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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#131

Post by RalfWausE »

Thomaschaaf wrote: post #122
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.

Sigh and there my hopes are going out the window...

So... now i have to select even more where i go when i am (finally) vaccinated next month...

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#132

Post by vmception »

sksksk wrote: post #129

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 si…

I haven't seen anything that bad since last summer. Actually I've seen some QR code and online based checkout systems that were bad, but I just ignore those with a "I'm not signing up for that"

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#133

Post by vmception »

> Before the pandemic, I’d shudder at the sight of a restaurant table full of people all staring at their phones. I was always happy not to be them or be sitting with them. I always kept the lively conversation flowing at my table.

I always thought this perspective was funny because it always assumed what the people on their phones were doing. The assumption is that they are disengaged with each other when it's just as likely that they are talking with each other in a group chat alongside a few other non-present participants in the same group chat, and all trying to share photos with each other that they just took from the outting beforehand, or setting up a way to split costs in advance, or something else equally or more interactive than a conversation you can eavesdrop on.

Usually it's just shitty UX slowing them down.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#134

Post by RalfWausE »

vmception wrote: post #130
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 befor…

As i mentioned: No dining out after March 2020... but this will change next month (finally).

Your observation is correct: Many germans like to stay in an restaurant es an event, not just to eat something quick ... for this purpose there are tons of Pommesbuden, bakerys or Dönerläden.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#136

Post by fart32 »

_delirium wrote: post #41

My biggest surprise in these comments is that people seem to have actually successfully used a QR code! I always assumed they were an iPhone only feature, so I ignore them. I've read that the Android camera app is supposed to recognize QR codes, but it doesn't seem to on my phone.

The camera app I have (preinstalled from Moto) can read QR codes. Links are OK, but it can't handle QR payments. You'd expect the phone to forward it to the right app, but no - you need to open that one yourself and use the scanner in there. There's probably a reason for it, maybe all the banks I use do something wrong and Android is capable of this, but at the end of the day, this doesn't matter. QR codes are more often than not frustrating experience for end users, especially those not tech-savvy enough. It's ridiculous, we can do better than this.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#137

Post by HelloNurse »

sksksk wrote: post #129

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 si…

Assuming there was another restaurant nearby, I'd have simplified the process to "go outside". If a restaurant is too cheap to print a menu, why should I consider it good enough for me?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#138

Post by elric »

It's really simple: if I can't read your menu, I'm not eating. Goodbye. IIRC there's a law here that mandates a menu visible from outside the premises, it isn't always followed to the letter, but but most places comply, and it's a great way to avoid unpleasant pricing surprises.

Same with paying. You don't accept cash or credit cards? Goodbye. You only accept apple pay or some other nonsense payment system? Goodbye. And you'd better advertise your accepted payment methods outside if you want to avoid unpleasant surprises.

There are plenty of restaurants/bars out there. I'm not spending money in any place that clearly doesn't want me there.

And if you really insist on a silly QR menu, then at least include a human readable version of the URL. Seriously. It's not that hard.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#139

Post by saxelsen »

atoav wrote: post #86
dragonwriter wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> First of all it takes a shitton of steps to scan a QR code if you don't have WeChat Not really, on most real devices. > On a default Android device you have to click 7 or 8 times to get into the QR scanner thingy inside Google Lens. Perhaps, on stock Android with no manufacturer special apps. But the Samsung, Google, and LG Camera apps, at least, have “point at a QR code and the camera reads it”, so it takes as man…

Firefox Android can scan directly from the URL bar of a new tab.

You just blew my mind!

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#140

Post by vmception »

RalfWausE wrote: post #134
vmception wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 befor…

As i mentioned: No dining out after March 2020... but this will change next month (finally). Your observation is correct: Many germans like to stay in an restaurant es an event , not just to eat something quick ... for this purpose there are tons of Pommesbuden, bakerys or Dönerläden.

Although I do hate it when aspects of Germany become more like America, I do wish that sit down nice restaurants had wait staff that checked on us a little more frequently with the expectation that maybe we want to leave!
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