4 ms·

I moved to singapore just as the covid measures were loosening last year. Most restaurants are still using QR code menus and web apps to make orders. Each time

I moved to singapore just as the covid measures were loosening last year. Most restaurants are still using QR code menus and web apps to make orders. Each time we get our food, the waiter has to guess which drink and meal belongs to who, or they just leave it on the table and expect you to take it. The apps also make it harder to ask for exceptions to the menu (no tomatoes, more hot sauce, etc). Of course, the restaurants also hire just one waiter, who now runs around like a headless chicken fulfilling orders, so it's not like automation is making the individual worker's life easier. But management gets to things to look nice on their spreadsheet with less labour costs so they keep the changes. I really don't think consumers like automation. There are some cases where's it's convenient (vending machine) and times where it isn't (dining in). But it's being forced en mass because vendors can get away with it, not because there's demand but because suppliers like it.

latchkey 4y ago
I went to a restaurant recently that did the QR menu thing. It was a long list of terrible UX on my phone. I'll never do that again. If a place can't give me a menu, I'm walking out and finding another place to eat.
- Idk__Throwaway 4y ago
  You must not have gone out to eat much recently then. I'm on the road a lot and I'd estimate that over 50% of all restaurants I visit have a QR code menu.
  - b112 4y ago
    In palo alto, I have not seen a QR only menu anywhere.
    - noobermin 4y ago
      It certainly hasn't hit the US as much as it has hit elsewhere.
      - ghaff 4y ago
        I saw it here and there during the pandemic in the US but not especially common.
        brianwawok 4y ago
        At least 50% if not higher here in the Midwest US.
  - latchkey 4y ago
    Correct, I rarely eat out now. I've seen the QR code menu's before, but the place still had regular menus as backup. This most recent place did not. This should be illegal as it really discriminates against elderly. My 75 year old dad has an old shitty phone that he can barely use... what is he supposed to do? I could barely read the menu on my iphone 13 pro max...
    - datavirtue 4y ago
      Same here. Ordering is a hack, usually with some silicon valley schmuck trying to insert themselves between me and the business, the prices are outlandish, and the service and quality is usually abysmal (the Mexican restaurants here in Ohio are great..probably due to the workers all being from the same culture). Every time I go out to eat now I have buyers remorse. Except the Mexican restaurants...they feel pre-pandemic still. I recently ate at a Brix. Before the pandemic it was solid, great quality and reasonable prices (wood fired everything, craft beers). If I didn't feel so bad for the old decrepit workers I would have cussed them all and ran out. Cost a fortune. Never going back.
      - latchkey 4y ago
        Funny enough, this was a Mexican restaurant that I used to go to as a kid that was amazing. I had such good memories of going there. It was eventually sold to another company that remodeled the whole place and changed the name. In addition to the dumb menu thing, the food was terrible... to the point that the rice tasted like plastic. The prices were off the charts, but I'm used to that at this point. To add insult to the whole experience, tips were auto calculated on top of tax on the receipt (which was even noted on the receipt), just to boost it up higher. So yea... lesson learned. I wonder if there are any statistics around post-covid return rates for restaurants. I bet it is terrible.
        ghaff 4y ago
        >I wonder if there are any statistics around post-covid return rates for restaurants. I bet it is terrible. There's probably more takeout and you have to take into account the effect of inflation on dining as well. But the number of people dining out in the US is broadly back to pre-pandemic levels although people are eating out somewhat less frequently.
iso1210 4y ago
Depends on the consumer, I'd far rather order in my own time on my phone. You want to pay more to employ someone to serve you then fine.
- noobermin 4y ago
  Have you ever considered that you pay the same amount and management keeps the change while not employing anyone else? I don't notice my bill being cheaper.
  - iso1210 4y ago
    And thus competition pushes those prices down. Either way I'd personally pay more to use an app, so win-win for me.
matkoniecz 4y ago
> or they just leave it on the table and expect you to take it what is wrong with that?
- noobermin 4y ago
  I was more of saying what happens than that I care.
ghaff 4y ago
>I really don't think consumers like automation. It depends. I like depositing checks by app rather than having to go to an ATM--much less a bank clerk. And I'm generally OK with self-service checkout if I just have a few items and everything is barcoded. But, yes, there are many cases where automation (e.g. chat bots) and self-service save the business money at the cost of making the consumer experience worse.

