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Lint Head

(15,064 posts)

52. The restaurants deny that the tablets represent an attempt to replace human employees with computers

Wed Dec 4, 2013, 03:15 PM

Dec 2013

Buwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

What else a would they say? We're going to replace all waiters?

It's like the HGTV home surprise shows where the people walk into a room and say, "Wow! This is beautiful. I never expected this to be so nice." As opposed to, "My god! This sucks like a cold wiener that's turned rancid. What color is that? I want to vomit!."

Corporate entities don't give a rats ass about anything but profit and if eliminating employees to accomplish that is what it takes they will do it. I worked for a multi-billion dollar corporation for 26 years and lost count of how many times I heard this question asked in corporate meetings. "How many 'Man Hours' will this idea save?" Man hours are hours human beings work. Cutting time to be efficient can be a good thing. But if efficiency is detrimental to the human beings you serve and who work for you you're nothing but a greedy bastard.

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Of Course Applebee's Is Going to Replace Waiters With Tablets [View all] TalkingDog Dec 2013 OP

Sounds good to me... Decaffeinated Dec 2013 #1

Um... who, exactly, is going to be refilling your drink? You won't have wait staff. TalkingDog Dec 2013 #5

It will be similar to automated check out machines at grocery stores. former9thward Dec 2013 #9

Yea, but the person at the auto checkout jamzrockz Dec 2013 #49

They'll probably make drinks self-serve. and then you get a 1-800 # to complain about crappy service Erose999 Dec 2013 #12

You'll have PROOF of it, though--not "I TOLLLLLD him/her I wanted cheese on that!" MADem Dec 2013 #31

I found a print bug in Papa Gino's online order system... Larkspur Dec 2013 #63

If you order from PG's online, there is a space to write a note to the people taking the order. MADem Dec 2013 #65

Dominoes messed up my daughter's pizza order Ms. Toad Dec 2013 #99

See? You had PROOF they messed it up! MADem Dec 2013 #101

She doesn't eat pizza at all anymore. Ms. Toad Dec 2013 #104

I've done it both ways, and in my experience, I get a much more accurate order MADem Dec 2013 #110

Ive had online pizza orders bungled many times. The driver said its a common problem. Erose999 Dec 2013 #117

I don't expect the total removal of wait staff in the immediate future... Decaffeinated Dec 2013 #77

Nor do I. kentauros Dec 2013 #115

A local high-end pizzeria did this: A real-world functional-assessment of how this works. Chan790 Dec 2013 #121

That's cool that you're able to serve and cook. kentauros Dec 2013 #131

Well, that would put an end to fake-receipt attention-cravers. WinkyDink Dec 2013 #2

It's just a stopgap measure until we have Star Trek replicators. Blue_Adept Dec 2013 #3

This message was self-deleted by its author leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #4

This one Blue_Adept Dec 2013 #15

so theyre gonna pay the wait staff to do what? leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #19

They can still bring you the food Politicalboi Dec 2013 #32

I am sure their long-term plan is to eliminate wait staff altogether.... Swede Atlanta Dec 2013 #53

that's the long term plan of technology!!! LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #58

"illegals"??????? Seriously? LeftyMom Dec 2013 #90

Incredible... nt MADem Dec 2013 #102

some see them as commiting breaking-and-entering on the u.s. leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #119

Who sees that? LeftyMom Dec 2013 #132

i did leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #134

sorry never answered your question the answer is i do, norman goldman does also (he's on leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #135

thanks you know i completely overlooked that part of it thanks leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #61

I take it you've never waited tables before TorchTheWitch Dec 2013 #92

I go to sit-down restaurants wickerwoman Dec 2013 #122

All fine and dandy until the power goes out in the middle of dinner service. Erose999 Dec 2013 #6

That has never happened to me. former9thward Dec 2013 #10

Last time I went to Chili's the power did go out. Thunderstorms. Climate change. Fun fact: most Erose999 Dec 2013 #18

I used to love those things, especially at the gas station in the 70's. tridim Dec 2013 #33

I think it was the hope that maybe they'd lose the slip... PoliticAverse Dec 2013 #69

Born AFTER 1980, you mean. MADem Dec 2013 #34

yeah after is what I meant. We've had one everywhere I've worked, but all those places have been Erose999 Dec 2013 #44

There's required parts that are electric. jeff47 Dec 2013 #78

They still use them in cabs philosslayer Dec 2013 #84

1985--please enlighten me Tien1985 Dec 2013 #103

Hell, I saw one of those back in February Sen. Walter Sobchak Dec 2013 #111

Trust me the more electronic your kitchen gets the bigger the pain in the ass it is. Arcanetrance Dec 2013 #60

Once a restaurant lost its power because of workers ChazII Dec 2013 #71

And that never happens when they have human wait staff Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #20

Human wait staff can at least take orders & payment manually. When the tablets go out Crapplebee's Erose999 Dec 2013 #23

Is that before, or after they subdue the rioters? Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #29

Remember the diners that had telephones in each booth liberal N proud Dec 2013 #7

I didn't know they had phones in restaurants to call the kitchen. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #42

yes Rosa Luxemburg Dec 2013 #106

You go to the restaurant, sit down before a tablet, and order rocktivity Dec 2013 #8

well, with applebees, it is already microwaved food, you can do that at home as well. hollysmom Dec 2013 #14

Unless things have changed, the vast majority of Applebees food is NOT microwaved. tridim Dec 2013 #35

