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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#141

Post by Cederfjard »

wokwokwok wrote: post #42
vxNsr wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 experience! Not sure why that’s something we want to encourage.

Talk about low value comments. Why not? Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not actually better for some people and some situations. This is obviously a decent use case for QR code’s; your comments seem just like you don’t like it, and you’re not interested in even considering any other option.

I’m assuming that the GP is an American used to American standards of being waited on (where the staff are incentivized by tips and thus have to impress their customers), and so does not want ”rushed and curt” service to be encouraged (which would diminish their experience), rather than them having an aversion to QR codes per se.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#142

Post by Zababa »

noduerme wrote: post #111
whymauri wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From my view... there are cafes for working and cafes for socializing, and to me they have different vibes and regulars. Or perhaps I'm fortunate enough to live in a city where there's such a distinction, I'm not really sure. For example, there used to be a cafe around here with a designated 'no laptops, no work' area and some board games (R.I.P. Longfellow's). There's a local chain that doesn't even provide WiFi. Co…

I'm old enough to remember when the 'no laptops' signs sprouted and then quickly were overwhelmed or went out of business. I didn't take it personally - by that point I understood that my gf and I making graphics and websites while talking to the regulars wasn't the problem. Most of what I'm referencing is in South America, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Czechia and Spain. Generally liquor licenses are permissive and the…

I live in France and I've never heard of something like that. There's usually a strict distinction between bars and cafés, with cafés being where people take a coffee or an orange juice during the day with friends, and bars where people drink beer during the night with friends, and sometimes meet other people.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#143

Post by ho_schi »

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…

Adding the next hurdle and man-in-the-middle with "Apple Pay"?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#144

Post by egman_ekki »

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 can already see myself, as a tourist who buys a US SIM card to get data on vacation, having to add a SIM card swap to this ordeal to confirm debit card transaction via my EU phone number. Why, oh why...

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#145

Post by HelloNurse »

NamTaf wrote: post #79

I understand the benefits of phyiscal menus, but I for one relied on QR codes when working in China. I could go into a restaurant alone and use screenshots + google translate to essentially feed myself. Without a QR code, it was a gamble as to whether there were photos for me to see to order. Moreover, I didn't have to assume the waiter knew English, they'd just ferry out my food to my table when it was ready. I reli…

Google Translate has been using OCR to replace foreign text in live camera input for several years. Didn't it work on Chinese printed menus?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#146

Post by peterwandering »

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 would have left after 1 minute. Enough restaurants that work without this bullshit. Plus I can't scan a QR code at all with my phone.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#147

Post by noduerme »

Zababa wrote: post #142
noduerme wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm old enough to remember when the 'no laptops' signs sprouted and then quickly were overwhelmed or went out of business. I didn't take it personally - by that point I understood that my gf and I making graphics and websites while talking to the regulars wasn't the problem. Most of what I'm referencing is in South America, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Czechia and Spain. Generally liquor licenses are permissive and the…

I live in France and I've never heard of something like that. There's usually a strict distinction between bars and cafés, with cafés being where people take a coffee or an orange juice during the day with friends, and bars where people drink beer during the night with friends, and sometimes meet other people.

The conversion from cafe in the day to bar/club at night is more common in Spain and Argentina, but there are places around in France. I lived in a couple villages in Auvergne near Clermont-Ferrand and also in Avignon. The places that are cafes in the day will convert at night in these smaller towns. The whole square in Avignon is cafes in day and bars at night. (In Paris or Marseille I didn't really see this - but it's prevalent in Madrid and Buenos Aires).

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#148

Post by foxpurple »

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’s either because of Covid to reduce handling of shared menus or it’s because the place has a full ordering system and is streamlined to be as efficient and with minimal staff interaction as possible.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#149

Post by peterwandering »

ryandrake wrote: post #99
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.

This exactly :)

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#150

Post by topicseed »

HelloNurse wrote: post #137
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?

With covid, many restaurants removed paper menus to avoid transmission. I hate QR codes so that was a move I was not in favour of.....
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