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In restaurants, We need a new way to signal that we're ready to pay
- mattvr 1y agoAt Case Bonita in Denver, you have a flag on your table you can raise to signal to the waiter to come over.
- pram 1y agoCame here to post this lol. I've seen "raise the little mexican flag on your table for service" at a lot of places and I think it's brilliant.
- damnitbuilds 1y ago"I've tried laying my phone over the receipt, but it just doesn't work." Nevertheless, this is the answer, and much better than the proposed colored card.
- whall6 1y agoSome large chains have a miniature payment kiosk at each table. You just pay when you’re done and leave. Very convenient.
- JohnFen 1y agoConvenient, yes, but I hate those things so much that I avoid eating at restaurants that use them.
- spencerflem 1y agoIdk what it is about them, but I'm with you
- JohnFen 1y agoFor me, it's having a screen at the table that I find objectionable.
- red-iron-pine 1y agohow often were you looking at your phone during that meal? cuz most people are terrible about it
- JohnFen 1y ago> how often were you looking at your phone during that meal? Never. I also consider it extremely rude when people I'm dining with do this. It's even more irritating than those horrible table kiosks. Fortunately, at least with my friends, that's not a thing that really happens much. Phones stay in pockets where they belong, generally speaking.
- anonzzzies 1y agoI seem to be alone but I like the places where I order and pay on my phone and then they deliver to the table. For me it is the best experience.
- NoboruWataya 1y agoI hate this to be honest, if only because it's never frictionless for me. At the very least I generally need to create an account and verify my phone number or email address, often they also want me to download some shitty app that doesn't work properly. I will actively prefer a place where I can just order and pay with a human like the old days.
- JohnFen 1y agoI strongly agree. This is perhaps the highest-friction way to order and pay.
- ryandrake 1y agoI would actively avoid any place that only allowed paying with a phone, app, or online account.
- anonzzzies 1y agomaybe it depends on where you are and it definitely depends on the implementation; i just pay like i would pay for any online payment which is frictionless.
- anonzzzies 1y agoI guess torching the concept because of the implementation is a thing but we now have quite a few places allowing this where I live (you can still pay cash and a human if you want at all of them), but none of them require an account or app; you just scan a qr on your table, order and pay like any online shop. There is no friction; at least if you have a smart phone and use it to order online. Maybe you only saw bad implementations. Why the hell would you need an account?
- tialaramex 1y ago
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- jksflkjl3jk3 1y agoIn many Asian restaurants, it's common to have a cashier near the entrance. Your just pay your bill as you leave.
- cut3 1y agoI do this in the US and wonder why others dont. I noticed years ago all restaurants had registers up front anyway so I tried and they took my payment and everywhere else since is pretty much the same story.
- spencerflem 1y agoMost of the Mexican restaurants I've been to, you order at the counter and then they bring it to you. Just as nice, imo.
- ty6853 1y agoThere's almost always a POS at the entrance of any restaurant, if nothing else for take out orders. If I have to wait more than a few minutes I just walk up and have someone ring me up. Maybe that messes up the order of things, I don't care.
- ipsento606 1y ago> Phones have displaced paper money and credit cards as the preferred way to pay for a bill at the end of a meal this is 100% unrelatable to me I have never once used my phone to pay in a sit-down restaurant. I have only seen someone else use their phone when forced to, such as due to a forgotten wallet, and with much fussing and apologizing
- maleldil 1y agoI just went to mainland Europe over Easter. The only payment method I ever used was my phone (Google Pay). Not just restaurants, but everything. This matched my observations of other people. I withdrew some Euros just in case, but did not use them.
- BartjeD 1y agoYou live in island Europe? I see people pay with cash in the Netherlands, but half the time it's with card or mobile.
- BugsJustFindMe 1y agoThere are some rather notable European islands, but I see no indication that they claimed to live there.
- BartjeD 1y ago(It's a joke)
- BugsJustFindMe 1y ago(Ok, but was it a good one?)
