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battleop
join:2005-09-28
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battleop

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Coke Freestyle...

I think that the Coke Freestyle machines that are showing up everywhere are a very neat concept but.... I

t's become the most frustrating thing ever. Before with the old style coke machines it was possible for people to fill more than one drink at a time. Now it's impossible because there is just a single fountain so everyone has to wait their turn.

What Coke didn't seem to realize is that at least 50% of the population is just plain stupid when it comes to new fancy technology. It's like standing behind a bunch of mesmerized zombies. They can't seem to grasp the concept of a touch screen so it holds the line up. I'm about to the point where I'm just going to avoid places with a single Freestyle machine.
PX Eliezer1
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join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

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said by battleop:

What Coke didn't seem to realize is that at least 50% of the population is just plain stupid when it comes to new fancy technology. It's like standing behind a bunch of mesmerized zombies.

True but hopefully they will catch on.

Also an issue is whether or not these machines are properly cleaned and maintained.

I have a couple of Burger Kings near me (same owner) where the soda/pop takes like horse piss, I no longer will buy it at those places.

nightdesigns
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I like the idea, but too many choices and screens to go through. You don't get to see what is available until it is your turn to fill. What used to take a few seconds can really back up the line. If the restaurant only has 1 machine available, be prepared to wait.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
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On the route I take to Florida for our summer vacations there is a stretch of road that's 40-50 miles with out any restaurants. At the end of the stretch there is a Zaxby's and Hardee's. On the weekends when people are coming and going to Florida for their vacations that place is packed. Last year there was a huge bottle neck at the Coke machine. The entire time we were there there was at least 15-20 people waiting in line.

The only place I've been so far that has more than one Freestyle machine is Fudruckers in Atlanta. The two or three I often top at have two machines and there is never much of a line.

Madness
Like a flea circus at a dog show
join:2000-01-05
Lynn, MA
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My local convenience store (Tedeschi) has one of those (& they used to give free drinks on Fridays w/ an X-amount purchase). Also, my local Wendy's was completely rebuilt, including having two of those machines. Although, they didn't greatly speed up the wait time, after ordering, to receive one's food. But that's a topic for another thread.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
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battleop

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I think Wendy's, Booger King, Firehouse and Zaxby's are the ones here so far that have them. I do think it's cool that the machines can do different types of ice. One thing I like about Zaxby's is the pellet ice.
dmagerl
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join:2007-08-06
Woodstock, IL

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said by nightdesigns:

but too many choices and screens to go through

They just recently "improved" the UI on the ones around here. It used to be that you could pour a drink with only 2 button presses. After the "improvement" it now takes 4 button presses before fluid starts coming from the nozzle. It's now twice as slow/confusing as before.

Combine that with the fact that there is often only 1 machine vs the 2 of the old kind, and that the old machine could serve multiple people at once, the line gets rather long.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
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battleop

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Even with one of the old kind you could still serve two people at one time. The often place Coke on one end and Diet Coke on the other end. If the person who is filling their drink does not think they are the center of the universe then one can fill a coke and the other a diet coke at the same time.
Secyurityet
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said by nightdesigns:

You don't get to see what is available until it is your turn to fill.

You COULD watch the screens as other people cycle thru the choices...

Santa Fe
BUT.....I Digress!

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Our local HuHot Mongolian Grill has a few of them, but only the servers get to use them. You get a menu at the table with all the possible choices and you tell the server. All the choices, none of the Long wait. Yes you still have to wait for it to be delivered.

Vchat20
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Since people like mobile apps so much these days, they do have a Freestyle app on all platforms that you can check out flavors on and (I have not tried this myself) on properly set up machines you can send your own mix to the machine to dispense.

I do agree on the complaints though. Only place locally that has got it right is the AMC that has 4 or 5 Freestyles lined up. Redesigned Wendy's seem to have 2.

cableties
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Are these the Pininfarina designed ones? I first saw them in a 5 Guys burger joint. So much to choose from and not working.
They are slick and yes, I was standing there, trying to decide... which Dr Pepper flavor and someone behind me cleared their throat. Ok Ok. (PUSH for ??? Ice?)

Now being "familiar", at a PeiWei (Asian Fusion Cuisine), they have one and I'm the one clearing my throat

carpetshark3
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Don't hide plain water on it. I don't drink coke, so have no trouble with that choice, but I will be damned if I can find the water selection. Highlight it, put it at the top or bottom where it can easily be found.