Maybe, but it is probably pre seasoned hollysmom Dec 2013 #39

Again, it was all fresh when I worked there as a line cook. tridim Dec 2013 #51

I've never had any complaints about Applebee's food. Appetizers to Entrees were just fine. cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #85

not food snobbery as much as not good food hollysmom Dec 2013 #124

I do love a well-made BLT. cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #126

Well, I am sorry for insulting your job. It might have been just the one I was in that felt very hollysmom Dec 2013 #120

Yes, before I eat, I want to put my fingers on something everyone else has touched jberryhill Dec 2013 #11

Awesome point. dbackjon Dec 2013 #16

Well, you touch the table and the seat . . . nt geek tragedy Dec 2013 #25

Fingers on item that everyone else touched yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #40

hand sanitizer or go wash them. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #45

Like the machines we all use to swipe credit cards at grocery stores? Like door handles at applebees DeschutesRiver Dec 2013 #64

EXACTLY what I was thinking Skittles Dec 2013 #70

Call it the eColiMagicWaitron3000 Blue Owl Dec 2013 #76

Do you touch doorknobs? n/t cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #86

But will the food improve? hobbit709 Dec 2013 #13

This is the dark side of technology, technology destroys so many jobs AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #17

Someone has to make the tablet, program the tablet, install the tablet, perform maintenance on the MADem Dec 2013 #37

Come on, thats Propaganda AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #93

Should we halt progress to save jobs? Glassunion Dec 2013 #98

Nonsense. Thinking business as usual will prevail is "propaganda." MADem Dec 2013 #109

do you tip a tablet-so the servers will be made whole from loss of tip money-believe that when i - dembotoz Dec 2013 #21

The tablet can answer that question as easily as an Applebee's waiter jmowreader Dec 2013 #113

I thought you were going to say ... "they already replaced food with.... Schema Thing Dec 2013 #22

Paula Deen signature manufactured sustenance portions. Now with more Soylent Green. Erose999 Dec 2013 #24

Not bad if you add a stick of butter. n/t Mr.Bill Dec 2013 #28

Does this mean the end of people tweeting receipts with no tips and insults? JVS Dec 2013 #26

A drone could drop orders on tables Blue Owl Dec 2013 #27

Lol underpants Dec 2013 #56

I worked there 25 years ago, and the most fun part of the job was hanging out with the wait staff.. tridim Dec 2013 #30

At places like Golden Corral the customers get their own food already Lex Dec 2013 #36

At places like Golden Corral the customers get their own food already yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #43

Not every place will go to the tablet Lex Dec 2013 #47

True yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #50

And lot's of stores are getting rid of self-checkouts liskddksil Dec 2013 #54

just curious Skittles Dec 2013 #72

Work yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #80

I used a tablet to order food LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #38

But HOW did you GET your food? rocktivity Dec 2013 #81

There was 1 waiter who served food and drinks LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #82

But you can't just be destroying jobs without creating more AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #94

oh really? so what happens to someone when they destroy a job without creating one? LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #118

Nice bellyaching... AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #127

You seem to put words in my mouth, which is something repukes do. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #128

Guess where I am not eating. appleannie1 Dec 2013 #41

Part of the enjoyment of eating out is being waited on for a change. And at Applebees, that is the appleannie1 Dec 2013 #46

Exactly. Lex Dec 2013 #48

Screw Applebees, they are as corporate as it gets when it comes down to sit down restaurants AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #95

The restaurants deny that the tablets represent an attempt to replace human employees with computers Lint Head Dec 2013 #52

And how would like your crap cooked? underpants Dec 2013 #55

Yet another reason to stay away from national chain restaurants. DinahMoeHum Dec 2013 #57

I think there's a word for this - cafeteria suffragette Dec 2013 #59

What happens to the tablets when some kid spills his soda on them? Larkspur Dec 2013 #62

They were designed with that in mind. Glassunion Dec 2013 #88

With all of this, they aren't thinking at all about the customers. MineralMan Dec 2013 #66

I like supermart self-checkout. This wouldn't bother me at all. MADem Dec 2013 #68

I use supermarket self-check, too. MineralMan Dec 2013 #73

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I don't go to a restaurant to talk to the server. MADem Dec 2013 #75

WHY IS ANYONE STILL EATING AT APPLEBEES???? Dawgs Dec 2013 #67

I understand that some hipsters go there ironically. Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #91

It's gross Rosa Luxemburg Dec 2013 #107

Cutting out the waiter doesn't get the food cooked any faster rocktivity Dec 2013 #74

Jobs created for those who repair tablets Lex Dec 2013 #79

That person that's programming the tablets, you mean in the Silicon Valley or in Seoul AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #96

Of course. Lex Dec 2013 #97

Ironically, I think the biggest argument will come from RWer's who will be afraid that madinmaryland Dec 2013 #83

Yay! Now 2 posts full of good old-fashioned overreaction in GD. Glassunion Dec 2013 #87

I know! kentauros Dec 2013 #116

Um, if we're not paid Trailrider1951 Dec 2013 #89

Let me know when they replace their menu items with food. LeftyMom Dec 2013 #100

tablet ordering would be great Niceguy1 Dec 2013 #105

Somebody still has to clean up the mess. Cleita Dec 2013 #108

There is a restaurant in Utah that has been doing this for at least two-plus decades... Drunken Irishman Dec 2013 #112

HAven't been in one of those roach pits in years Uben Dec 2013 #114

Replace Applebee's with home cooking. Dawson Leery Dec 2013 #123

I'm waiting for Fabricants, myself. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2013 #125

I'm missing how these would replace people. herding cats Dec 2013 #129

Think they'll lower prices? demosincebirth Dec 2013 #130

And Amazon drones will deliver the food... SomethingFishy Dec 2013 #133