- The government is pushing for easier repair options for soft-serve ice cream machines in McDonald’s
- Federal agencies have requested exemptions to give franchise owners more freedom for repairs, as current restrictions limit repairs to licensed technicians
- The broken machines cost the franchise $650 a day in lost sales
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As warmer weather hits, the Biden administration is taking the issue of broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s seriously.
Regulars of the fast food chain may notice how frequently the soft-serve machines seem to malfunction, leaving customers screaming for ice cream but forced to go elsewhere.
The reason for such icy service is that only one company of technicians is authorized by the machine’s manufacturer to carry out repairs.
That means McDonald’s franchisees needing machine maintenance have to wait in line instead of just calling a local engineer to fix the problem.
The government is pushing for easier repair options for soft-serve ice cream machines in McDonald’s
Federal agencies have requested exemptions to give franchise owners more freedom for repairs, as current restrictions limit repairs to licensed technicians
The broken machines cost the franchise $650 a day in lost sales
But the US government is now being urged to make reforms that would make the soft-serve ice cream machine easier to repair.
In a letter to the US Copyright Office, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division argued for exemptions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
“In the agencies’ view, renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions will promote competition in the markets for parts, repair and maintenance services, as well as facilitate competition in the markets for repair products,” the agencies wrote.
“The failure of the softserv equipment can lead to a loss of sales of $625 per day … there are long wait times for repairs by authorized authorities and … an authorized repair technician charges over $300 per 15 minutes.”
Current restrictions prevent franchise owners from seeking the services of independent engineers, but the agencies say there is a need for increased competition in the parts and repair services markets.
The problem is that McDonald’s has become the butt of jokes and some funny memes
Only one company of technicians is authorized by the machine manufacturer to carry out repairs
The problem with the broken machines is so widespread that the FTC launched an investigation after complaints from consumers and McDonald’s franchisees about the frequent crashes
The problem with the broken machines is so widespread that the FTC launched an investigation after complaints from consumers and McDonald’s franchisees about the frequent crashes.
McDonald’s then faced a $900 million lawsuit from an ice cream repair company in 2022 after banning franchise owners from using a product that allowed for easy fixes to the machines.
The device, which used Wi-Fi, allowed for the troubleshooting of digital problems without having to rely on repairs by Taylor, the exclusive manufacturer of McDonald’s ice cream machines.
McDonald’s has defended its position, citing warranty violations and safety concerns.