develop, with just one Infrasys system deployed so far. McDonald's declined to comment.

'We hope there will be high degree of acceptance so that we can introduce it to other fast-food chains,' she said, adding that the company's smart-card system would allow these shops to save time and manpower costs.

Infrasys is strictly targeting the retail food chains because of the investment required. One smart card-enabled system, such as the one now used at McDonald's, costs between HK$40,000 and HK$50,000 - a price range that small restaurants can hardly afford.

Ms Ho said the Infrasys system could be used for customer-loyalty and other promotional programmes, in addition to taking orders and payments.

She said shops and restaurants using the Infrasys system could track their customers' transaction records and reward loyal patrons with coupons or discount offers.

'They can also put questionnaires on the machines or run advertisements,' she said.

In future, Infrasys plans to upgrade its self-service systems to enable orders and payments made via wireless communications devices.

'There are so many marketing opportunities,' Ms Ho said.

Since their launch in 1997 for the MTR, Octopus cards have become widely used throughout Hong Kong.

The stored-value cards are used on buses, other railway systems and ferries; in convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, fast-food shops such as Cafe de Coral, Maxim's and Starbucks; ParknShop stores; car parks; and ticketing for the Broadway cinema chain.

Recently, 10 private housing estates started using Octopus cards for access control. These include Tierra Verde, Tung Chung Crescent, Waterfront, Ocean Shores and Cayman Rise.

Heung To Middle School has also been using the Octopus card system for its teaching staff who need to access certain restricted areas such as laboratories.



Octopus helps make fast food faster