Yeah. That happened while I was abroad. I explained to the waiter that I didn't have a data plan there. But they couldn't help me since they had no physical copy.
I would have to pay a 14$ fee to use data for a day until midnight just to look at a menu for a dinner at 8pm.
So I asked him to either tell us what's on the menu or to give us his phone. He actually sat down with us with his phone. He was really nice about it. He said he'd tell the owner and they'd keep a few physical copies in the future.
What drives me up the wall is when it just links to a scanned image of the menu they used to have, so instead of a full sized menu, you have to pinch and zoom and swipe around on your phone. What's the fucking point? I went to one and the menu was FOUR PAGES LONG like that! If I hadn't been promising my daughter I'd take her, I would have walked out.
It shouldn't be on the customer to have the tech to view a menu. If you're gonna run a restaurant, have a paper menu available to customers somewhere, even if your primary menu is behind a QR-code.
I don't know why but the QR menus just piss me off in a service restaurant. I won't use em (been bailed out by a date more than once).
For a counter place where they are just slinging me the food? Ok I guess. But if we're out paying for a dinner that'll hopefully lead to nookie, phones should be the last thing on the table.
I love and seek out restaurants that use online ordering and payment. I don't need someone waiting on me. I'm in the US and they are not paid a living wage, the work is difficult with little reward. Now there is a place in my neighborhood where you sit down the QR code is table based, interaction is simple, clear and designed to work (uses Toast as the backend iirc). You order, the order stays open till you pay it's a restaurant/bar so if you need another you don't have to do anything but tap on your phone. They have amazing helpful servers that are paid well. You pay on your phone and leave when you are done. It's amazing.
I think this is more about power dynamics than currency and menus. I think many people just want or more accurately demand that others (with less power) to serve them. I've even heard people say "it's not my job to check me out or take my order." Those same people treat their waitress like shit, when those waitresses are paid basically nothing to take the abuse. Then they try to weasel out of the bill. Seen it time and time again.
Now, some restaurants do poor a poor implementation of modern menus and it's frustrating. However... long term those that do it well will win. It reduces friction and costs leading to lower prices higher margins and quicker more accurate service.
Oh yeah. I absolutely hate this new trend.
Ok. (hands out)
Waitress: ...What?
Your phone?!
They keep trying this in our small town, and they find out.
I'll have the 4 dots in an L shape, that looks good.
I guess I'll have the dinosaur in the middle of the QR code
Image Transcription:
X/Twitter post by user john is toast @johnistoasted reading: My dad and I went to a restaurant and the waiter pointed at the QR code on the wall and sad "thats our menu" and left and my dad looked at it really close and said "Is this some kind of joke"
[I am a human, if I’ve made a mistake please let me know. Please consider providing alt-text for ease of use. Thank you. 💜]
I fucking hate those! They spend so much money on the decoration and ads, but can't be bothered to print 10 menus? What a BS! If a café or a restaurant is still stuck in covid times and wants to use QR codes, they should provide free Wi-Fi otherwise I'm walking out (as I have done many times) because fuck you and your barcode and your shitty management cause if i'm picking from an app I should be able to order through and pay through the same web app, there is no reason for a waiter or reception and cashier its just half assing technocracy.
I ate at an airport restaurant recently that just had a QR code that let you order online. I do think the model works well in that one specific instance. On top of being more sanitary it lets the meal move at the pace you want it to, which is pretty important if you need to catch a flight in 45 minutes.
The last two exclusive QR Code menues I tried to use were just stupid:
One was on an island in the Adria without cell phone reception. I had to ask the waitor on his second round for the wifi password, which he did not know and supplied on his 3rd round. All of this took 20 minutes.
the other one was in an cafe mostly visited by tourists in Scotland. They had a website that was only accessible to British people since brexit, and they did not care to fix it.
I have no interest in a shitty laminated menu that is most certainly not clean.
Why are people so upset about this? It could not be more simple and as it’s on the phone you can select and search for things or maybe you weren’t familiar, etc.
It’s easier to update for the restaurant, no cleaning of the menus, etc. it makes everything easier for both sides of the coin
What are the downsides??
