To not want to order via an app in a restaurant!

[TeaAndBrie]

Visited a restaurant for brunch today, it wasn’t super fancy but £12 for eggs Benedict to give an idea of price.
we were told to sit anywhere that’s free and then use the QR code on the table to see the menu and order. I must’ve pulled a face as she said she would get a paper menu and that we could order at the counter.
surely part of eating out if the experience and the service and this is all part of what you pay for?

Urgh!! I hate this. It's a hangover from covid and is completely antisocial and takes the joy out of eating out.

I much prefer the apps. How does someone taking your order add to the experience?

I wont eat anyway they do that. Pizza hut insisted that it was the only way we could do it. Absolutely only via the app and card only. I couldnt put in my student discount code, and magically they were able to take my order in person and let me pay in cash. Its a nonsense!

I actually much prefer it! 😂👏

As someone with an allergy, this does not work.

I much prefer it too and it's not a big deal as these places also take orders at the bar usually.

For the people saying they prefer it why? Are you only ordering for yourself and not kids?

I always find it takes 4 x as long and we always ask for a paper one too.

I prefer it, even when eating out with kids. Especially if I'm going alone.

Honestly I hate it, it’s impersonal and I feel that it’s laziness. Part is why you go initially and then return to eat somewhere is because of good food and good service - otherwise you’re paying a lot of money for basically something you could make much cheaper at home or go to McDonalds

Because I want to be chatting to my family or friends and order another drink or course as and when I want one without us all having to get our phones out, find what we want, enter details, pay etc when it would take less than a minute to tell a server.

I prefer it, easier to order more specific items as options given and don’t have to sit waiting to get the waiters attention to pay

I had a similar experience trying to get blue light discount too!

I hate it too, I often have problems with the QR code, the menu won’t load, or it’s difficult to read on a small screen.

It’s part of going out to have someone take your order. It’s not like ordering fast food on an app, or shouldn’t be.

I hate it and pretty much all other attempts to force us to do businesses work for them. The end game is minimal pesky human staff to deal with/employ and at a societal level I think that is a disaster on multiple levels. Just this week alone I've had my blood pressure raised on at least 3 occasions. Once at Zara where in a large store on a Saturday afternoon they had one person on the tills for a queue of 25 people. The floor staff told me I could use the self service till, I told her I didn't wish to do so and clearly most other people feel the same way. I was spending 200 pounds and you can't spare me 2 minutes of staff time? Then had the stupid restaurant app thing - I'm a coeliac so not suitable at all. Then I stopped for diesel and had to do a whole palaver with my card before even starting to pump my diesel, many minutes wasted when I was going in to the forecourt shop anyway. It gives me the rage.

Bonkers isnt it!

It depends. A chain restaurant locally does this and it's very straightforward, all the deals are clearly shown, simple to use. It's good because it can be a busy restaurant and you don't wait to be served.

The time I found it infuriating was in a small cafe and we were the only ones in there (wonder why?). We wanted two cups of tea and two slices of cake. We were expected to download the app and order via the app, when the person who would fulfill the order was 10 foot away and waiting for us to download the app to place the order. It was bizarre. We left and went to Costa.

I won't do it. I ask if someone is going to come to the table.and take our order and if the answer is no we leave and go elsewhere.

Obviously the exception is cafes where we'd always have ordered at the counter, but anywhere with a qr code gets fucked off sharpish.

Nah, I love it! So much quicker and easier, especially in a group. Pay for what you have, and reduced error in ordering

Ugh I absolutely hate it. Such a faff much easier to just say what I’d like! Everything is done via phone now can’t we just keep restaurants more personal.

For cheap and cheerful venues, I love it.

I’ve only ever done it in several airports and one hipster place in Shoreditch, but it works really well.

I point blank refuse to use self service tills. Ill queue for ages if i have to in order to use a staffed checkout. I started my working life in retail and getting rid of staff is no good for anyone, especially all the staff they try to get rid of.

If I do, I don’t tip. If I get wait staff to take my order etc, then I do. It was a complete pain in the arse in the summer when we went out for dinner and had to go this. No tab, do paying each round of drinks etc. Then when we added details of an allergy, had to pay got their meal at the bar on another receipt.

If you have to ask this question, I actually feel sorry for you.

We went to a Chinese all you could eat and there was a robot whizzing around bringing you your food you ordered on the app. You could only put thru 6 dishes at a time on the app and literally each time it was taking 20 /30 mins for the food to arrive . The dishes were literally tiny little wooden pots and the whole experience was just awful. Never ever again .
Modern technology doesn't beat a friendly face .

Another time we ordered on the app in spoons on a Saturday night and we could see from our table the bar staff just pouring drinks and no one had a clue who they were serving , I ended up going up to the bar which would've been quicker in the first place.
I think the old fashioned way is easier and usually quicker.

I much prefer it, so much easier