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View Full Version : Self-service is coming to the Taste Pilots Grill



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Darkbeer
09-09-2004, 11:23 PM
OK, you have seen them at Wal-Mart, Albertsons, etc......

Now they are coming to Disneyland...

http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/216316/7/8347292

Starting on the 14th you can pick your own food choices on a touch screen, then pay either with cash or charge.....

More labor savings!!!:fez:

AVP
09-10-2004, 07:23 AM
You know, Arbys tested this at some San Gabriel Valley locations 6 years ago. It was a total flop - people could not figure out how to use the kiosks. They abandoned the project after mere months.

Let's see how long this lasts.

AVP

AliciasMom
09-10-2004, 07:30 AM
Oh god... they have those machines at the Rio Buffet in Las Vegas. All you have to do is push how many in your party and your drinks and people acted like they never saw a computer before in their life. It's horrible for lines. I swear I thought my head was going to blow off when someone ahead of us thought it was cute for their 5 year old to put in their order.

Bruce Bergman
09-10-2004, 07:53 AM
Those machines can work - IF the people working them deal with them several times and learn how to do it right, and IF the machines were designed and programmed halfway intelligently. As an example, you need the ability to "Go Back" from anywhere in a transaction without having to cancel the whole order and start over - you always have kids changing their minds up till the last second...

For Disneyland, that mostly eliminates the day tourists, they will use the machine twice, maybe three times in an average trip, and then go back to Iowa for another 5 years. For the people stuck behind them thinking that line would move faster, it will be like watching paint dry... :mad:

(Maybe they need a sign: "Kids, if your parents are taking too long, jump in and do it for them." :D )

Now for AP Holders that are there all the time, it'll be a true Express Lane. We know the menu, we know the machines... :cool:

The Self Check-Out aisles at Home Depot work okay once you get the hang of them, and when you know the dance (the way the computer wants it) they are /much/ faster than the regular lines - but for people who are technophobes they can spend a half hour fumbling with them. For me, I can breeze right through - but I keep asking if they can install a "Shut UP Already!!" button ("Expert Mode") to cut off (or edit to one word) the stupid voice prompts... :p

:fez: --<< Bruce >>--

rakkwhite
09-10-2004, 08:08 AM
Ditto that Bruce!! I think this idea will be a disaster on a crowded day. Yes, I have seen this restaurant get very crowded because it's the only one in this area. If they have both service options, a CM at a register and a kiosk, this will be great! But since the kiosks are in the area where the customers used to line up for a register, it doesn't look very likely.

I guess only time will tell. I'd love to use it, but waiting behind people who are struggling will test my patience.

rentayenta
09-10-2004, 08:50 AM
Oh god... they have those machines at the Rio Buffet in Las Vegas. All you have to do is push how many in your party and your drinks and people acted like they never saw a computer before in their life. It's horrible for lines. I swear I thought my head was going to blow off when someone ahead of us thought it was cute for their 5 year old to put in their order.

LMAO :fez:

KarenW2
09-10-2004, 09:27 AM
they had us do a survey while we were in line! We were at Test Pilots for lunch last month and there was a guy with a computer, asking us questions about our purchases while we were waiting. I don't remember what the questions were that I heard, since I went to find us a table while my hubby placed our order, but I'll have to ask my hubby and see if he remembers what they were.

Seems like they're trying to cut down on being able to deal with humans at DCA!! First it was closing down Millionaire, then the PPH entrance because they don't want to have to staff it, now this! What's next? I would guess having AAs everywhere to take care of business, but those would be too expensive to put in and maintain!

Thomas
09-10-2004, 09:29 AM
The Self Check-Out aisles at Home Depot work okay once you get the hang of them, and when you know the dance (the way the computer wants it) they are /much/ faster than the regular lines - but for people who are technophobes they can spend a half hour fumbling with them. For me, I can breeze right through - but I keep asking if they can install a "Shut UP Already!!" button ("Expert Mode") to cut off (or edit to one word) the stupid voice prompts... :p

:fez: --<< Bruce >>--

A little off topic here, but it cracks me up when I go to Home Depot and you see people trying to use the self check out with bags of cement or a large load of lumber, etc. People can't figure it out that it is for small items.

