Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible • Hacker News Board

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#691

Post by wlesieutre » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 3:49 AM UTC

Talanes wrote: post #690

wlesieutre wrote: post #553

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, and go back to having to reprint all the menus every time you want to change something or update prices, needing extras for when menus get destroyed, paying people to wipe menus down if you have them laminated, etc. As much as I prefer paper menus, I don't think the restaurants that have switched are going to go back to it. Would have better luck pressuring them to have less shit electronic menus.

Paper menus on request seems like the obvious middle ground. Not defaulting to putting menus out reduces the scale of all those problems, while also not alienating customers who for whatever reason don't want to or cannot use the digital menu.

Definitely agreed. I still know a couple of people who don't have smartphones, and even with smartphones you might have a dead battery, a low battery that they don't want to waste on a menu, a busted camera, or for whatever other reason be better off with a piece of paper. Keeping a few real menus handy would be the best way to handle it.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#692

Post by vmception » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 3:57 AM UTC

advanced-DnD wrote: post #313

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…

> 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. Cultural difference. If you don't want to spend time with your friends then don't accept invitations of going to a restaurant.

Nope, I’m going to enjoy the cuisine experience with friends or solo and still want to get out of there in a timely manner. It’s not the only thing I am going to do that morning, afternoon, or evening.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#693

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 4:18 AM UTC

FalconSensei wrote: post #621

conductr wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My biggest cheapskate-old-man gripe is how the UX as you said is systemically deteriorating in restaurants yet the tip expectations have creeped up from 15% standard to now 25% default. And, all apps that compute tip % or recommended tip amounts tip on top of tax, which really irks me as just a dark pattern to rip off patrons and inflate the tip amount. This is US tipping culture at absolute worse. I hold at 15% stan…

If I have to do math and input in dollar, I do 10%, which is easier to calculate

[deleted]

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#694

Post by snovv_crash » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 5:35 AM UTC

meheleventyone wrote: post #118

NamTaf wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the iPhone, you literally just open the camera app, point it at the QR code, and a drop-down notification will prompt opening it in the browser. Thus, it is absolutely looking for one always as you describe.

Same on my OG Pixel.

And same on my mid-range 2020 Samsung. I think GGP is chasing windmills here...

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#695

Post by tester34 » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 7:31 AM UTC

xxpor wrote: post #595

tester34 wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what if I dont have smartphone?

Then sucks for you. There's not enough people in the demographics the restaurant cares about to make an accommodation. It's like when people complain pages are broken when they turn off JavaScript.

I guess I must be happy that I can still pay with real money or perform contactless payment with cards

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#696

Post by thiht » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 10:16 AM UTC

thomascgalvin wrote: post #467

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…

My big issue, which should be easily correctable, is that every menu QR code I've scanned results in a PDF that I have to download. Nobody wants PDFs. On desktop sites, it's common to add a (PDF Warning) to links that lead to PDFs. And on a phone, PDFs are even worse. They're almost always sized for the desktop, which means you have to pinch and scroll to see anything, and I don't download stuff from Firefox often en…

> On desktop sites, it's common to add a (PDF Warning) to links that lead to PDFs.

In 2000 maybe?

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#697

Post by captainbland » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 10:48 AM UTC

The QR codes are generally an upgrade from queue-to-order type places and a downgrade from human table service. So far I've not seen anywhere that did human table service go to QR codes yet, but maybe I haven't been getting out that much.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#698

Post by nikau » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 10:51 AM UTC

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…

Pretty poor design not to disable auth for the ordering system domain.

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#699

Post by zfxfr » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 10:51 AM UTC

brewdad wrote: post #675

conductr wrote: post #501

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why not just bring cash to tip? Or call the restaurant and talk to the manager? We're talking patron UX here and point is I don't what to shoulder the burden. I didn't even want to calculate 15% tip in my head and you want me to start carrying cash everywhere, something I haven't done since Y2K was a concern. Spend 15 minutes waiting for the manager to come over? No thanks. > Not tipping doesn't accomplish anything…

Pre-pandemic, some restaurants in my area started adding separate tip lines for servers and kitchen staff. While nice in theory as a way to recognize the work they do it left me feeling confused more than anything. Am I still expected to tip 15-20% or more to the server AND an additional amount to the rest of the staff? Do I split my regular tip amongst both lines? If so, 50-50 or some other breakdown. In the end, I…

"just like in every other restaurant on the planet"

You mean just like every restaurant in USA. I rarely tip in France, only if I had a really special interaction with the waiter/waitress. Once it was because the waitress was a student we chit chat a bit and ended up talking programming (!). I never tipped once in China (nobody does it there)

Re: Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

#700

Post by elgaard » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 11:11 AM UTC

colinmhayes wrote: post #404

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.

Nah, they did it because it makes it super easy to change the menu. Physical menus rarely change, online menus can change instantly for free.

Then they should just have a big blackboard