``You have a professional order taker with strong communications skills whose job is to do nothing but take down orders,'' said Matthew Paull, the chief financial officer.

McDonald's spokeswoman Anna Rozenich said Friday it was too early to say whether the outsourcing strategy would be implemented systemwide.

Company officials said the idea, being tested at a small number of restaurants in the Pacific Northwest (US), is aimed at reducing the number of mistakes at the drive-thru window.