How do you feel about QR codes and pay ahead at sit-down restaurant?

[Anonymous]

I went out to lunch yesterday and the server instructed us to use the QR code to order. Not only to pull up the menu, but to enter the order myself, and pay for the meal and tip ahead of time. The food was then brought to us. No one ever came by to check on us and when we were done, we just got up and left with no one saying bye to us. I’m not used to this level of non-service even during the height of Covid. But then again, I didn’t dine out all that often during Covid. Is this the new normal? I tipped 20%, but I didn’t feel like I got 20% worth of service. I don’t like the whole QR code thing anyway because I don’t like having my phone out while dining. We’re so connected all the time, I’d like to dine with no phones in the open bc a text inevitably comes through and it’s distracting.

[Anonymous]

No, it's definitely not the new normal everywhere.

I don't tip 20% unless I'm getting full service. I would have left an absolute maximum of 10% and not been back.

[Anonymous]

Hate it.

[Anonymous]

I’d never return. If I’m making the effort of going to a restaurant with table service, I expect service.

In honesty, if they caught me on an extra exhaustive day, I’d probably leave and hit a drive through. I don’t go to restaurants to navigate and online menu and type it in myself.

[Anonymous]

Was it sort of a “fast casual” place, or a proper sit-down place? I would not like that outside of some sort of burrito/sandwich/quick food spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never return. If I’m making the effort of going to a restaurant with table service, I expect service.

In honesty, if they caught me on an extra exhaustive day, I’d probably leave and hit a drive through. I don’t go to restaurants to navigate and online menu and type it in myself.

+1. If table-service restaurants don’t provide service, I’m not returning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it sort of a “fast casual” place, or a proper sit-down place? I would not like that outside of some sort of burrito/sandwich/quick food spot.

It was a proper sit-down place. Not fancy, but not a Chipotle or “fast casual” place either. Along the lines of Raku or Uncle Julio, but not those. Raku has real menus and service.

[Anonymous]

Some days I’d love this. I LOVE the self checker on days I’m tired. But for table service they definitely need to pop by to check on meal, bus. I don’t need lots of service, but if you forgot the mustard or I need a fork, more coffee would prefer to not have to flag you down. Most places are navigating this well with a balance of hands off menu, but also good service.

[Anonymous]

I recently had a baby so my parents have been visiting more than normal. My mom flips her shit on any restaurant that has tried to do this. She refuses to use QR codes to look at a menu. I've seen other patrons do the same.

I'm not rude like her, but it is harder to use my phone to look at a big menu. There's so much to scroll through and often they have it divided at the top into different categories.

I doubt I'd tip 20% on a place where they don't even come to check on me or refill my drink.

[Anonymous]

A number of times the QR code hasn't worked for me and the staff had to interact more than in a traditional setup. It was the worst of all worlds!

[Anonymous]

We have requested actual menus at a restaurant that pointed out the QR code. We have tweens that order off of the adult menu but that do not have cell phones. I'm not spending 20 minutes passing a phone around and then tipping 20%. I have a big problem with the paying up front part. If you don't tip well you won't get any service, if you do tip well you still might not get good service because you already gave them their money.

[Anonymous]

This is basically the way pubs in the UK operate, although in the before times you ordered at the bar not through a QR code. LOVE it. No need to hang around waiting for check and then receipt.

[Anonymous]

I don't like the service aspect of tipping ahead but as someone who eats out with a toddler a lot, LOVE the time-saving nature of paying ahead. I do feel bad for employees who might get laid off or miss earnings as a result of this though

[Anonymous]

I live in Richmond, VA. Most sit down restaurants have gotten rid of physical menus. I wish they would at least post a physical copy at the table. For a restaurant I've never visited before, it is easier to review the menu as a whole, not divided up online.

A restaurant group here (about 6-8 different sites) has done this plus added gratuity 18-20%. The manager at one of the higher end restaurants in the portfolio, $35+ entrees, was pretty rude about any criticism of it from customers. Even for issues that the restaurant should have fixed, like if entree came with soup or salad it would be delivered with the entree not before. Or every time something was ordered it would be a new transaction on credit card. It was typical for people to have 5-10 different charges on their cards, just weird and difficult for expense reports. Or, for all orders to come out together everyone has to order on the same phone and no way to split check. Meant a party of 6 had to pass one phone around to order or order on their own phone the orders wouldn't come out together. Not sure if the fixed those glitches.

At those places, I only tip what the restaurant sets, often less than I would have without it. And we tend to linger longer.

[Anonymous]

Love it.

I patronize The Roost more than any other place specifically because they have this system for all the restaurants in the building.

No inane small talk, no waiting to try to flag down a server, just put your order in and get it a few minutes later. Paying ahead of time is the best because you don't have to do the stupid dance of asking for the check, waiting for them to come back and take your card, then waiting again to sign the receipt.

I hope every restaurant switches to this system.