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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#91

Post by dheera »

dzhiurgis wrote: post #89
dheera wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hm, I have a Pixel 5 and it most certainly doesn't do that. Nothing happens. https://i.imgur.com/kjFEwiR.jpg Then again, starting about 5 weeks ago it also stopped responding to "OK Google" and 3 weeks ago it stopped announcing turn-by-turn directions during GPS navigation so I guess this is the state of tech in 2021 :-/ (Definitely don't want an Apple device though, massive privacy issue for me to use a closed sourc…

How do you do MITM SSL when pretty much every secure app use key pinning.

Exactly, on iOS it's not easy, on Android it's far easier because the OS listens to you, not Apple or Google, and it's far easier to root Android than it is to jailbreak iOS, or run an open source fork like LineageOS and run the same apps on that.

You can (a) decompile the app, mod it, recompile it, sign it, and then execute it (b) modify the OS to not care about app signatures (c) bypass it with Xposed hooks, ... lots of ways.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#92

Post by dzhiurgis »

Larrikin wrote: post #28

Digital menus can work when they are made for the digital format. Most Qr codes are just the menus that were made to look beautiful on paper and suck to look at on your phone, I don't want to have to open up my phone and jump between pages on two separate documents on my phone. It's also terrible that I have to waste my battery life to order food every time. The ideal situation is isn't the China situation people are…

Indeed, pair it with Apple Pay and it's like 5 tap deal.

QR code already knows which table it is and even payment can be optional after the meal (tho I got so used to paying before I might just leave without paying nowadays).

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#93

Post by wisty »

Karrot_Kream wrote: post #8

I gotta say, I disagree with this piece. I, for one, love QR code menus. I can pinch zoom rather than squint at a menu with small/unreadable fonts in dim lighting. I don't need to badger the already exhausted wait staff on a busy night when they forget to drop us a menu or two. When orders are taken online, rather than awkwardly force a friend to not go to the bathroom (or take their kid to the bathroom) until a serv…

I am sure there are plenty of web-based alternative UI disasters to replace menus with fonts that are too small to read properly.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#94

Post by murphyslab »

MikeUt wrote: post #75
murphyslab wrote: post #50

As mentioned in the article, having a digital menu allows for a restaurant to adjust its offering in subtle and responsive ways. If a place is out of one ingredient, those items for which it is necessary could be struck. Or one could have "surge pricing" — not desirable as a customer, but certainly for a dining establishment. And one could also collect more information on customers. I'm still inclined toward tangible…

They could even charge different customers different rates, partnering with advertising firms to provide customer identification and segmentation.

Or show a more affluent customer a different menu — one where everything is labelled deluxe, bespoke, or through terminology substitutions similar to "Patagonian toothfish" → "Chilean sea bass".

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#97

Post by whymauri »

cblconfederate wrote: post #84
whymauri wrote: post #51

Depends on the setting, honestly. In a cafe, it's nice to continue working while just ordering on the QR. In some sit down restaurants, it does feel like the service is strictly lower quality with the QR codes. It's hard to convey what exactly you want sometimes, especially since not all these QR apps have a notes section. Allergies? Substitutions? This stuff just gets slightly harder/annoying, albeit not horribly di…

> In a cafe, it's nice to continue working while just ordering on the QR That doesn't sound like a cafe (or a workplace)

Different strokes for different folks. Seen this at a few cafes on the East Coast, but it's not the norm as dine-in is barely returning.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#98

Post by nine_k »

handmodel wrote: post #25
nine_k wrote: post #10

QR codes are fine. What is varying quality is the menus served by the links in QR codes. Some can be great, some can be terrible, and everything in between. Same thing with paper menus, except they are also bulky.

A lot of menus on phones I find difficult as it is pretty unclear what the popular items are. Am I supposed to be looking at antipasta or "chicken" or "plates"? This isn't a given. Places could design better instead of designing for paper and then just putting that online. But I still strongly prefer not to have to take out phone when with people.

It looks like a perfect SaaS opportunity.

A good menu generator, with competent web layout, readable, zoomable, searchable. Results may be hosted or sent as a bunch of static files.

The menu SPA page collects patrons' choices and forms a nice order for the waiter, as a text and as a QR code.

Flat monthly rate for up to 200 menu updates a day, effectively unlimited but preventing abuse. A small flat fee for serving the menus online and generation of the QR code. One-time fee for each piece of personalization / branding work beyond the standard templates.

Looks like a perfect side project for a couple of weekends, and then incessant low-intensity marketing efforts.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#99

Post by ryandrake »

klhutchins wrote: post #35

QR codes are no good if cell service is spotty with certain carriers. Recently at a distant restaurant, I scanned the QR, waited for it to time out, discover there was no cell service, find the free wifi, enable my VPN, connect to the restaurants wifi, wait for authentication, then open camera app and scan QR again, wait for the kindle app to open the PDF, only to be handed a paper menu a few seconds later... I know…

They are also no good if you don't bring your phone with you. I generally leave my phone at home unless I expect to have to make a call or something. If the restaurant doesn't have a paper copy somewhere, I'll just leave and go find another restaurant. There are tons of restaurants, and I'm happy to vote with my wallet on this one.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#100

Post by zimpenfish »

RalfWausE wrote: post #87

First: I am from germany, so, my perspective may differ from other parts of the world... and due to the pandemic, my last meal eaten in an restaurant was in the early beginnig of 2020. But i really never, never encountered a menu via QR Code... why would anyone want this?! If you are going to eat out, then it is (at least with the people i know) considered ab-so-lu-tely rude to even get your phone out (unless you are…

> it is (at least with the people i know) considered ab-so-lu-tely rude to even get your phone out

Whereas with people I know, it's not because / people have kids|partners they check in with / people sometimes just don't have the energy for constant peopling and the phone is a brief respite / people are sysadmins|on-call and get occasional blip warnings / people are checking on something to answer a question / etc.

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