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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#121

Post by vmception »

dheera wrote: post #67
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…

Ugh. Why can't we have both? First of all it takes a shitton of steps to scan a QR code if you don't have WeChat. On a default Android device you have to click 7 or 8 times to get into the QR scanner thingy inside Google Lens. I carry a 2nd phone with WeChat and I can scan things in 0 seconds flat, but most people don't have it around here in the US. And then many restaurants' QR menus just redirect you to their webs…

on iPhone it is a single gesture from a locked phone to scan the QR code

I also really love how many restuarants put a QR code on the receipt that opens Apple Pay

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#122

Post by Thomaschaaf »

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…

Here in Braunschweig (a smaller city) a lot of restaurants are using QR Code based menus. So I would assume you simply haven't been eating out.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#123

Post by bspammer »

Charon77 wrote: post #64
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…

Why not just setup wifi hotspot, make the captive page the menu.

Usually the restaurant hasn’t made their own site but is paying some menus-as-a-service company to handle it for them.

E.g. https://www.meandu.com.au/

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#124

Post by meheleventyone »

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…

Here in Iceland they've popped up primarily for outdoor seated areas. Presumably so the wait staff don't have to keep an eye outside and inside particularly as the outside seating tends to be more densely packed. There seems to be a pretty standardized web app as well which lets you order and pay in the app and then your food and drinks just magically appear.

That said the last time we used it was a bit of a fiasco as the web app was out of date with the actual menu. So we ordered and paid then the waiter had to come out and swap a bunch of stuff around. I have no idea why they didn't just take the QR codes down until they fixed things but there you go.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#125

Post by villgax »

qbasic_forever wrote: post #56
villgax wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, we should just add more avoidable surfaces of contact which do not get cleaned as often as utensils, thanks to your big brain right?

Wash your hands before the food is served, it's super common and recommended even in the pre-covid times. If you're touching your phone right before eating you DEFINITELY want to wash your hands. Think about where your phone usually sits, tightly pressed against your body absorbing all the sweat and detritus and bacteria on your person. Think of the last time you actually washed or sanitized your phone too...

Keys as well, makes me puke

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#126

Post by vmception »

er4hn wrote: post #6

As a counterpoint, QR code menus work very well in China. I've been to places where you scan the code to open a menu that lets you place all your orders. You can also pay for your table via per table QR codes. As a side note, you don't customarily tip in restaurants in China, so a non high-end place with good food will typically have rushed and curt wait staff. Ordering through the phone will give you a better experi…

Same experience scattered across US as well, aside from compulsory tipping and added sympathy for service industry working - different conversation

but I do love paying with Apple Pay, I always hated how wait staff doesn't carry around Point of Sale systems in the US and that it takes multiple steps to 1) wait to get their attention again to get the bill 2) wait to get their attention again to pay for the bill 3) wait for them to return with your payment method and hope they don't get sidetracked. Now its down to just 1) in places with QR codes on receipts.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#127

Post by meheleventyone »

_delirium wrote: post #58
qbasic_forever wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It varies on Android, some manufacturers ship custom camera apps that include automatic QR code detection and decoding. Many people don't even realize the Android they're using is really a highly-customized vendor skin and suite of apps. Samsung in particular does this, and its camera app auto recognizes QR codes.

I have a Pixel bought directly from the Google Store, so I assumed it'd have the most recent features, whatever they are! The Pixel 3a, though, doesn't seem to do anything special with QR codes, besides photographing them.

That's super weird because I have the original Pixel and it has no problem scanning QR codes from the camera app. That's a pretty big QoL downgrade two versions later.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#128

Post by vmception »

fomine3 wrote: post #82
cunthorpe wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unlocking your phone, opening an app, possibly unlocking that one, tapping to scan, and then accept is NOT more convenient than NFC in your card. Unless your talking about costs. For private free money transfer, the US and many other places have similar if not better methods.

It depends. For who smartphone addict and whom cards are in a wallet in a bag, launching barcode payment is faster than taking a card. Maybe NFC on smartphone is faster.

my wallet is physically adhered to my phone, so consider slimming down as well

I still like not having to wait for the wait staff and just paying with QR code

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#129

Post by sksksk »

When they work well, they're really good, but when they work badly, they're _really_ bad.

The other week, I went for dinner at a place that had a online ordering system. My experience was as follows...

Arrive at the table, scan the QR code

No phone signal in the restaurant, so I need to connect to the wifi.

Connect to the wifi, get a captive portal

Need to put my phone number in to connect to the wifi; there is no signal, so I need to go outside, to receieve the confirmation code.

Connected to the wifi, scan the code again, choose my food.

Go to pay, need to register an account

Put my email address in, I already have an account on this food ordering service!?

Do a password reset

Put in my credit card details (why not use apple pay?).

This whole time, we're sat at a table, in theory to meet friends, but we've spent the first 15 minutes all glued to our phones!

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#130

Post by vmception »

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…

As an American that visits Germany, I absolutely hate how eating at a restaurant is seen by many as an event where you hang out forever, as opposed to a routine service I expect as a fairly quick and formulaic pitstop between other obligations. There seems to be no difference between classes of dining out, in this regard.

I also suspect you are out of touch. QR code menus and payments were not a thing in the US before the beginning of 2020 either. It was a very quick adaptation because the infrastructure was already there.

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