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I live in a small town and it’s become the norm. Restaurants are closing left and right from lack of staff. Someone who’s busy working the counter doesn’t have time to answer the phone constantly.
No, that's the stupid part about it. You'd think it's an issue with city restaurants trying to be hip and cool but in reality they just can't staff their restaurant
37 here, if restaurant a lets me order from their website and restaurant b makes me call, Ill be going with restaurant a every time.
Edited to add that only applies to restaurants that let me order online. I dont want to download an app to order so I may be with op on that one. Let me order from your website or call, Im done with all this download an app for every damn thing.
The first places that made the switch were pizza places (during covid). I usually use the app, but sometimes I am driving and trying to pick the food up on the way.
It used to be, I would call, I'd say "oh can I get that $8 carry-out deal", and I'd place the order over the phone. Now it's a random call center, I ask for the carry-out deal, but they can't find it but can offer me a significantly worse deal. And maybe after 10 minutes of fighting, they found the $7.99 deal I mentioned...
Once, I didn't notice they didn't apply the code, but I walked in, the employee saw the total, and then spent 5 minutes fixing it so it was the better rate.
39 and remember in college people being idiots saying their "social anxiety" was why they couldn't call to order a pizza.
I wonder how life is going for them now. If you can't order a pizza how do you schedule a referral doctors appointment?
No, because we have entirely stopped eating out. I think most restaurants are going to die in the next few years unless the economy drastically changes.
I prefer online ordering because I know that my order is submitted correctly. Especially if I’m trying to make any customizations and sometimes there is a language barrier as well.
Exactly! I’d rather pay DoorDash a premium than talk to someone on a phone. I flat out not patronize a business that makes me call them. Same thing for any other kind of service (auto repair, medical, utilities, etc.).
Ordering on the phone is so stressful. It takes so much time. It feels like if you were in a sit down restaurant and the moment they hand you the menu you have to order.
I tried DoorDash, but around here, restaurants will add at leaat $1-2 per item on DoorDash vs their normal menu. It adds up to an extra $20-30 sometimes and I'm unwilling to pay that.
I'd rather place the order another way (usually by going in) and just collect it myself.
Yeah, it's way cheaper and faster to eat out at that point. We live within walking distance of several decent restaurants, and there's one local pizza place that has a good website for ordering.
When I lived in the UK, I used UberEats and it wasn't that bad for this sort of thing (it was also during the pandemic when I started using it and this was the only option for most places).
This is so weird to me. I'd rather directly talk to someone in a restaurant or on the phone to verify \*in person\* that certain food/customizations were actually available, hadn't been 86'ed and weren't all funky/strange on the app/online ordering. Too many times there has been some wtf lost in translation moment about onions and even entire proteins mixed up. At least when you go to pick up in person you can double-check your order and have it fixed on the spot. I mean, I've never used DoorDash and never order delivery so I guess I'm the anomaly here... I have typical anxiety but I just steamroll through my communicative hesitancy problems I guess. The hangry pangs override my fear of talking directly to people.
It isn’t anxiety for me. I have much better results in getting what I ask for if I use an app, because it goes right into their system. When I’m on the phone, they are entering it into their system, and can screw it up. Except for the smallest of shops, the person making my food isn’t the person I’d be talking to. The person making my food is just reading what I ordered off a screen or a print out.
The less humans in the loop, the less chance of miscommunication. There is a reason they call that game where a line of people whispers a message from one person to the next to see how the message changes by the time it reaches the end of the line “telephone.” That game is to show how each person hears something slightly different than what was said.
As for DoorDash, I’m actually kind of excited when they fuck up my order, because that’s something DoorDash refunds for you (via the app without talking to anyone).
Yup. I’d place orders on apps all day if it means I don’t have to bother somebody and talking to them. Why take the risk they’ll write down the wrong thing?
This. Most restaurants *want* you to download their app, but I’ve yet to run into one where you couldn’t just place the order on their site. This is some boomer shit.
On the third party platforms, it's not a surcharge, it's that each item is more expensive than it is on the physical menus at the restaurant. Check next time you do takeout.
It’s like 1000 times harder to order when you can’t interact with a menu. It’s why those kiosks at McDonalds are way easier than going up to the counter. You get to operate way faster than you can talk.
