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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

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Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#431

Post by imwillofficial »

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…

When you’re poor, dining out is a luxury. Like GP, I grew up poor and still think of something like AppleBees as frivolous and expensive. I like to have an enjoyable experience as well. The hygiene theater has really reduced that experience. Menus being an unexpected casualty of the pandemic.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#432

Post by driverdan »

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.

Why not hand out regular menus instead of using unnecessary technology?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#433

Post by grumple »

dragonwriter wrote: post #388
grumple wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.)…

Sorry, you're right, a quick google search revealed my state's wage, not the fed (forgot to check the difference, which is so negligible that it's insulting).

This does not change my point in the slightest, which is that wait staff need tips to survive because the tipped minimum wage is unlivable basically everywhere.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#434

Post by imwillofficial »

jbluepolarbear wrote: post #356
Broken_Hippo wrote: post #305

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fast food has been a staple of life since antiquity: For centuries, folks went to the baker to get bread, since home kitchen facilities were very limited. Women have been stuck in home kitchens for eons, with male family members not learning even basic skills unless they were employed as cooks or bakers. I think we've been depending on others for food prep for a very, very long time.

That’s extremely sexist. I for one am an excellent cook, I’m not a women, and I haven’t been employed for my cooking abilities. I learned to cook because I wasn’t able to experience restaurants. I was tired of the bland boring food my parents made. I started cooking our meals and I would copy from tv shows, magazines. I wanted better food, but couldn’t afford to have it prepared for me so I learned a skill. Any resta…

“That’s extremely sexist.”

No it isn’t, GP was recounting historical norms. Get off your high horse.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#435

Post by jmkb »

jimbokun wrote: post #375
resonious wrote: post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the general topic of "technology in restaurants", I've noticed an increasing number of restaurants where the waitstaff uses phones/tablets with some kind of specialized app. This happens often: we start telling them our order, and they have to say "wait a sec.... (taps phone for several seconds) okay what was that?". The "UX" as a patron is pretty bad compared to the waitstaff just whipping out a notepad and scrib…

My favorite UX mental game is "Can you describe the paper interface as a new, innovative system relative to the technology solution?" So with the paper pad waitress experience: 1. Responsive, zero latency interactions. 2. Accepts free form text entry. 3. No multi step UI control lookups. 4. Allows entry of customer modifications and requests to items. 5. Allows custom abbreviations. Etc. etc.

Supports every written alphabet out of the box, including custom emoji. Compatible with any brand of stylus. Can run thousands of games. Can go years without a charge. Never needs OS updates. Sustainable, recyclable, compostable.

Flashlight mode doesn't last very long, though.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#436

Post by jasonlotito »

melomal wrote: post #425
infecto wrote: post #417

It's really interesting to see how a crowd of tech workers who generally are trying to pave the way are so quick to attack and be negative. Like all things in life, when its implemented well it works and when it does not it is terrible. I still think there is room for this to be the future though. I say this as a westerner but perhaps the west is not ready for it yet but I really enjoyed the experience of using QR co…

It's odd because it almost seems like a middle ground of having both options is unacceptable. It's chalk and cheese, black or white. You can literally have both physical and digital menu's and cater to everyone's needs. No harm done. People who loathe the idea can carry on, people that love the idea can carry on.

That's what I'm seeing at restaurants around here, both options. Default to digital, with the offer of a physical menu if you need. It's nice. Is that not common?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#437

Post by sofixa »

tarsinge wrote: post #378
sofixa wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you live? In the Paris area it's hard to find a restaurant without a QR code on their tables. Trips in the last year to various cities left me with the impression that QR codes are pretty ubiquitous in most restaurants fancier than your corner kebab shop but below La Tour d'Argent and co.

I live near Paris, but I admit did not go in many restaurants since they have reopened. I was under the impression that QR code only existed in restaurant chains, not in the regular restaurants. I have a hard time to see how the huge range of good restaurants where the menu is on a slate that change everyday and the waiter explain each item to you would use QR code, but I may be wrong.

Those that only do a daily menu on a slate still do so; some of those that used to do a ~daily menu with a printed sheet of paper either continue to do so or have a QR code to a regularly updated site. Those that did a mix ( fixed menu with daily options) often have the slate with daily options and a QR code for the basics.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#438

Post by Robotbeat »

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…

Having to have a phone signal to receive a wifi confirmation code is one of my least favorite things ever.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#439

Post by conductr »

jbluepolarbear wrote: post #173
topicseed wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.....

Restaurants open during the pandemic has been a joke. Outside in a tent/wood box never fixed any problem. I have not been to a restaurant since March 2020. Going to different restaurants was my favorite hobby, but the experience has become so hostile that I won’t go back until I can sit inside without a mask, have a menu, and not have to worry about a coughing idiot.

> and not have to worry about a coughing idiot

That's on you and your location. I've been eating back at restaurants just fine for about a year now without a mask (for while it was mask on unless at a table, which is a bit of a joke to act like that helps anything). It was nice being able to walk in anywhere without RSVP but that's going away too as more and more people are back to work and social activities.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#440

Post by driverdan »

soylentgraham wrote: post #114
wruza wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s usually just a menu, not e-shoping at the table. Why would they even implement that, if a waiter has to greet you, bring orders and clean up anyway?

Its usually payment whilst ordering via the site/menu. (Uk) Server just brings food/drinks and doesnt deal with money. I wish they would just take orders from the site, but pay with a card machine which 107% of people are used to.

I would leave if they won't take payment in person. No way am I signing up for some shitty online service to pay for an in-person meal.
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