New style M&S cafe

[Triflingjelly]

AIBU to not like the new style M&S cafe where you order at screens like McDs and then sit and wait for hard working waiting staff to bring your food. Stressful for customer and #runaround for staff. It all feels very impersonal. Bring back self-service. Is it just me?

On revenue of £11 billion. Is that 4p in the £, 3p? It’s not much and increases to minimum wage and consumer spending squeezes will put significant pressure on that margin.

Those profits you’re so dismissive of are feeding dividends and share price growth into pension funds you either rely on now or will rely on in the future.

You also speak as if their customer base was solely the elderly which is patently not true and the reason they have an improved financial performance.

I can't believe no one is talking about how the food used to be so good and now is so shit? Shrinking portions and not as good quality. I don't give a rat's ass how I order it as long as I get decent food.

To be honest I find this thread a bit patronising to the elderly- the M&S cafe with screens I frequent is packed with the silver pound! I think quite a few would be insulted by the assumption that they are unable to adapt to using a screen (although may agree it's rather soul less). There is always a member of staff to support if required- so wheelchair users would be able to use with assistance of staff- although not ideal this does allow them to still access the facilities. The frail no longer need to deal with a tray or standing in a queue.
Personally I suspect the cafés don't necessarily achieve a profit, but get people through the door who then spend money. Certainly is the case for me, I come for the toddler friendly experience -easy to manage without queuing with tray, quick service, big pictures of food so toddler enjoys choosing own meal on screen etc but always end up browsing the shop and making purchases.
I agree that it's a shame to lose the human contact, but ultimately in store retail has been really struggling in recent years and it seems M&S are cracking it with their new model- from reading the article from PP they seem to be surprised by their own success! So it must be agreeing with some consumers (like myself). I do hate all the bloody viscose though- but that seems to be the way everywhere now. And the kids clothes come up small- so you can tell where they are trying to economise.
But agree with PP, profits are important for the FTSE for those invested, so it does benefit the economy.

@NewmummyJ being able to use a screen may be possible for many customers. But it is a lack of service and more suited to cheap places like McDonalds.
And services should not be designed so that wheelchair users need additional help. It is disablist.
It would be easy to have apps on phones to order and a till to order, with food delivered to tables.
The till option has been removed as they know most people would choose that if it was offered. It is about saving money and reducing service, nothing else.
In my City there is massive competition between cafes. I would not frequent one with such poor service standards, and I am the M and S demographic. But maybe they do not care about existing customers and are trying to attract a new type of customer instead.
I will just go to an independent or John Lewis cafe instead.

As you can see @mantyzer you can order using your phone at your table.

As a pp says M&S cafes aren’t high end (or even medium!) they are pretty much the same as Macdonalds or other coffee shop chains.

To you, yes. I use my card for pretty much everything as well, but for people on a budget, it’s probably easier to see what they’re spending, it’s so easy just tapping your card…

But it is a lack of service and more suited to cheap places like McDonalds.

I don’t think that M&S is any more expensive than McDonalds. The customer base might be different but the level isn’t.

The service in M & S is no better than any service in any chain cafe. And M & S cafe is a chain cafe. It's no different to Costa, Starbucks etc. I'm not sure why some people are going on like it's the Ritz or something.

@MadeOfAllWork It is much more expensive. A latte in McDonalds is £1.89 In M and S it is £3.90.

@OpalOrchid The local costa and starbucks is not introducing self service screens and has far better seating and tables than the new M and S cafes.

The breakfast at M and S is now very cheap though. They seem to be positioning themselves to be like the old Littlewoods cafes. Some cheap items, cheap and cramped tables, and poor service.

Oh I loved the old Littlewoods cafe. The breakfasts were amazing.

Regardless, M&S cafes are pretty bog standard.

@LittleBearPad but with much poorer service.

Than Macdonalds? I’m not sure what you mean?

@OpalOrchid The old littlewoods cafes were really popular with people with not much money. I loved the breakfasts as a student. But this would not fit with the overall branding of M and S, although it was fine with Littlewoods overall branding.
If I want cheap I would rather go to a weatherspoons though. They have it right. You can order on the app from your table and go to the bar and order from staff.

M & S is not cheap though. Have they reduced their prices?

They have a cheap breakfast. Other things are not cheap.

Oooh I must investigate the cheap breakfast, how much is it?

Sorry more than I originally thought £8.95 for - The traditional breakfast has smoked streaky bacon, sausages, soft poached free-range eggs, potato and onion rosti, portobello mushrooms, baked beans and sourdough toast.

I hope my local M & S had started this, it’s an absolute bun fight in there , so cramped and long queues then no tables. A screen would be so much easier, particularly when I visit with my daughter in a wheelchair.

You literally can't win on MN,

There were people complaining the other day about having to queue and then having nowhere to sit in M and S and this is literally solved by the screens.

And yet....

You may still have to queue at screens.
Weatherspoons solution of phone app plus person on till is much better.

You can order on your phone in M&S (and MacDonalds for that matter). Lots of options!

So why do you need screens?
All the benefits people talk about already exist. It is just to reduce staff.

Yes it is to reduce staff. So?

Have you had some sort of touchscreen trauma - you don’t have to use them, you can use your phone.