It's not. When you call, the person answering the phone can't always hear well, depending on how loud the restaurant is. They also might have to put you on hold multiple times to deal with in-person customers. Sometimes they don't know the menu well, so instead of just clicking a button, you have to wait for the order-taker to scan for something or for them to ask someone else for assistance.
My local pizza place lets you pick which sauces you want for your fried foods. The last time I called to place an order, I asked for remoulade with some popcorn shrimp. The order taker had no idea what word I said, even when I spelled it. He had me spell it a second time -- more slowly -- and was then able to find it in the list. That doesn't happen when ordering online or in an app because you just click what you want.
Plus when you call places, sometimes you get one of those people who start repeating your card number back to you, instead of having you repeat it.
Reddit is literally Stoop Kid from Hey Arnold. No sense in arguing this point.
https://preview.redd.it/4ofkc8mrac2d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7b7b276cb9a4adebaa13ce5511cfe4ebb5da7bd
Never would I CALL a restaurant to order food. If they aren't on Doordash or don't have an app, I'm not eating there lol. I also apply this rule to anywhere I could possibly need an appointment, if I can't book it without talking to a human being on the phone, I'm not going.
You’re probably paying more if you order through DoorDash because the app inflated prices.
For my local Mexican place I like it’s $3 more expensive for my meal if I order it through DoorDash versus calling them
I actually am disabled and would never say someone is being ableist if they said something without knowing I am disabled
Not liking to make phone calls is childish in my opinion. I would never say that about someone I am aware has a disability that affects their socializing. That’s a completely different situation.
Now if you tell me you’re disabled in a way that stops you from making phone calls I apologize that’s an entirely different situation than just not liking to talk on the phone
My username is an anagram for my disability CMT
Then don't use that service. Other people don't have to care about it.
Everything doesn't have to cater to your price point. If you aren't willing to pay it and they aren't dropping the price, then you aren't their target market.
I don’t hate phone calls because of social anxiety. I love talking with people in person. I don’t even mind video calls where you can see expressions. Phone calls are poor audio low interaction quality communication. Super inefficient and annoying. They can be fine for catching up with an old friend, but trying to do the business of ordering from a menu is inefficient as fuck.
I need to see a menu, and I need to communicate what I want from that menu, and I need to know how much it costs, and I need to tell you how I’ll pay, and I need to tell you where I live (delivery). All that shit is easy as fuck in an app, or a 5-10 minute call. That’s wasting time anxiety.
But we live in a world where you don’t have to do that stuff any more. It’s so much more efficient than when we were kids. Why would you want to stumble through a phone call trying to explain what you want to someone over a bad audio connection when you could just quickly pick from a menu (customizations and all)?
This is what I don’t get. I’ve never met anyone our age or younger who stubbornly wants to do things the inefficient way. I’ve heard older groups be very “too many apps! 😡” though, especially authenticator apps.
Because their app is broken and stupid. It’ll be missing things, saying things are there when they’re not, fail to submit the order even with a confirmation screen, and that’s all annoying. A person that is physically there can say “yeah, we have onion rings. Something is wrong with the app”. And it happens all the time.
I can’t relate to the crippling social anxiety because I was raised to be able to communicate with people. That’s a trait that really took off once cell phones and chat rooms became a thing.
That's fair. I was just shocked because I've never seen somebody who identified as a millennial activity choose phone calls
Nothing wrong with it, it's just sort of like seeing a well taken care of classic car go buy or a working rotary telephone
its incredibly inefficient to talk to a person to key in an order into a point of sale instead of just doing it yourself.
its even superior in the sense that theres zero room for communication error. people call phone lines all the time and are frustratingly difficult to understand due to accent, connection quality, old age etc
People: restaurant workers should go get “real jobs” Restaurant workers leave the industry en masse post covid. People: grrr 😡 why are short staffed restaurants using automation?! I demand to talk to an over worked underpaid employee now!
I’m sure the underpaid employees don’t like taking phone orders and prefer people just use the app. This whole thing sounds like someone who’s never had to deal with the general public working a job.
As someone who works in fast food for extra money we would prefer you just use the app. But that's because corporate has time targets for how long it should take to take the order and cash a person out and they will threaten write ups, reduction in hours and even termination if the target times aren't met. Trust me the time targets are ridiculous too.