- mijoharas 1y agoIt's still a common thing to say in the UK since we used to be island Europe. Speech habits take a while to change.
- Skunkleton 1y agoI don’t get it. Either say “I’m ready to pay now” when the bill is dropped off, or just flag the server down later when you are ready. What problem are we solving here?
- VWWHFSfQ 1y ago> for now I will resort to rather limply trying to catch a passing waiter's eye. we are apparently solving the problem of anti-social and socially awkward people not wanting to talk to other people.
- inanutshellus 1y agos/solving/reinforcing/
- inanutshellus 1y agoA restaurant that's tech savvy enough to be able to pay-at-the-table-with-your-smartphone-via-applepay but somehow the bill they drop off at the table doesn't let you do so, requiring the server to scan your phone at the table. Seems like a lot of fuss to avoid initiating contact with a human. "Man up", Sebastian.
- randysalami 1y agoPoint at the waiter and wave them over. A very low-tech solution.
- wyclif 1y agoPointing at people is considered impolite in some cultures. I think it's better to raise your hand with an extended finger and then cross both your index fingers to signal "close out."
- JohnFen 1y agoI'm pretty sure that in my part of the US, anyway, this would confuse people.
- readthenotes1 1y agoA long time ago the signal used to be one hand it's scribbling in the air as if you were signing the bill
- wyclif 1y agoThe way my wife currently does it (she's Asian) is that she uses her index fingers and thumbs to "air draw" a rectangle which I guess is supposed to represent a cheque
- insane_dreamer 1y agoHave a little light on the table with a button you can push to summon the server. This is similar to how in Brazilian churrascarias you have a red/green coaster that you flip green if you want the server to come around with more meat, and red, when you're done.
- LinuxBender 1y agoPhones have displaced paper money and credit cards as the preferred way to pay for a bill at the end of a meal. In Europe maybe? I've never seen anyone pay with their phone. Not in big cities and not in rural areas in the US. I will never do financial transactions with my government spy device. To each their own obviously. As for when I am ready to pay, I go to the counter and give them cash or I might use a debit card if I am picking up everyone's tab. If they give me grief then I simply do not return to that establishment and they will get negative reviews.
- a3w 1y ago"Europe", well, I have news for you: Germany is stuck in early 90s of digitalization (where we print out mails since we always did it on paper), with some PoS infrastructure sprinkled on top.
- jncfhnb 1y agoA debit card is ripe for fraud risk
- LinuxBender 1y agoI've only had one incident of someone trying to defraud me using my card in the last few decades and the card vendor instantly blocked it and texted me. I am obviously only one person but I have been careful where I use that card. If I suspect anything I just report it stolen and get another one. That only takes a few minutes at the bank. With exception to Amazon I only use it in places that everyone knows me and I know everyone. Most of the time I use cash, especially if buying anything the government may wish to track. I will never tie my fondle-slab to a financial institution. To many entities have access to it.
- ty6853 1y agoThe counterpoint is this happened to me once. When I reported the fraud, the bank accused my wife of being unfaithful to me in another state and accused me of bank fraud for reporting the fraud, then they closed my checking account and denied the claim. I probably could have taken them to small claims court but I ended up paying the amount as I was moving cross country to a different court jurisdiction so I wouldn't have defaulted in a suite and I didn't want to be blacklisted from banking.
- boraalparat 1y agoin turkiye, most of the places bring the "black rectangular wallet" open; so you can fill it in with cash/credit card and then close it. when it is closed it queues that your payment is ready. so there is an already established non-verbal queue without color codes or so. it also follows the verbal usage of open check and closed check per se.
- eweise 1y agoBring a credit card.
- nlanier 1y agoI'm fond of New Zealand, where you either pay as you walk out or the waiter brings you a mobile POS. There's no awkward 'take my credit card, walk away with it, and bring it back' moment. It's a much better system, and I would love to see it more common in the US.
- rapnie 1y agoSame in the Netherlands. And also the ridiculous QR-code DIY waiter thing doesn't really take on, luckily.
