04 March 2012

Coming to a restaurant near you


The "Presto" is explained in a column at The Atlantic:
It sort of looks like a small iPad, maybe a thick Kindle Fire. Presto is its name. The screen shows an animation that says, "Touch me!" with half a dozen different animations. It's a menu and a way to order food and a method for paying the check all in one...

With no instructions, I order the two items through the Presto. Beautifully lit photos let me see what I'm going to get. The UI is intuitive. Within 20 seconds, I've sent my order to the kitchen. Before we'd even finished eating, I swiped my card slightly awkwardly into the built-in payment slot, added a tip, and settled up. I would not say that this machine will blow your mind with its technical capabilities, but that's exactly the point: It just works...

"It costs about a dollar a day per table, it can even go lower depending on if you have sponsors involved because all the alcohol companies want to get involved," Suri says. "For that, they get about $6 a day per tablet in increased sales. That's extra desserts, appetizers, drinks. They get about another $5 in extra table turns. If you can fit in one more table per night, that's worth a lot of money. And some restaurants, though not Calafia, get about $45 extra because they choose to save labor."

So, at the minimum, we're talking about $10 a day more money coming in per table. And, if the restaurants choose to cut some employees because they have an automated ordering system, that trims a bunch of costs, too...

It is impossible to ignore that this technology threatens a job class, which through its flexibility and unusual hours, has supported many people trying to pull themselves up through school or a creative career.

But the employees that remain, Suri argues, are actually better off. Their data shows that after their tablets are deployed, the staff's per-night tips tend to go up both because servers cover more tables but also because, for whatever reason, people tip better through the machine than they do otherwise. 
Details and discussion at The Atlantic.

16 comments:

  1. Never add the tip to the bill when paying by credit card, cash is king. Taxes are withheld from the tip if it's in writing; cash tip allows the server to use the withheld amount before declaring it on their taxes at the end of the year.

    Which of course they should, cheating on taxes is an activity that should be restricted to corporations that can lobby congress to legitimize their cheats; and the wealthy, who can afford lawyers and accountants to obfuscate their actions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "cash tip allows the server to use the withheld amount before declaring it..."

      I don't understand the difference. Get the tip now less a withholding vs. pay the tax later. There would be some time premium on the cash, but at today's interest rates that would be negligible.

      It seems to me the only reason for cash is to avoid paying taxes.

      Delete
    2. "It seems to me the only reason for cash is to avoid paying taxes."

      I believe that is what jk is implying. It sure as heck is what I inferred.

      A more interesting thing is that you can tell your waiter that the extra cash you leave is an nontaxable gift and not a taxable tip. An option not available via credit card.

      Delete
    3. an nontaxable = a nontaxable

      Delete
  2. I'm glad you mentioned this:

    "It is impossible to ignore that this technology threatens a job class, which through its flexibility and unusual hours, has supported many people trying to pull themselves up through school or a creative career."

    I just riffed on it here: https://plus.google.com/104119855035793551431/posts/57coJmoosRd

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  3. I'm assuming it'll also display adverts - if not now then later once it's become indispensible. Then etiquette will change to allow gentlemen to park their hats over the offending thing. Then it'll start playing audio adverts...

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    Replies
    1. I agree -- I see a definite decrease in the ambiance. I wonder if eventually high-end restaurants won't have these -- and will advertise their absence -- if not directly then by reputation.

      Delete
  4. A few of the common chain restaurants seem to feature these now.

    I'd guess the higher tips might be a result of the console allowing you to slide a pointer along a percentage scale, automatically calculating and adding in the tip rather than requiring people to calculate and possibly round-down their tips.

    And, lest a patron not have a game-equipped smart phone on hand to provide an excuse to ignore the other people at the table, the consoles also feature a series of pay-to-play games.

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  5. Many of the "chain" restaurants in japan use a similar system. Very handy and time saving (and convenient when it has English translation unlike the staff). In addition i think it encourages you to order more food or another drink as you don't have the hassle of grabbing an exasperated staff members attention. Also handy to keep track of how much you have spent.

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  6. Skipweasel makes a good point. When I was in NYC last year I noticed the cabs have a similar device, which is great when it comes to paying. However, the damn thing blasts ads in your face. I keept having to demand that the drive turn it off or mute it.

    On the positive side, I wonder if it has a tool that allows the party to split their check? You know, assign items on the bill to people and come up with separate totals, and allow each person to pay their part separately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's not a computer yet built that can do bistromaths.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_in_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Bistromathic_drive

      Delete
  7. And do you bring your own stylus or do you just lick your fingers and jump into the cess pool that is *other people's kids' fingers*?

    I'm not a germaphobe, but when at the pharmacy and no less than 4 people are coughing into their hands and then touching the pay thingy.... I get a little nervous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that's easy - you use the waiter's finger.

      Delete
  8. Yeah, BUT the person who sets this contraption on your table is very likely the same person who set your dishes and silverware on the table, too. They will learn quickly that the touch screens needs special care when cleaning and I'm betting Flo @ 3 dollars an hour will not want any part of that responsibility... barf. I stopped eating at Chili's and the like because of their disgusting wet menus.
    I do like the idea for easier splitting of tabs and perhaps now the plastic forms of payment will remain in the customer's possesion.

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  9. I eat dinner twice a month with a bunch of other old ladies and most of them are not computer literate so I can see me having to take charge of the whole ordering thing for each of them... NOT!

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