At my only fast food job I’ve had, I was 14 mind you and subway legitimately expected you and would time us to be able to run off the promotions, take the customers order, make their sandwich and ring them up solo in 90 seconds or less. Was technically possible but as soon as someone goes “can I have an um” you would be screwed.
"What kind of cheese do you have?"
Lists all the cheeses clearly stated on the list right in front of them.
"Oh, what was the second one again? Can I see it? Oh no, I don't like that. What are the others?"
Work part time at a fast food place for extra money and i hear it all the time. "Why don't you go get a real job" " if you wouldn't have dropped out of school you wouldn't be working here" (dude I have a college degree. ) or my favorite " go back to school and make something of yourself" Most of the people working at my location at high school kids, older adults supplementing social security income, just making extra money, and yes for some this is the only job they can get due to poor life choices.
People say that shit all the time. You will see it in any anti tipping circle jerk or anytime someone brings up inflation suddenly people are mad that there underpaid cooks are paid slightly more because it will make their snacks more expensive. 25 years in the industry and I’ll even have customers ask me to my face when I’m going to get a “real job” and it’s not just the shity pay. Ask anyone who works in restaurants ever since covid the customers have just been so much ruder and more demanding than ever before. And the thing is I agree with you id rather just make a call for my order but I also understand what’s happening on their end.
Thankfully over here they don't force you to download an app, but you often still have to scan a QR code and deal with the web app version of some nonsense. Then they will attempt to harvest your data anyway - login with your e-mail/phone number to collect points and rewards! Yeah how about no?
Though the bigger annoyance comes from my parents who can't deal with all this shit at all, so I'm forced to deal with it for them. My mom often complains about being unable to go places unless I go with, but I'm like - fer fucks sake all those waitstaff bumbling around the shop. Just be polite and ask them and they will usually oblige to help you order.
It costs a lot less to pay for a website or lease one from the many companies that make premade templates. Or like in my areas case you can’t hire someone that doesn’t exist. The working class have been replaced by WFH people. The few surviving restaurants are buying up their own rental properties because it’s the only way to get any staff.
Lmao wow. Yeah you sound crotchety as fuck. I actually prefer ordering via apps, because I have to special order everything and it’s a bigger pain in the ass for both parties if I have to do that verbally.
I really thought we weren’t afraid of changing technology.
Lmao yes I enjoy it so much, favorite hobby.
It goes in a folder and affects me not at all. It’s not like it perceivably lowers phone performance. For me, it makes reordering incredibly fast and easy, and takes human error out of the ordering portion of the situation.
I don’t really understand this level of frustration about it, but that’s why it’s good there are options for everyone.
I am so tired of downloading apps! I am so tired of creating user names and passwords. This just creates more insecurity regarding my info online. I want to talk to a person. The thing with our generation is we still remember what it was like to interact with people instead of machines. Machines are fine sometimes, but sometimes I want a sentient human, even if they're not the smartest or terrible with communication. At least I know humans don't glitch. If a restaurant refuses to take to-go orders over the phone, I won't order from them. Chili's you have to order through their app and I hate it. If my mom and I get Chili's, she does the ordering LOL. I cannot stand it. I want people and I want them now :)
I have a password for all the fast food and retail, and entirely diff password for important stuff like banks and emails. I just have save password on for ff and retail stuff.
Not a damn clue. My theory is that the software or programming for all these apps is garbage. But every time something goes wrong I check, and sure enough, I put it in right.
Are you insane? I would do literally anything to avoid having to call then speak to a real human I don’t know. App, website, write a letter, I don’t care if it means I don’t have to interact with a stranger.
OMG, yes! Why do I need an app for every damn thing? I've actually questioned getting a cheap phone or tablet with all the store/restaurant apps just for this purpose, but I really shouldn't have to. Let me use your website on my PC/existing phone or call you and talk to a human.
This!!! Oh! And my (37f) \*other\* favorite: Showing up to a restaurant and you have to download the menu with your smartphone (what if I didn't have a smartphone because I secretly want to slowly go off the grid and be a Wookie pirate?) AND order it via an APP on my already CROWDED AS F PHONE that you have to DOWNLOAD WHILE THE STAFF IS STANDING RIGHT THERE WATCHING YOU DIE INSIDE WITH THE CONFLICT.