Bruce Bergman
09-10-2004, 10:19 AM
A little off topic here, but it cracks me up when I go to Home Depot and you see people trying to use the self check out with bags of cement or a large load of lumber, etc. People can't figure it out that it is for small items.

No, they can't figure out that you'll have to either look it up on a menu screen, type in the PLU or UPC, or get the checker to come over with the (ONE!) scan gun. (Or you can hold the lumber up on end to scan the UPC tag on the end... :rolleyes: ) Problem is when they only have one regular checkstand open, and it has a half-hour-plus line. That's when you are willing to go through the menus.

We see the same problem every day at DL's French Market - they have a really fast tray-slide system that could move people through that line at warp-speed if they wanted to set volume records, but they only open one register and that ends up backing up the whole line. You're lucky if your once hot meal is still lukewarm by the time you make it to your seat.

But the terminals wouldn't work as well there in a post-pay system. You'd still get a backup from the inevitable slow user, but now while you wait your food is getting colder, and colder, and colder... :mad:

But I can't yak for long - 45 minutes, and I'm off to DL. :p

:fez: --<< Bruce >>--

tink1234
09-10-2004, 10:32 AM
I've been to a McDonald's like this. The funny thing, I figured it out easily, but dh who is a comp programmer (a good one, I swear!) had more trouble. :fez:

Osky
09-10-2004, 10:43 AM
I've been to a McDonald's like this. The funny thing, I figured it out easily, but dh who is a comp programmer (a good one, I swear!) had more trouble. :fez:

I too am a programmer, and have problems with User Interfaces that are not presented in a logical manner (or one that I would consider logical). I took many cognitive science and developmental psychology courses at Berkeley and worked on UIs for developmentally challenged individuals. Believe me, most companies just pay a programmer to throw something together with very little design or usability studies. The first generation i-drive in the new 7ers from BMW prove that point.

Andrew
09-10-2004, 12:28 PM
Here (http://www.project-insomnia.com/2003_09_01_archive.shtml#106314603099242935)'s my year-old rant on the Home Depot self-checkout machines. A year later, the store has built up merchandise shelves and racks around them and apparently laid off 80% of their cashiers. I guess they're here to stay, and I now go to OSH almost exclusively, unless it's for something I can only find at HD.

On the other hand, the Safeway grocery store near my bookstore recently removed their self-checkout lanes after a year or so. The lanes were only open half the day anyway, and the cashiers (union, in this case) didn't much like them, but I used them.

adriennek
09-10-2004, 12:52 PM
We have two Home Depots near our home. Both have self-service but at one of them, the line is always long, people are always having trouble figuring out how to use them and waiting for help. It's never shorter to go into that line and we avoid it there, big time.

I remember going to a self-serve Arby's near that theater in Century City- we saw Beauty and the Beast there, I think (nice memory, huh?) I remember that they totally caught me off-guard and the people working there had to take a lot of time to explain them to me. Like others have said, it didn't look logical to me and I had to search for what I wanted to do.

Adrienne

cstephens
09-10-2004, 01:57 PM
We never eat at Taste Pilots, but I think a self-service option would be a great thing as long as they still had regular cashiers as well. I love the self-service line at Home Depot. Usually, what we're buying is small, tagged items, so we whip through there. We use the self-service kiosks at AMC Theatres as well, and they're a breeze. I like human interaction when it's necessary, but for some stuff, using a computer is fine. I was at the grocery store this morning and had to wait a few minutes in line while seemingly all of the staff stood around together talking about what they were doing this weekend. Some of them saw me standing there but none of them came over. Great customer service. I don't need to be chatted up or anything but just check me out. That's why I like the self-service stuff. No need to deal with that.

Bill Catherall
09-10-2004, 02:04 PM
Does Taste Pilots still give AP discounts? (ETA: Yep, 10% off.) Will these new machines give discounts?

If so, I'll have to give them a try when we're down there next month. I'll reserve my judgement until I use them.

olegc
09-10-2004, 08:44 PM
Self service aisles are great when you are buying things you know and scanning them. Yes, some folks need more help to understand which buttons to push first, but the larger part of the task is to scan your items and put them into the bag.

Now, imagine, you've never been to DLAND, were there 2 years ago and never been to DCA (no!, it can't be!!!). Do you know what you want before you walk up to the machine? How could you, you don't know the menu.