- voidUpdate 1y agoDo waiters really walk off with your credit card in America? I'd never want to let my credit card out of my sight, let alone let some guy I don't know take it from me
- wyclif 1y agoI don't like it either, but yes they still do (although to be fair it is getting rarer by the day). One thing to keep in mind though, is that if it's a reputable place there isn't really any need to worry. It's shadier places you have to watch out for.
- JohnFen 1y ago> Do waiters really walk off with your credit card in America? Some places still do, but most places I've been to post-pandemic have the servers carrying handheld POS terminals and do it tableside.
- ryandrake 1y agoI’ve only ever seen this outside the US. Everywhere I eat, they do the traditional “disappear with the credit card” song and dance.
- sgerenser 1y agoSame here. The table side reader thing is something I only see at maybe 1 in 10 restaurants in my part of the U.S. During the pandemic there was a big uptick in “pay by QR code” but that seems to have gotten much less popular (I believe the extra fees charged by Toast and similar are no longer deemed worth it by restaurants).
- hashmap 1y ago> The waiter brings over the bill, in a black rectangular wallet, and walks away. This is when you pay, just have your card or whatever ready to go. Skip the extra limbo state and leave when you're ready.
- wyclif 1y agoI like this solution the best because it is the least intrusive. Before the waiter brings the bill, put your phone on the table so it's ready when they arrive with the bill. No need for the waitstaff to waste cycles or get distracted by having to look for a green card.
- ryandrake 1y agoIn the US you constantly have to beg the waitstaff to stick around. They show up and ask if you want water. If you don’t deliberately say “we are also ready to order drinks” they will then disappear. When they take the drink order, you have to deliberately say “we’ll order food now.” If you order appetizers, they will disappear unless you immediately continue with your main course order. Then of course there’s the whole multiple trip song and dance when you pay. Are waiters paid by the step rather than by the hour?
- wyclif 1y agoA good waiter will ask you if you're ready to order at each stage.
- sundaeofshock 1y agoSpeaking as a former wait person… It is more efficient this way. Often times the wait person may have multiple tables sat at the same time. This way they can greet each table shortly after sitting (you don’t want to know how people react if they wait “too long” for that first greeting). Then take drink orders for all tables, get those delivered, take apps, get those fired. While those are cooking, get the mains ordered, and so on. Yes, some people want to order all at once. However, that’s not most guests. Most folks want to sit at the table and relax for 1.5 - 2 hours and hate feeling rushed. I don’t think most people realize how hard a job it is to wait tables. I think everyone would be well served by working as a wait person in their early work years.
- jmull 1y agoThere's a paper bill in there. Place it poking out the top, just like you would have with paper money or a credit card. No need for a new prop when there's already one handy.
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- doodaddy 1y agoVery strange. Not only do I never see people using a phone being used to pay at full service restaurants but what happened to the lowest-tech solution of all - wave at the nearest person to come over and settle the bill.
- darod 1y agowhen the waiter first comes to the table, you listen for their name and remember it. at the end of the meal, you raise your hand, state their name and when they look your way, cross your two index fingers to indicate "close out".
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- rvnx 1y agoThe real legacy is not the payment method, but this tipping culture that should be shutdowned. The world has evolved and moved to decent fixed salaries. Japan: amazing service, perfect food, 0 tips. America: shitty burger joint, rude waiter, 20% tip or they chase you outside.
- JohnFen 1y ago> 20% tip or they chase you outside The tipping culture in the US is horrible, but not that horrible. I've never seen such a thing happen, anyway.
- rvnx 1y agohttps://www.reddit.com/r/tipping/comments/1k4mjn0/manager_follows_customer_down_the_street_for_not/ https://www.reddit.com/r/tipping/comments/1k4mjn0/manager_fo... (fresh video, "funnily" a Japanese ramen restaurant, though I agree it's probably exceptional. At least, I hope)
- JohnFen 1y agoI don't doubt that it happens from time to time (assholes are everywhere), but my point is that it's rare enough that I have never witnessed it or heard from any friends that they've witnessed it.