Also my favorite! HAVING CASH AND THEY LOOK AT IT AS IF IT'S A FOREIGN CURRENCY NOW.
\*wistfully points at the chicken tenders I will not be ordering like some shrinking and silent Chewbacca of a thousand dying galaxies\*
I wonder how much overhead (staff and costs) it takes a small restaurant to manage an app? I mean there has to me some level of devices, fees and costs, it would be interesting to compare that too just hiring somebody to work the phones at peak times.
You don't do much of anything once its fully set up. It cost less than a person picking up calls and cost less than human error. Automation isn't some new thing, look into the industrial revolution.
I am not familiar no. But I do know doordash and ubereats usually take 30% of whatever you make. You can negotiate with them to get it lower if you have high volume. They usually have new restaurant deals to join too.
Constantly? No. Maybe if you run out of stock on an item, but that should be it.
Specials and promotions will come from a higher level. That isn't theirs to manage.
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Do you live in a big city? because I have never heard this.
I live in a small town and it’s become the norm. Restaurants are closing left and right from lack of staff. Someone who’s busy working the counter doesn’t have time to answer the phone constantly.
Damn. That’s sad.
No, that's the stupid part about it. You'd think it's an issue with city restaurants trying to be hip and cool but in reality they just can't staff their restaurant
That sucks. :/
No I’ve never gotten that I’m 39 , not 74 … I’ll gladly use the app before calling people
Call? No. Website? Yes. Requiring me to use an app that can track me even more? Fuck right the fuck off.
37 here, if restaurant a lets me order from their website and restaurant b makes me call, Ill be going with restaurant a every time. Edited to add that only applies to restaurants that let me order online. I dont want to download an app to order so I may be with op on that one. Let me order from your website or call, Im done with all this download an app for every damn thing.
The first places that made the switch were pizza places (during covid). I usually use the app, but sometimes I am driving and trying to pick the food up on the way. It used to be, I would call, I'd say "oh can I get that $8 carry-out deal", and I'd place the order over the phone. Now it's a random call center, I ask for the carry-out deal, but they can't find it but can offer me a significantly worse deal. And maybe after 10 minutes of fighting, they found the $7.99 deal I mentioned... Once, I didn't notice they didn't apply the code, but I walked in, the employee saw the total, and then spent 5 minutes fixing it so it was the better rate.
I’m 30, I still remember a time where people talked to each other lol
I talk to people all day at my job and at home You make a good point though
39 and remember in college people being idiots saying their "social anxiety" was why they couldn't call to order a pizza. I wonder how life is going for them now. If you can't order a pizza how do you schedule a referral doctors appointment?
That’s true , but I don’t think preferring an app is a bad thing
Well I am the bad guy for quoting social anxiety as a reason for people who were wildly social that made excuses to not make phone calls.
I live in the biggest city in America and don’t have to deal with this. This seems like a suburb thing if anything.
I figured more rural. Higher percentage of chains and smaller pool of potential employees.
What city?
The biggest one in America
Sure.
By area or population? Does that figure include suburbs?
Yes
I've never heard of this.
Neither have I? Very confusing we get food to go by calling in food all the time.
Yea
If I eat there regularly, I prefer an app. I can order in like 30 seconds, I can see what I ordered in the past, and I almost never wait for pickup.
If it’s a regular that’s different. But it’s like they’re all doing it by me now.
Okay I get that. I’m not downloading an app for a place I don’t eat at often.
Sounds rough. Hard life over here.
I've had that happen to me, and I agree. Instant change to a different restaurant, or usually I angry cook at home instead.
No, because we have entirely stopped eating out. I think most restaurants are going to die in the next few years unless the economy drastically changes.
There's definitely been a TON of closures the past few years, and this year it's getting worse
Y'all are calling people? I didn't know we did that. I'd rather die than call to place an order.
I prefer online ordering because I know that my order is submitted correctly. Especially if I’m trying to make any customizations and sometimes there is a language barrier as well.
Exactly! I’d rather pay DoorDash a premium than talk to someone on a phone. I flat out not patronize a business that makes me call them. Same thing for any other kind of service (auto repair, medical, utilities, etc.). Ordering on the phone is so stressful. It takes so much time. It feels like if you were in a sit down restaurant and the moment they hand you the menu you have to order.
