If there ia a robot taking the order, can you get the salad dressing on the side?
Can you order the breakfast lightly toasted? Canyou hold the pickle?
Can you hold the tip?
if you hold the tip, the computer won’t spit in your food
Probably better than with a human server.
I can’t count the times I have asked for a deviation from the menu, knowing there is a 50/50 chance the server will get it right or the kitchen will even follow the order. Even the mid-price restaurants now get everything pre-portioned and frozen. Deviation sends the server into panic.
I imagine the lower price point fast food chains will automate first. Mid-price point places will will try to find some entertainment value in automated ordering and serving. Human servers will be a feature of higher-priced restaurants. Buffets and automated cafeterias will proliferate.
I also think all of the above will depend on just how much disposable income is out there. Probably become more prevalent in larger urban areas.
Here in the Northeast, Wawa, a convenience store, gas station and deli chain has a computer screen ordering system. (Romney visited one during his campaign).
To order a sub, you go through about 7 screens worth of options to "build" your sandwich. "Lot of mayo? Little bit of mayo?", etc.
It's great. Since I order the same thing every time, I can hammer through in about 10 seconds. The sub comes up 2 minutes later just as I want it prepared.
A chain called Sheetz (gas + mini-mart) on the east coast has been doing order entry for hoagies and breakfast sandwiches &c via touch screen for years. Plenty of options for extra this, none of that, etc. I love it.
Sure. Just put an area in the program where you can speak into the ordering device to tell the cook whether there is something else about the order they should know about.
When the order goes back, it plays the recorded message.
Even that can get converted to text, if you’d like.