- chneu 1y agoI'm an American and don't tip very often anymore. I've talked to folks who work at restaurants and this is pretty common. I also used to work in food service(8ish years). If a place makes me bus my own table or use qr code ordering, I'm probably not tipping anymore. I don't tip on pickup orders either. This is definitely becoming more common in the US.
- uses 1y agoAlso in Japan, when you need something? You just raise your hand and say "sumimasen". Instead of waiting forever or needing the wait service to constantly check in on you.
- 999900000999 1y agoQR codes are great for this. Optional, and let's me Irish goodbye when I'm done with my food. I've been to several restaurants with this.
- nixass 1y agoSorry what's the actual problem here?
- chneu 1y agoThis whole thing seems to be related to people having weird expectations and odd requirements. Reading people's expectations in here is absolutely wild and reminds me of how weirdly entitled people become when they're paying for something.
- gsibble 1y agoI always wanted a system with an NFC chip embedded into the receipt holder. Just tap my phone, pull up my receipt on a web page, and checkout with Apple Pay.
- chneu 1y agoThat's what a QR code does. You can checkout with card, apple, or Google pay. You just scan a code that has your table number in it.
- greatgib 1y agoHere is what I do for credit card, I guess you can do the same for tap to pay with the same efficiency. When the call the waiter to ask for the bill, or when you ask directly when he comes to take out your dishes or ask for dessert, just say directly how you will pay: The bill please, I will pay by card (/phone)...
- tunapizza 1y agoNot everything in life needs to be optimized with some system. Just politely wave at your waiter, wait for them, or pay at the cashier near the exit if you're in a hurry. Talk to people. Embrace the little chaos of life and the small imperfections that come with it.
- kyleee 1y agoYep, just really basic and fundamental socialization skills; but still a hurdle for many (which is a bit scary)
- timtimmy 1y agoIt's becoming quite common in S Korea for there to be a fixed tablet on a stand at each table. You order from the digital menu and then immediately pay with the integrated PoS. If there's no tablet you pay on your way out. There's a button at each table to summon the waiter. No tips. Japan has ticket vending machines in many restaurants. You prepay and order at the front of the restaurant, it prints a little ticket, and you give that to the waiter or kitchen.
- Yizahi 1y agoIn EU waiter asks "cash or card?" when you ask for a bill, then brings both bill and the terminal, then you pay with a phone (just like 99% of others) and the whole process is done fast and smooth. No USA/Israel nonsense about taking your card to some back room and doing something with it. In fact, I don't really remember where my actual plastic cards are. Probably in a wallet, but can be in the desk drawer too, I've never used them for past 2 or 3 years.
- glimshe 1y agoChili's solved it... I don't like the restaurant too much but their payment experience rocks. There is a payment gadget at the table, so you use that to pay and simply walk away without talking to the waiter.
- chneu 1y agoThis is literally what a QR code is but you use your own phone. Chilis didn't solve it. They just added their own hardware.
- glimshe 1y agoI can pay using a physical credit card, which is what I prefer, or my phone.
- chneu 1y agoyou can do that with the QR code. It literally just takes you to a POS menu, the same one the staff will use to ring you up. lol. You can use your phone or a physical card, it's no different. The only difference is you're swiping your card thru a terminal vs filling it in on a form, which most phones do automatically.
- mvdtnz 1y agoI'm ready to pay when I get up and walk over to the cashier.
- BrandoElFollito 1y agoWe have more land more qrcodes imprinted to tables in France. It usually works :) This way you pay on your phone and just show it when leaving.
- felixnm 1y agoI've only seen this at one place - a Japanese restaurant in Boulder, CO. Each table has a small red button with a weighted base, right next to the soy sauce and cube of extra gari. You press the button, a server appears a few seconds later. Need to order, press the button. Need water, press the button. Need the check, press the button. Need for them to pick up credit card, press the button. I love it; it's like a flight attendant call button and I never have to wait for anything.