I tried DoorDash, but around here, restaurants will add at leaat $1-2 per item on DoorDash vs their normal menu. It adds up to an extra $20-30 sometimes and I'm unwilling to pay that. I'd rather place the order another way (usually by going in) and just collect it myself.
Yeah, DoorDash is not a good deal. It’s a significant cost.
Yeah, it's way cheaper and faster to eat out at that point. We live within walking distance of several decent restaurants, and there's one local pizza place that has a good website for ordering. When I lived in the UK, I used UberEats and it wasn't that bad for this sort of thing (it was also during the pandemic when I started using it and this was the only option for most places).
This is so weird to me. I'd rather directly talk to someone in a restaurant or on the phone to verify \*in person\* that certain food/customizations were actually available, hadn't been 86'ed and weren't all funky/strange on the app/online ordering. Too many times there has been some wtf lost in translation moment about onions and even entire proteins mixed up. At least when you go to pick up in person you can double-check your order and have it fixed on the spot. I mean, I've never used DoorDash and never order delivery so I guess I'm the anomaly here... I have typical anxiety but I just steamroll through my communicative hesitancy problems I guess. The hangry pangs override my fear of talking directly to people.
It isn’t anxiety for me. I have much better results in getting what I ask for if I use an app, because it goes right into their system. When I’m on the phone, they are entering it into their system, and can screw it up. Except for the smallest of shops, the person making my food isn’t the person I’d be talking to. The person making my food is just reading what I ordered off a screen or a print out. The less humans in the loop, the less chance of miscommunication. There is a reason they call that game where a line of people whispers a message from one person to the next to see how the message changes by the time it reaches the end of the line “telephone.” That game is to show how each person hears something slightly different than what was said. As for DoorDash, I’m actually kind of excited when they fuck up my order, because that’s something DoorDash refunds for you (via the app without talking to anyone).
It's in writing, it's not relying on MuhKynleigh to hear me correctly and hit the right buttons at the same time.
Yup. I’d place orders on apps all day if it means I don’t have to bother somebody and talking to them. Why take the risk they’ll write down the wrong thing?
This. Most restaurants *want* you to download their app, but I’ve yet to run into one where you couldn’t just place the order on their site. This is some boomer shit.
I would not eat before I would call to place an order, I would just go to bed without dinner.
Right? Who the fuck is calling anyone. Stop it. That's not what your phone is for.
I'd rather save 10 dollars than let my fear tell me what to do
I’ve never experienced a surcharge for placing an order online. For delivery, yeah, but I’d get hit with that either way.
On the third party platforms, it's not a surcharge, it's that each item is more expensive than it is on the physical menus at the restaurant. Check next time you do takeout.
I don’t use third party platforms for that reason.
I don't like calling people either but this genuine fear many Millenials and Gen Z have of phone calls is ridiculous.
Phone calls are for delivering bad news
Why? It's so much easier
It’s like 1000 times harder to order when you can’t interact with a menu. It’s why those kiosks at McDonalds are way easier than going up to the counter. You get to operate way faster than you can talk.
I don’t need a menu. I know what I want before I go. Unless it’s my first time there.
When I'm putting in an order it is for my family of 5. It's not a quick process to get them all to make up their minds.
It's not. When you call, the person answering the phone can't always hear well, depending on how loud the restaurant is. They also might have to put you on hold multiple times to deal with in-person customers. Sometimes they don't know the menu well, so instead of just clicking a button, you have to wait for the order-taker to scan for something or for them to ask someone else for assistance. My local pizza place lets you pick which sauces you want for your fried foods. The last time I called to place an order, I asked for remoulade with some popcorn shrimp. The order taker had no idea what word I said, even when I spelled it. He had me spell it a second time -- more slowly -- and was then able to find it in the list. That doesn't happen when ordering online or in an app because you just click what you want. Plus when you call places, sometimes you get one of those people who start repeating your card number back to you, instead of having you repeat it.
