Analysis: Wendy's has a customer-service problem

While automated ordering and artificial intelligence-based customer service solves problems when it works, not having a human option can create a terrible experience.

"Consumers are growing more accepting of AI when interacting with businesses, but they overwhelmingly prefer human interactions," according to Metrigy's Customer Experience Optimization 2025-26.

The study showed that 84.9% of consumers prefer a human agent over an AI agent, and even if they were assured their issue would be resolved with either, 80.1% still say they prefer a human.

"The drivers for interacting with humans are: their ability to understand the issue, assurance their issue would be resolved properly, and empathy from the agents, among other reasons," Metrigy shared.

That's a lesson Wendy's should pay careful attention to because its efforts to improve profitability have put AI and automation over people in some cases, which has turned some business away.

AI and automation have their place

When it works well, app or kiosk-based ordering speeds up the process. Some consumers, however, aren't comfortable with using those methods and prefer ordering from a person.

In addition, while 96% of Americans have a debit card, according to the FDIC, only 76.4% have a credit card.

On a recent Wendy's visit, however, I walked up to the counter and found a kiosk as my only option. There was no front-facing worker or even a visible employee.

My small group ordered, and while struggled with picking a soda (since none were listed and they actually gave you a self-serve cup), we eventually placed our order.

As we were standing the multiple other customers walked up, saw the kiosks, and walked away. In one other case, a woman yelled into the back for help, said she only had cash, and they turned her order away.

While we waited for our food to be prepared, we saw multiple other people walk to where a person would be, look around, and leave. We tried to show them the kiosks, and were told "I want to pay cash."

It's not Wendy's using kiosks and automation as a first choice, that I take issue with. Instead, it's the lack of support being offered.

Wendy's is following McDonald's lead

McDonald's added kiosk-based ordering to its stores as part of its $2.4 billion Experience of the Future program. At first, the chain offered kiosks as an option, but at slower times, I've experienced the same uninviting experience of walking into a restaurant, not being greeted, and having to figure out a kiosk without the option of ordering at the counter, or even basic assistance.

Wendy's doesn't have an official policy on not using order takers or public facing employees, but one of the pillars of its Project Fresh program involves cutting labor. That's part of an effort to prioritize average unit value (AUV) growth in the U.S. with the goal of achieving industry-leading restaurant performance.

"This includes optimizing labor and operating hours across dayparts," the company shared in a press release.

Wendy's and other restaurant chains argue that kiosks can reduce labor costs, improve order accuracy, and free up employees to focus on preparing food and serving customers.

Pushing customers to pay with credit or debit cards while taking away the option of ordering from a human actually contradicts another one of the Project Fresh goals of delivering Operational Excellence.

"Increasing investments to enhance the customer experience in restaurants through hospitality, digital and equipment efficiency, simplified processes, labor and technology and enhanced training,"the company shared.

Wendy's sacrifices customer experience

Enhancing the customer experience means giving more customers what they want. Some people want to pay cash and order from an actual person.

Canopy, a provider of remote monitoring and management (RMM) software for connected products, recently released a report on what customers think about restaurant technology at quick-service restaurants. Fast-Food Friction: The 2025 Restaurant Tech Report is based on a national survey of Americans who eat at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and highlights how technology influences customers' experiences and brand loyalty.

Key findings include:

• Self-service kiosks often cause problems: 60% of customers reported using kiosks occasionally or often, and 80% say they've run into issues. The most aggravating problems include frozen screens, broken printers, and card readers that don't work.
• Payments rarely work as expected: More than 75% reported having trouble paying across tap-to-pay, chip readers, and mobile wallets. Unresponsive tap devices, chip readers that fail, and slow payment processing were all common grievances, which point to misbehaving point-of-sale (POS) systems.

Those are problems that require human interaction and Wendy's, at some of its stores, has sacrificed customer service for AI-based efficiency. That's a choice that literally has customers walking away because they won't use a kiosk and/or want to pay in cash.

Not every Wendy's operates this way, and kiosks can make ordering faster and more efficient. But when technology becomes the only option, chains risk alienating customers who simply want to pay cash or speak with another person.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 11:17 AM.