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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#381

Post by CWuestefeld »

e-clinton wrote: post #310
School-Cotton wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s indeed why they did it, which is silly because there’s zero evidence that paper restaurant menus are a significant risk of covid transmission. It’s pure hygiene theater.

Hygiene theater? That’s just hygiene. You don’t HAVE to bathe everyday, nothing will happen if you don’t. But doing so is just hygiene.

A year ago it was generally believed that fomites passed by contact was or could be a significant path for spread of the covid-19 virus. This turns out not to be the case - but that hasn't stopped a huge number of organizations from demanding high levels of surface cleansing.

If you're just unusually fastidious, I guess that's your right. But when you're claiming (or at least implying) that everyone must conform to those same levels to avoid covid-19 transmission - which is what we're still seeing quite a bit of - then that's hygiene theater.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#382

Post by basisword »

Really didn’t take us long to get back to our first world problems did it?

As with most tech things the QR menus work well when they’re implemented well and poorly when they’re implanted poorly. Multi-language support (without having to print menus in lots of languages that might not get used) is something I’ve seen in a few places. There is also the opportunity to make them a more accessible option if done right. It allows restaurants to make updates to menu items more frequently and more when something isn’t available.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#383

Post by shmel »

monkeynotes wrote: post #321
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…

Wait, restaurants are making you order from an app too?? So now you don't really need your 'exhausted wait staff' so much. Hire less wait staff as a portion are now are underutilized. Now some wait staff have no jobs, and the remainder work the same exhausting shifts. The reason these wait staff get tips is because they work so hard, with less service comes less tips. Now you have a whole industry of overworked AND u…

Yeah, I find it very very sad. I am so isolated after 15 months of lockdowns that I literally go to a restaurant for a tiny bit of social interaction, just smalltalk with a waiter. Just about 4 out of 5 times they insist on ordering online. It gets me quite angry, I can just as well stay home if I have to look at the screens even more after looking at the screen the whole day.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#384

Post by JoeAltmaier »

eCa wrote: post #168
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…

> 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. Somewhere around these steps is where I would leave. It’s the equivalent of sitting at a table for 15 minutes waiting for the waiter to give my group menus[1] - they don’t want me as their guest. [1] It happened, both the waiting and the l…

I do that the instant they don't have physical menus. Saves a lot of stress.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#385

Post by OJFord »

dagw wrote: post #240
jbluepolarbear wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is this entitlement? Dining at a restaurant is a luxury, if I’m going to spend my money on a luxury, I’m going to choose an experience that is safe, enjoyable, and to my interests. Why are you so upset? Why do you feel that the conditions in place are acceptable? Personally, I grew up quite poor and never got to go to restaurants. It wasn’t until I started making a little money in my late 20s that I could start t…

Dining at a restaurant is a luxury I think this is the crux of the difference of opinions. Dining at a restaurant is different things to different people at different times. I love the 'luxury' dining experience with all that it entails, will happily pay a lot of money to experience it, and I cannot wait to do that again. And in those cases, yes I expect that all aspects of the dining experience live up to that. But…

For all people in all situations in the UK, dining at a restaurant is subject to VAT; it is therefore considered a luxury (in the sense of being pleasant but not necessary [0]) as opposed to essential 'way to get food'.

It may seem a bit ridiculous to appeal to VAT - there are fairly 'ordinary' goods that are nevertheless deemed inessential and taxable after all - but I just wanted a way to say that I think GP's use of 'luxury' is being misinterpreted as a desire for fine dining; as I read it, I agree, it's discretional expenditure which has my discretion when I think I'll enjoy it. If I don't, why should I?

I don't think that's any more entitled than the converse view here that we have some sort of moral obligation to personally (and not through taxes) support restaurateurs through limited opening.

[0] - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/luxury

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#386

Post by jbluepolarbear »

syshum wrote: post #370
rdtwo wrote: post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tipping isn’t going away, an entire industry of wage suppression and exploitation is based on it

Except it is not, but ok. I bet you are one of those people that believe wait staff only make $2/hr right?

It’s closer to $3/hr before tips. If they don’t make minimum wage from tips and $3/hr the restaurant must supplement to at least minimum wage. That’s a lot to just make minimum wage.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#387

Post by jabroni_salad »

barbazoo wrote: post #101
samatman wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NFC on my watch is in fact more convenient than NFC on my phone. The difference is slight, but real.

Is there a good smart watch that's not an iWatch?

If NFC isn't common in your area and you really want to do watch payments, you can do Samsung Pay on any terminal with a magstrip reader, which is all of them.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#388

Post by dragonwriter »

grumple wrote: post #377
astura wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The reason these wait staff get tips is because they work so hard The reason they get tips is because they are waitstaff, it has zero to do with how hard they work, it's simply custom to tip waitstaff, even lazy waitstaff. Most employees work just as hard without getting tips (like the people who are actually cooking the food).

Perhaps you are unaware, but in the US, tipped waitstaff only make $2.83/hr in most places (tipped minimum wage). These people need tips in order to make any money. Nobody is working hard for 2.83/hr. This is changing since now people are refusing to work those jobs. And yes, the entire industry is dumb and corrupt for having this practice in the first place, but it is what it is.

> Perhaps you are unaware, but in the US, tipped waitstaff only make $2.83/hr in most places (tipped minimum wage).

Perhaps you are unaware, but:

(1) US federal tipped minimum cash wage is $2.13, not $2.83, but also

(2) Most US states and territories have a tipped minimum wage above the federal tipped minimum (and also, though by a smaller margin, most have a tipped minimum above $2.83, which is PA’s tipped minimum.)

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#389

Post by dantheman »

basisword wrote: post #382

Really didn’t take us long to get back to our first world problems did it? As with most tech things the QR menus work well when they’re implemented well and poorly when they’re implanted poorly. Multi-language support (without having to print menus in lots of languages that might not get used) is something I’ve seen in a few places. There is also the opportunity to make them a more accessible option if done right. It…

You have a small device, where you have to scroll. So much nicer when you can actually look at the menu.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#390

Post by rplnt »

hungryforcodes wrote: post #363
rplnt wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, most aren't.

I would dispute that -- except for iPhones -- almost all the smart phones I've seen sold in Asia are dual SIM.

That could have something to do with it. I've ordered from India before when I wanted a dual sim android. Local stock for that model was single sim only.

Looked at gsmarena now and indeed most models have dual-sim versions (as well as single sim). But when I look at a local store, it seems that roughly 1/2 has dual sims (that's including eSIM).

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