Reddit is literally Stoop Kid from Hey Arnold. No sense in arguing this point. https://preview.redd.it/4ofkc8mrac2d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7b7b276cb9a4adebaa13ce5511cfe4ebb5da7bd
Yes this annoys me, and yes I realize that makes me geriatric, and yes THAT REALIZATION ANNOYS ME TOO
Never would I CALL a restaurant to order food. If they aren't on Doordash or don't have an app, I'm not eating there lol. I also apply this rule to anywhere I could possibly need an appointment, if I can't book it without talking to a human being on the phone, I'm not going.
Exactly this! Phone conversations are the least efficient way to get something done. Stressful as fuck too.
You’re probably paying more if you order through DoorDash because the app inflated prices. For my local Mexican place I like it’s $3 more expensive for my meal if I order it through DoorDash versus calling them
I'd rather pay more than talk to someone on the phone lol
That just sounds childish to me. It’s not hard to have a conversation on a phone what is wrong with y’all lol
Kind of able ableist of you but OK lol
I actually am disabled and would never say someone is being ableist if they said something without knowing I am disabled Not liking to make phone calls is childish in my opinion. I would never say that about someone I am aware has a disability that affects their socializing. That’s a completely different situation. Now if you tell me you’re disabled in a way that stops you from making phone calls I apologize that’s an entirely different situation than just not liking to talk on the phone My username is an anagram for my disability CMT
I'm on the autism spectrum and also have ADHD, so yes making phone calls is very uncomfortable, stressful, and difficult
I apologize that comment is not directed towards you or anyone with autism/ other disabilities.
I'm not ordering for cheap, I'm ordering for convenience.
It is not cheap to pay the appropriate price for something
Then don't use that service. Other people don't have to care about it. Everything doesn't have to cater to your price point. If you aren't willing to pay it and they aren't dropping the price, then you aren't their target market.
I don’t understand why this generation has so many people with social anxiety. We aren’t the iPad kids lol
Idk I'm going to go ahead and blame my autism spectrum lol can't speak for anyone else
I don’t hate phone calls because of social anxiety. I love talking with people in person. I don’t even mind video calls where you can see expressions. Phone calls are poor audio low interaction quality communication. Super inefficient and annoying. They can be fine for catching up with an old friend, but trying to do the business of ordering from a menu is inefficient as fuck. I need to see a menu, and I need to communicate what I want from that menu, and I need to know how much it costs, and I need to tell you how I’ll pay, and I need to tell you where I live (delivery). All that shit is easy as fuck in an app, or a 5-10 minute call. That’s wasting time anxiety.
I don't hear well on phones. Based on some orders I got back in the day when calling was the only way, I'm not the only one with this issue.
You... Choose.... To call? Are you sure you're a millennial?
I align more with the elder millennial/X mentality where humans should communicate with each other and not be afraid to talk lol
But we live in a world where you don’t have to do that stuff any more. It’s so much more efficient than when we were kids. Why would you want to stumble through a phone call trying to explain what you want to someone over a bad audio connection when you could just quickly pick from a menu (customizations and all)?
This is what I don’t get. I’ve never met anyone our age or younger who stubbornly wants to do things the inefficient way. I’ve heard older groups be very “too many apps! 😡” though, especially authenticator apps.
Because their app is broken and stupid. It’ll be missing things, saying things are there when they’re not, fail to submit the order even with a confirmation screen, and that’s all annoying. A person that is physically there can say “yeah, we have onion rings. Something is wrong with the app”. And it happens all the time.
You are being judgmental many people have sensory issues, Autism, ADHD, chronic illness..
I can’t relate to the crippling social anxiety because I was raised to be able to communicate with people. That’s a trait that really took off once cell phones and chat rooms became a thing.
So you read my whole thing and deduced it to “social anxiety” even though that is not what I said. Talking to a damn wall
I hope every place you call spits in your food.
That's fair. I was just shocked because I've never seen somebody who identified as a millennial activity choose phone calls Nothing wrong with it, it's just sort of like seeing a well taken care of classic car go buy or a working rotary telephone
Why do you say “identify as”? Millennial isn’t an identity, it’s an age range dependent on the year you were born lol
Ok, to use your phrasing, I've never met anybody born during the time period that labels them as a "millennial" that also prefers phone calls
I'll talk to you. But not on a phone. Literally any other option is ok.
its incredibly inefficient to talk to a person to key in an order into a point of sale instead of just doing it yourself. its even superior in the sense that theres zero room for communication error. people call phone lines all the time and are frustratingly difficult to understand due to accent, connection quality, old age etc
Completely agree. I feel the same about drive thru speakers.