If it isn't maintained and I smell coke syrup, I will get sick. We had one of the old type dispensers that mixed soda water and coke syrup and if the snack company didn't clean the damn thing, the smell was enough to make anyone ralph.

cableties
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join:2005-01-27

cableties

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Should be able to get water, and carbonated water:
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co ··· reestyle

battleop
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One of the Zaxby's here has a pellet ice machine on the counter next to the freestyle machine. It's got a water fountain on it. It must also chill and filter the water coming out of that fountain because it sure seems much better than what you get out of a normal tap.
battleop

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I think it has a Disani water logo in the menu.
ak3883
join:2005-08-20
Marlton, NJ

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Couldn't agree more, the efficiency took a giant nosedive over the old machines.

In Rhode Island, Wendy's had then since I moved there in 2011. Recently moved away but that first few months, everyone stood there fascinated and didn't know how to operate it(you think waiting is annoying, try waiting when someone doesn't know what they are doing). One thing I would do to speed things up was once I dispensed my drink, I'd hit the "home" button as I walk away from the machine so the next user can start from the beginning, saves a few seconds.

I also notice if you just want plain coke or diet coke, it tastes a bit different as when you dispense I think you get a bit of what the last user used.

carpetshark3
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I want the water you don't have to pay for. You still have to read thru the whole damn menu to find it.

I told the cashier I only wanted ice water. I got a cup at no charge and I'm not going to sneak anything that has to be paid for in the cup.

battleop
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I've noticed that if the person before added Cherry, Lime, etc to their drink. I let it pour for a few seconds if the person before me choose something different.

One of the guys we eat lunch with seems to always have trouble with the freestyle machine. Usually when I'm done I tap the Handicap button instead of the home button for him.
applerule
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I don't drink soda but I HATE these machines. Why? Because I drink either water or tea. Half the time I get tea with no ice because I am not standing in line forever while someone tries to figure out how to work the machine.

I do have to say that there is usually a separate ICE/Water machine in some of the higher volume places which I do like.

Subaru
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I a lot of places might only have one because the cost of leasing them might be high. btw coke with lime tastes pretty good but I don't understand this mobile app thing?

carpetshark3
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I just watched a couple of people in a Noodles restaurant tangle with this machine.

You have to go thru 3 or 4 screens before you find one that just says WATER.

I had a bottle of Aquafina in the truck, so I just went out and got that and a cup of ice.

If I want pop with a meal in one of these places, I will buy preferably a can of King Soopers diet cola, or a diet Pepsi and bring it in. If the management doesn't like it - get coke to fix the machine so it is user friendly.

Time
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My Del Taco has two of them, I thought they were pretty cool until I ran into the same issue as you. Waiting 5 minutes for one person to fill their drink or kids playing with the machine, quite frustrating.

fuziwuzi
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1 recommendation

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ITT: old people longing for the days of the horse and buggy

carpetshark3
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No.

Label all the coke products on the first screen plus plain water.

Click on the product you want, then select your variation.

Choices came up as carbonated/non-carbonated and some others that should be added last.

For instance Coke>Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry coke, other flavors etc.

Non- carbonated>Dasani, flavored dasani, Tea, Sweet tea, hot tea if they sell it.

On the first screen with the cola choices - big blue circle with WATER inside.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
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That's how the last version of the software worked. The main page had everything on it. You picked Coke then you had the sub choices of coke like lime, cherry, etc.

Weirdal
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Grand Island, NE

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Coke Freestyle owns. Embrace our soda future.

lew_b
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Poughkeepsie, NY

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When eating at 5 Guys, I try to sit near the freestyle machines.
It's very entertaining
I guess they didn't want to mess up that fine Pininforina design with anything as silly as instructions on how to use the things !
ham3843
join:2015-01-15
USA

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The other problem with these things I have is that the residue of the various flavors can still flow into another drink service and there can be some odd tastes involved. They probably need to have the spigots mechanically and electronically pre-rinsed with regular water before it dispenses a drink.
hchen42
join:1999-12-23
New York, NY

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said by battleop:

What Coke didn't seem to realize is that at least 50% of the population is just plain stupid

50%? You are too generous. I pegged 70% of US population at stupidity level. Although I say the top 5% of the US population are geniuses that most other countries can't compete. This is topic for another day.

Back to main topic, if you are complaining about the slow line, everyone's going to hate me. I can select what I want quickly. The problem, I like to mix my drinks. I might fill 1/3 with Mellow Yellow, another 1/3 with Fanta lime and final 1/3 with Sprite. That will sure to hold the lines even longer. You probably need to add "sick tasting" jerk to the list of reasons why the line is long. My "record" is five different flavors (grape, orange mellow yellow, sprite, and couple of flavors from fanta). Wife complains about my sick taste. Then she often take a sip, next thing you know, she drinks half a cup.