latchkey 4y ago

I went to a restaurant recently that did the QR menu thing. It was a long list of terrible UX on my phone. I'll never do that again. If a place can't give me a menu, I'm walking out and finding another place to eat.

Idk__Throwaway 4y ago
You must not have gone out to eat much recently then. I'm on the road a lot and I'd estimate that over 50% of all restaurants I visit have a QR code menu.
- b112 4y ago
  In palo alto, I have not seen a QR only menu anywhere.
  - noobermin 4y ago
    It certainly hasn't hit the US as much as it has hit elsewhere.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I saw it here and there during the pandemic in the US but not especially common.
      - brianwawok 4y ago
        At least 50% if not higher here in the Midwest US.
- latchkey 4y ago
  Correct, I rarely eat out now. I've seen the QR code menu's before, but the place still had regular menus as backup. This most recent place did not. This should be illegal as it really discriminates against elderly. My 75 year old dad has an old shitty phone that he can barely use... what is he supposed to do? I could barely read the menu on my iphone 13 pro max...
  - datavirtue 4y ago
    Same here. Ordering is a hack, usually with some silicon valley schmuck trying to insert themselves between me and the business, the prices are outlandish, and the service and quality is usually abysmal (the Mexican restaurants here in Ohio are great..probably due to the workers all being from the same culture). Every time I go out to eat now I have buyers remorse. Except the Mexican restaurants...they feel pre-pandemic still. I recently ate at a Brix. Before the pandemic it was solid, great quality and reasonable prices (wood fired everything, craft beers). If I didn't feel so bad for the old decrepit workers I would have cussed them all and ran out. Cost a fortune. Never going back.
    - latchkey 4y ago
      Funny enough, this was a Mexican restaurant that I used to go to as a kid that was amazing. I had such good memories of going there. It was eventually sold to another company that remodeled the whole place and changed the name. In addition to the dumb menu thing, the food was terrible... to the point that the rice tasted like plastic. The prices were off the charts, but I'm used to that at this point. To add insult to the whole experience, tips were auto calculated on top of tax on the receipt (which was even noted on the receipt), just to boost it up higher. So yea... lesson learned. I wonder if there are any statistics around post-covid return rates for restaurants. I bet it is terrible.
      - ghaff 4y ago
        >I wonder if there are any statistics around post-covid return rates for restaurants. I bet it is terrible. There's probably more takeout and you have to take into account the effect of inflation on dining as well. But the number of people dining out in the US is broadly back to pre-pandemic levels although people are eating out somewhat less frequently.

iso1210 4y ago

Depends on the consumer, I'd far rather order in my own time on my phone. You want to pay more to employ someone to serve you then fine.

noobermin 4y ago
Have you ever considered that you pay the same amount and management keeps the change while not employing anyone else? I don't notice my bill being cheaper.
- iso1210 4y ago
  And thus competition pushes those prices down. Either way I'd personally pay more to use an app, so win-win for me.

matkoniecz 4y ago

> or they just leave it on the table and expect you to take it what is wrong with that?

noobermin 4y ago
I was more of saying what happens than that I care.

ghaff 4y ago

>I really don't think consumers like automation. It depends. I like depositing checks by app rather than having to go to an ATM--much less a bank clerk. And I'm generally OK with self-service checkout if I just have a few items and everything is barcoded. But, yes, there are many cases where automation (e.g. chat bots) and self-service save the business money at the cost of making the consumer experience worse.