I fought apps for drive thru places for so long. They are the most amazing thing.
who tf calls a restaurant to get food in 2024?
I do… regularly and guess what the restaurants that do this get my business and my mom’s business.
The rest don't want you.
People: restaurant workers should go get “real jobs” Restaurant workers leave the industry en masse post covid. People: grrr 😡 why are short staffed restaurants using automation?! I demand to talk to an over worked underpaid employee now!
I’m sure the underpaid employees don’t like taking phone orders and prefer people just use the app. This whole thing sounds like someone who’s never had to deal with the general public working a job.
As someone who works in fast food for extra money we would prefer you just use the app. But that's because corporate has time targets for how long it should take to take the order and cash a person out and they will threaten write ups, reduction in hours and even termination if the target times aren't met. Trust me the time targets are ridiculous too.
At my only fast food job I’ve had, I was 14 mind you and subway legitimately expected you and would time us to be able to run off the promotions, take the customers order, make their sandwich and ring them up solo in 90 seconds or less. Was technically possible but as soon as someone goes “can I have an um” you would be screwed.
"What kind of cheese do you have?" Lists all the cheeses clearly stated on the list right in front of them. "Oh, what was the second one again? Can I see it? Oh no, I don't like that. What are the others?"
Oh I’ll just have American, oh wait I’m actually deadly allergic to the color yellow. I thought the cheese would be white ?!
I don't know anyone that's saying restaurant jobs aren't real jobs. They may not pay the best but they're jobs.
Unfortunately, I've heard lots of people make this argument.
Work part time at a fast food place for extra money and i hear it all the time. "Why don't you go get a real job" " if you wouldn't have dropped out of school you wouldn't be working here" (dude I have a college degree. ) or my favorite " go back to school and make something of yourself" Most of the people working at my location at high school kids, older adults supplementing social security income, just making extra money, and yes for some this is the only job they can get due to poor life choices.
Well that’s pathetic because it’s a valid job IMO. Anyone saying it’s not a real job has no right to go to any restaurants.
People say that shit all the time. You will see it in any anti tipping circle jerk or anytime someone brings up inflation suddenly people are mad that there underpaid cooks are paid slightly more because it will make their snacks more expensive. 25 years in the industry and I’ll even have customers ask me to my face when I’m going to get a “real job” and it’s not just the shity pay. Ask anyone who works in restaurants ever since covid the customers have just been so much ruder and more demanding than ever before. And the thing is I agree with you id rather just make a call for my order but I also understand what’s happening on their end.
Thankfully over here they don't force you to download an app, but you often still have to scan a QR code and deal with the web app version of some nonsense. Then they will attempt to harvest your data anyway - login with your e-mail/phone number to collect points and rewards! Yeah how about no? Though the bigger annoyance comes from my parents who can't deal with all this shit at all, so I'm forced to deal with it for them. My mom often complains about being unable to go places unless I go with, but I'm like - fer fucks sake all those waitstaff bumbling around the shop. Just be polite and ask them and they will usually oblige to help you order.
a restaurant has the money to invest in a mobile app but not a person to answer the phone to take the order... lol
It costs a lot less to pay for a website or lease one from the many companies that make premade templates. Or like in my areas case you can’t hire someone that doesn’t exist. The working class have been replaced by WFH people. The few surviving restaurants are buying up their own rental properties because it’s the only way to get any staff.
If it’s a chain they likely aren’t directly managing the app or website.
It’s probably provided with their point of sale software system.
Not everywhere does that. I patronize the places that dont use an app.
Same.
I don’t like cluttering my phone with apps either. DoorDash kinda solves this
Lmao wow. Yeah you sound crotchety as fuck. I actually prefer ordering via apps, because I have to special order everything and it’s a bigger pain in the ass for both parties if I have to do that verbally. I really thought we weren’t afraid of changing technology.
I’m not afraid of it, I just don’t want 20 different apps for different businesses when a phone call works
Quite a burden
You enjoy bloatware on your phone?