- npc_anon 1y agoWhen the bill arrives you already knew it was coming since you requested it. So you could have simply had your payment method ready. Then you look at the number and pay it. As adults do. To make clear that you want to make the payment immediately in case this wasn't already obvious, one could use speech: I'd like to pay now. That's the system. In the exceptional and unlikely scenario where a waiter speeds away upon you wanting to pay, they aren't going to care about your green sticker system either. If it takes forever for them to return, I drop cash on the table and leave. I'm not going to sit around for 20 mins and beg to collect my money.
- K0balt 1y agoOoh,ooh, I know! We can create an app that needs location data and microphone access so that it can automatically sit there and wait for us to say “check please” and it can turn on a BLE beacon that talks to the servers phone, which, running the app, has already linked to the tables phones and recorded the guests orders for the server. The server can access the users tipping history, sort of a restaurant social credit score, and the users get to have their data harvested 24/7 to support the app’s seamless automatic functionality! It’s going to be great!
- Crosseye_Jack 1y agoNot enough AI buzzwords in pitch. I’ll pass!
- K0balt 1y agoFine. We will collect all the customer - server interaction to build training data for vision language action models, so we can replace waitstaff with robots, disrupting the lower middle class and college students!
- lubujackson 1y agoWe won't stop there - we will rehire all those disrupted workers but only on a gig basis! Now you can work when you want, with as little health insurance as you can afford!
- Eddy_Viscosity2 1y agoThe apps will of course show ads to the customer while they are waiting for the bill. The app may delay sending the signal sometimes to ensure full ad time.
- K0balt 1y agoUnless you pay for premium!
- kylehotchkiss 1y agoOrr just put the mobile payment terminal on the table, with the amount, a tip prompt without a hovering waiter, and leave when you're done paying.
- sameerds 1y ago> The waiter asks if you want dessert, but you decline... and feeling somewhat guilty you hurriedly justify this rebuke by explaining how you over-ordered Is the article meant to be a light-hearted little piece that is not meant to be taken seriously? Or is this "guilt" for not ordering dessert a real thing??
- more_corn 1y agoPush your plate two inches away. It is almost imperceptible but you’d be surprised what the eye will notice.
- pull_my_finger 1y agoSeems like a call-light/attendant button (like in healthcare & airlines respectively) would be fairly inexpensive and make dining experiences wildly more efficient. Diners always outnumber servers, it would be nice to just press a button and let them know they're needed instead of having to crane your neck around looking for them and trying to get them to notice you so you can ask for your bill (or whatever else you might have needed).
- laomai 1y agoRelated story, In the US, so YMMV: I tend to try to pay in advance when I order so I don’t have to wait 5-10 minutes to get a bill, then have them run off as I grab my payment method of choice, to wait another 5-10 minutes to actually pay. I was a little confused how my requests to pay early seemed to slightly irritate waitstaff. So I asked some restraint owner friends of mine and they mentioned how, depending on the POS configuration, the act of requesting or paying the check (forgot which one) automatically queues up your table availability to the next guest. So I guess, convenience workflow feature for the restaurant host impacts creates an annoyingly rigid behavioral pattern that unexpectedly passes “waiting frustration” on to diners.
- anelson 1y agoIn almost every restaurant and cafe that I frequent in Ukraine, each table has a unique QR code that links to a site with both the menu and an option to pay the bill. The pay option shows the current itemized bill with options to pay with monoPay (a payment service operated by MonoBank which also operate this QR code system) or Apple Pay or iirc Google Pay. Tip can also be paid here (although it’s not pushed on you with dark patterns like in the US and 10% is reasonable). It felt odd at first to just walk out after a meal without having given money to a person but it quickly become my preferred payment method. There is no app to install. WiFi is always available so you don’t even technically need to have a mobile data plan. If you don’t want to use this then you call the waiter over and someone brings the mobile credit card terminal instead. The “how does the waiter know to come and take payment” problem is unique to how restaurants in some countries handle paying the bill.