The line will be hug because people will be deciding at the machine what it is they want to eat, or they are waiting for little Billy to go find Mom (who's out getting a table) because Homer-esque Dad forgot mom's order. Other patrons get testy and the Dad says "Shut up - it's not my fault, it's this stupid computer system"

What a nice toper to a Disney Day!!!

JeffG
09-11-2004, 09:04 AM
The line will be hug because people will be deciding at the machine what it is they want to eat, or they are waiting for little Billy to go find Mom (who's out getting a table) because Homer-esque Dad forgot mom's order.

Why is any of this more likely with a self-service kiosk than with a human cashier?

-Jeff

olegc
09-11-2004, 02:20 PM
Correct - it's not much different - except usually in a line there is the giant menu to look at so some of them may look ni advance, whereas with the kiosks it's not as obvious.

And, with a cashier - someone is right in front of you to answer questions, whereas the kiosk you need to go find someone - right?

tink1234
09-11-2004, 08:37 PM
I too am a programmer, and have problems with User Interfaces that are not presented in a logical manner (or one that I would consider logical). I took many cognitive science and developmental psychology courses at Berkeley and worked on UIs for developmentally challenged individuals. Believe me, most companies just pay a programmer to throw something together with very little design or usability studies. The first generation i-drive in the new 7ers from BMW prove that point.
Ummm...that's not his only job. I hope you were just making a point and not saying he may be dumb. :confused: I was just trying to be funny.

Maus
09-12-2004, 08:02 AM
My Ralph's supermarket, along with Home Depot, also has the self-service checkout. I love it. They were installed just prior to the supermarket strike so when that happened, I thought, "oh, well, I'll just use the self-serve." They were closed down for the entire strike. Now, I know they require one staff member to man them but they couldn't train the temps?

Now that they are up and working again all six are usually busy, so I think people are getting used to dealing with a machine. TPG, I would assume will have a least one CM helping folks use the kiosk. (I've been wrong before) Now if people would choose their menu items before stepping up to the screen--right, like that will happen.

While I do like to use the machines in certain instances, like the grocery store, where more likely than not the checkers are all chatting to one another and ignoring the customers (my experience--this may not be yours--that's why I laughed when during the strike they kept saying people shop here because the checkers treat them so well!), I am sorry that it means fewer jobs in the resort.

David R
09-12-2004, 09:09 AM
I refuse to use any self-check out lanes. If you want me to scan my own items, bag my own purchases and handle my own payment, then give me a discount that I wouldn't get if i went to a lane with a human doing these things for me.

This takes the Taste Pilot's Grill off my list of places to eat at. I pay a premium for theme park food, I expect some kind of service and interaction.

What's next, self-loading ToT elevators and a button to start the ride?

SCUBAbe
09-12-2004, 09:18 AM
What's next, self-loading ToT elevators and a button to start the ride?
It could happen. They have self-loading rides at MM. An Employee just runs down the train quickly to make sure you have the bar down, then away you go. Literally when you get to the front of the line there are motre lines to stand in depending on what area of the train oyu want to stand in. When you get to the fron you just get in the train. There's no one there saying, "how many" and dirscting you...

Andrew
09-12-2004, 09:30 AM
The late, lamented Rocket Jets had self-loading elevators. You even had to press the "up" button yourself.

AVP
09-12-2004, 09:32 AM
If you want me to scan my own items, bag my own purchases and handle my own payment, then give me a discountOK, that's spooky. I've said as much to the manager at my local Home Depot. "Since I had to find it myself and check myself out, do I get an employee discount?" His reply: "The employees don't even get discounts." :rolleyes:

AVP

Osky
09-12-2004, 11:29 AM
Ummm...that's not his only job. I hope you were just making a point and not saying he may be dumb. :confused: I was just trying to be funny.
Oh no. Not at all. My point was that I have an equally hard problem figuring these things out and I too am a programmer. If it is not set up how my experiences say it should be, then I have difficulties. Intelligent people that have less experience with UIs, such as my wife and yourself, typically have an easier time because you are not expecting it to be different.

This is a similar concept to traditional "old school" programmers who worked for many many years before the first "windows" computers arrived. My dad is one of the smartest programmers I know, however, he has problems with using a mouse and windows because it is counter-intuitive to someone who has programmed in a UNIX/DOS enivronment for 30 years.