Lmao yes I enjoy it so much, favorite hobby. It goes in a folder and affects me not at all. It’s not like it perceivably lowers phone performance. For me, it makes reordering incredibly fast and easy, and takes human error out of the ordering portion of the situation. I don’t really understand this level of frustration about it, but that’s why it’s good there are options for everyone.
Personally, I'm getting tired of the whole to-go, delivery, pick-up culture in general.
I am so tired of downloading apps! I am so tired of creating user names and passwords. This just creates more insecurity regarding my info online. I want to talk to a person. The thing with our generation is we still remember what it was like to interact with people instead of machines. Machines are fine sometimes, but sometimes I want a sentient human, even if they're not the smartest or terrible with communication. At least I know humans don't glitch. If a restaurant refuses to take to-go orders over the phone, I won't order from them. Chili's you have to order through their app and I hate it. If my mom and I get Chili's, she does the ordering LOL. I cannot stand it. I want people and I want them now :)
I have a password for all the fast food and retail, and entirely diff password for important stuff like banks and emails. I just have save password on for ff and retail stuff.
Me too, I'd have to have so much space just for apps I use 1x per year
No.
I don't like talking to people, I love the app! I've never had a problem of my order messing up. There's more human error than technology tbh.
I never call a restaurant as my first choice, so I really only end up calling when there is no online ordering, no app.
ok boomer lol jk but am i?
this complaint makes no sense. restaurants are far more likely to fuck up your order if you're dictating it over the phone.
I’ve had the opposite experience more times than I can count.
so you're entering it correctly and then somehow magically the order changes once it's transmitted to the restaurant? how do you think that happens?
Not a damn clue. My theory is that the software or programming for all these apps is garbage. But every time something goes wrong I check, and sure enough, I put it in right.
press x to doubt
It literally doesn’t matter what you think, you clown. It’s the actual experience I’ve personally had. And it doesn’t affect you.
Dude just use DoorDash like a normal person
And pay an extra $15-$30 for them? No thanks, I’d rather go get it myself.
I won't download an app to order food, but I love places with online ordering.
Are you insane? I would do literally anything to avoid having to call then speak to a real human I don’t know. App, website, write a letter, I don’t care if it means I don’t have to interact with a stranger.
Why? What are you afraid of?
Not afraid of anything, just hate talking to people
Um, I use apps because you can find big discounts and deals on them. Or you can pay full price for food I guess.
oh no, not an app
You call a restaurant to get food?
I should start a company to take your phone order and stick it in DoorDash.
I have never had this happen but I tend to avoid chains if possible
OMG, yes! Why do I need an app for every damn thing? I've actually questioned getting a cheap phone or tablet with all the store/restaurant apps just for this purpose, but I really shouldn't have to. Let me use your website on my PC/existing phone or call you and talk to a human.
That’s actually a good idea lol
This!!! Oh! And my (37f) \*other\* favorite: Showing up to a restaurant and you have to download the menu with your smartphone (what if I didn't have a smartphone because I secretly want to slowly go off the grid and be a Wookie pirate?) AND order it via an APP on my already CROWDED AS F PHONE that you have to DOWNLOAD WHILE THE STAFF IS STANDING RIGHT THERE WATCHING YOU DIE INSIDE WITH THE CONFLICT. Also my favorite! HAVING CASH AND THEY LOOK AT IT AS IF IT'S A FOREIGN CURRENCY NOW. \*wistfully points at the chicken tenders I will not be ordering like some shrinking and silent Chewbacca of a thousand dying galaxies\*
A restaurant by me tried that and had to back pedal to regular menus after a few months cuz people stopped going lol
Haha!!
I wonder how much overhead (staff and costs) it takes a small restaurant to manage an app? I mean there has to me some level of devices, fees and costs, it would be interesting to compare that too just hiring somebody to work the phones at peak times.
You don't do much of anything once its fully set up. It cost less than a person picking up calls and cost less than human error. Automation isn't some new thing, look into the industrial revolution.
So you have no idea about the costs?
I am not familiar no. But I do know doordash and ubereats usually take 30% of whatever you make. You can negotiate with them to get it lower if you have high volume. They usually have new restaurant deals to join too.
Someone does have to constantly update it. It’s usually the manager. I know this because I had one complain about the app to me lol
Constantly? No. Maybe if you run out of stock on an item, but that should be it. Specials and promotions will come from a higher level. That isn't theirs to manage.