I am greatly disappointed with changes that are coming to Chilli's restaurants. Instead of having a server come take your order, and refill drinks and so forth, Chili's will be putting iPads at the tables. The idea is for the customers to enter their order into the system via iPad. Which completely eliminates the need for waitresses and waiters. Personally, if I go to a restaurant such as a Chili's, Fridays, Red Lobster, ect, ect, act, I want to be waited on. This new method of running a restaurant has not hit the Pittsburgh area yet, but it is coming soon. Has this new way of being served in a restaurant hit your home town yet?
Ow that's bad really... I've had no idea that Chilli's are having those changes :O.I totally agree with you , I also prefer to be waited on.
Sounds totally gimmicky...but I'd love to try it out! Won't be long before this morphs into a choice on how you'd like to be served. That's my prediction.
So it sounds to me that they're trying to cut down their overhead by replacing a host of waiters/waitresses with a couple of servers. I think they are going to unpleasantly surprised to find that like the self-served registers at the supermarkets this is unlikely to end well. If nothing else I predict many complaints of "I didn't order this" or "I got the wrong order". Oh, well sometimes you just have to make mistakes to get better.
I don't like that idea at all. So far, we don't have that in any of our local restaurants. That would end eating at those restaurants for my parents. They wouldn't even understand how to use an iPad. I am sure they aren't the only ones that wouldn't be able to do it. I live in Florida so there are a lot of elderly people here. I like the interaction between my waiter/waitress. This would end too many jobs in an already declining economy.
I personally don't like those changes; what's the purpose of eating out anymore? Seems like restaurants are trying to lower their costs, but doing this could actually do more more harm than good. Restaurants who replace waitresses/waiters for ipods may end up losing business.
This technology was actually released at a press conference about 3 or 4 years ago. I knew this was coming but it hasn't hit Miami yet. Actually, I will try and find the press conference video I saw about this tecnology to post a link on here so you guys can see for yourselves. The technology is very cool and convenient BUT it will eliminate millions of jobs across the board from waiters to servers to even some busboys. The idea is to have the actual table top surface be a digital interactive surface which is connected to the main computer of the restaurant and to the ticket machine of the kitchen and bar. When you place your order its through that screen, when you need a refill you put your glass on the table, click a circle that comes out around it and request a refill and someone will come and refill for you. When you pay your bill, the actual bill comes out on the screen. You can drop your CC on the table and the information of the card holder will be shown. You can split the checks by simply placing your finger on the part of the tab thats yours and pulling it to your CC info that is displayed on the table. It is VERY smart and interactive but again it will make millions of people have no jobs. There is also a verison for the home. You can buy this surface for a coffee table or work desk. When you place your digital camera on the surface the pictures "pour out" virtually onto the table top and you can categorize, organize, delete, edit etc right from this surface. Placing an electronic gadget like an iPod, iPhone, mp3 player etc makes all the info accessible as if they were files you could flip through with your fingers. You can place memory chips and have the info display the same way. Pretty much imagine all the cool gadgets and technology you see in movies like Iron Man and Minority Report and put it at your fingertips - this is what we have to look forward to. Freaky huh?
Wow, I hadn't heard anything about this, and I eat at Chili's ALL THE TIME. I generally get take-out, though. I like being able to place an order online for the take-out, but it irritates me that they claim to offer curbside service and 99% of the time, I end up having to go in and get the food anyway. On the other hand, when I'm actually in the restaurant, I prefer personal service. They will still need people to bring the food out, I'm assuming, but I can't imagine them getting big tips. And I can't imagine people, particularly the older generations, are going to be down with communicating through technology when they can simply grab someone's attention to ask for more tea or some extra salad dressing or something. I'll never forget the day my doctor's office decided to place a computerized sign-in sheet at the window vs. the old-fashioned paper one. Every person that came in got so mad (especially older people), and they couldn't figure out how to do it.
I'd be willing to give it a chance. It's not as if I'd need advice on the special at Chili's. Besides, I'd think being able to signal for my waitress to bring me another drink without having to find in her and then catch her attention. This will also set apart the wait staff that knows how to work a room versus the ones that don't. Even with the iPad doing most of the work, a smart waiter will still figure out a way to make themselves worthy of a nice tip.
I learmed about this whem swveral of, y friends applied at a local Chilis. When they went for their interview, the general manager that the company was no longer hiring servers, and was laying off the entire serving staff except for food runners. I guess we will see how it goes. But from now on my Chilis cravings sill be filled via carry out?
Wow, seriously? I used to love eating at Chili's. Haven't been there in ages. I kind of think that's a great idea, but on the other hand, it's a bad idea but it will kill some job positioons. And you do lose that personal touch. What's for tomorrow? Robots delivering the food? I need to get out more, I didn't realize businesses were doing this.
OK I am having trouble finding the original technology video I found years ago BUT I found a website for the technology that will eventually morph into what I am speaking of. Check it out for yourselvesLog In
It sounds cold, but with so many chains out there that compete with Chili's, I can see why they would be looking for a way to cut costs and set themselves apart. I know a waiter can make a dining experience horrible, but when I really expect an excellent wait staff is when I go to an excellent restaurant. Shoot, food runners might actually enhance the experience because there is less of a chance for animosity between the customer and the waiter and that decreases the chance for strange things to end up in your food. What Chili's will need to do is to have at least the manager walking the floor and checking on the diners. Somebody needs to be the go between for the customer and the food runner.
I agree I do not think that having Ipads taking orders is very customer friendly. However it seems as though this is the turn that society is taking. Everyone is looking for ways to scale back and save money so if it means cutting out servers then that is what they will do. I personally only eat at chili's once in awhile and I don't think I will be visiting the restaurant anytime soon.
