I have been lurking here for about a year now and have only responded to a couple of threads but, I figured ya'll might be interested in this. I am an assistant manager at a Pizza Hut delivery unit and our system for ordering pizzas is heavily computerised. When a person calls to order a pizza the order-taker inputs all the data into the computer and then it gets routed to the appropriate delivery unit and is sent via modem directly to the printer in that store. Last Saturday the system got so fouled up due to 'software upgrades' they had made to the system that we had to go to an 'undeliverable' status for almost 2 hours. They seem to have gotten that problem semi- under control but, now guess what. Our back office computer that keeps all our records insists that everyone has worked 0 hrs. for the week. Some of the data reflects the fact that the hours were inputed, such as daily labor percentages etc. but other areas are zeroed out. (such as payroll, how convenient) I just got back from visiting up there to see if the store manager had gotten it fixed yet. Nope. But he had been on the phone for hours with the main office in Pittsburg, and they seemed to have no clue how to fix it either. I don't know if this is Y2K problem or not but I do know that they are upgrading at least part of the systems and they sent out a pamphlet to all the stores about 4 months ago to let us know that due to y2k considerations we were now using different suppliers and different paperwork. Just food (pizza!) for thought. May God look after us all, pollies and doomers (and trolls and lurkers) alike.

-- claude (cjwarner@yahoo.com), September 29, 1999

Answers

Pizza Hut?? Oh NO! Pizza Hut means more to me than my bank does. Besides, I have my money out of the bank, but I still call Pizza Hut. Seriously, I do hope you all get paid soon.

By the way, Claude, have you seen Y2K Pro there? He used to work at Burger King, but he hasn't been around here lately...

-- RUOK (RUOK@yesiam.com), September 29, 1999.

Which is closer -- the Pizza Hut or the 7-11?

But seriously -- That phone ordertaking/modem bit sounds like another basically unnecessary computer application ripe for triage. I wonder how do the local (one-on) pizza shops ever manage to take an order?

-- A (A@AisA.com), September 29, 1999.

Mentioned this a while ago...I was upgrading a load center at a customers home and needed some equipment fast. Found a local supplier and at the supply shop I noticed there where no computers, just old fashioned paper work. I gave the list to the lady and within minutes had what I needed and was off.

Computers seem to be needed for Centralization and only cause frustration and needless waiting while the computers do the work in many businesses. IMO computers are fun but not needed except for Central Planning.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), September 29, 1999.

I'll add two little tid-bits to this story. My daughter works at a brand new International House of Pancakes (note: 'International'. just kidding...) which is sporting the biggest brightest and newest technologically advanced computer system. Anyway, each server places each order into the system and is identified by their SS#. The system began printing other people's server information by confusing the SS#'s and has been loosing orders completely. This has created a complete nightmare at the end of each shift as well as alot of angry customers who have announced they will never return. She suspects being payed will be a complete mess up as well. The system acts as a time clock, inventory, estimates tips recieved, employee productivity, keeps track of sales and promotion success, etc. It's a current wash-out.

Also, my husband has been attempting to pay his child support through the county court system in Wyoming for the past two months, unsuccessfully. They have issued HIM a check for the amount recieved and mailed it back. Then they deducted 25% of the amount recieved, mailed it to HIM and announced he had over-payed. When contacted, his attorney made the statement that the entire system is 'wacky' and they have completely 'lost' cases of hers, some of which are two years or older. Hmmmmmmmm

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), September 29, 1999.

Within a year, every major computer system we encounter will have a case of the y2k flu to a greater or lesser extent. It may not crash them completely, but enough foulups such as these will make life very obnoxious to deal with.

Paper management systems work just fine as long as the buisness is small. THe conventional "Big ones OK small ones NOT OK" may well get turned on its head.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 29, 1999.

Claude, I wrote a "One-number" pizza delivery system on the Macintosh many years ago. Guess what?

It's still running (in Canada) and is Y2K compatible!

Jolly

-- Jollyprez (jolly@prez.com), September 29, 1999.