Coming over here, taking our jobs...

[Mich the Tester]

It's true to these things are starting to sprout up in airports and service stations generally you choose and pay all up front and only see a person to pick up your goods....

so in essence the employee in this instacne literally takes your food from the back shelves where the chefs (?!?) put once it is made and put it on a tray

how can you pay someone $15 per hour to do that?

So shortly, eating fast food won't just make you fat, it'll put people out of work too! All the more reason to visit decent restaurants.

[SpontaneousOrder]

All the more reason to visit decent restaurants.

Better increase that 'living wage' then!

[mos]

The son's spirit is now being crushed and we replace them with a Polish Professor cleaning bogs.

Obvious solution:
a. Import less unskilled immigration under the skilled label
b. Give back dignity to artisan jobs
c. Stop stereotyping Polish intelligentsia working in the UK.

[d000hg]

I don't understand why more restaurants don't put ordering systems in tables, or at least an airplane style "assistance please" button. Maybe I'm just too much of a nerd

[Mich the Tester]

I don't understand why more restaurants don't put ordering systems in tables, or at least an airplane style "assistance please" button. Maybe I'm just too much of a nerd

Some restaurants value giving their guests (guests, not customers), the chance of some social interaction with staff; that can be particularly enjoyable when 'Solo Dining' (see another thread) and people tend to return to a restaurant that has friendly staff. Maybe you're just too much of a nerd

[vetran]

Some restaurants value giving their guests (guests, not customers), the chance of some social interaction with staff; that can be particularly enjoyable when 'Solo Dining' (see another thread) and people tend to return to a restaurant that has friendly staff. Maybe you're just too much of a nerd

I think you are missing the distinction between Restaurants and Fast Food restaurants. Burger / chicken in a bun chains etc are about speed & volume. Interaction with the customer is styled on supermarkets.

McDonalds already have sites with order and pay at a computer kiosk. I find them quite pleasant compared to queueing with the unwashed.

Mid range - TGI fridays / Nandos etc Being asked every 50 seconds if I'm enjoying the meal would I like any drinks?? when they are quiet is annoying. But when then they are busy I know I will wait 20 minutes for them, another 20 mins for the drinks to arrive and then they will get them wrong. If I could order at the table the bus boy can drop them round quickly.

But to be honest if I had a premium restaurant which had privacy as one of its selling points with booths a small buzzer or a pullcpord to summon assistance in the corner might be popular.

[Mich the Tester]

But to be honest if I had a premium restaurant which had privacy as one of its selling points with booths a small buzzer or a pullcpord to summon assistance in the corner might be popular.

If the staff are competent you won't need that. Unfortunately too many restaurant staff seem to walk about and glance around pretending to look if guests require attention but don´t actually see anything. I think they're sort of simulating work. It's a shame because well trained restaurant staff can increase revenues without makin guests feel hassled, and can actually make a good career for themselves in the long run. Trouble is, too many restaurant owners take a very short term view, thinking there's no point in training people who'll leave after a short time. There is however a point, if those people leave to work in well known smart restaurants which are often fully booked and have a list of places they sent guests they´ve had to turn down due to full bookings.

[Old Greg]

The minimum wage / living wage conundrum is difficult, particularly where the cost of living is high. An obvious part solution is to reduce the cost of living (which in London and SE is largely driven by property prices).

So, a couple of law changes are required IMO to tackle property prices.

1. Extend the London green belt outwards by a mile or thereabouts.
2. State compulsory purchase agricultural land in this new area at current agricultural land prices + a premium (e.g. 50 to 100%). Grant outline planning permission to the land for residential and commercial uses. Auction off most of the land to developers / self-builders with stipulations that parcels must be built on within certain time periods (so they are not hoarded). Use a proportion of the significant profits on the land not sold off to build infrastructure for new areas and social housing. Use the rest of the profits to pay down the national debt.

There will be significant job creation in building, and cost of living will come down as accommodation becomes available. Listen out for the squealing of vested interests, which is of course why this will never happen.

[d000hg]

Mid range - TGI fridays / Nandos etc Being asked every 50 seconds if I'm enjoying the meal would I like any drinks?? when they are quiet is annoying. But when then they are busy I know I will wait 20 minutes for them, another 20 mins for the drinks to arrive and then they will get them wrong. If I could order at the table the bus boy can drop them round quickly.

Yes this was more the scenario I was thinking of, not fine dining establishments where you are likely to ask the waiter questions about the food and expect them to know the answers.

[vetran]

The minimum wage / living wage conundrum is difficult, particularly where the cost of living is high. An obvious part solution is to reduce the cost of living (which in London and SE is largely driven by property prices).

So, a couple of law changes are required IMO to tackle property prices.

1. Extend the London green belt outwards by a mile or thereabouts.
2. State compulsory purchase agricultural land in this new area at current agricultural land prices + a premium (e.g. 50 to 100%). Grant outline planning permission to the land for residential and commercial uses. Auction off most of the land to developers / self-builders with stipulations that parcels must be built on within certain time periods (so they are not hoarded). Use a proportion of the significant profits on the land not sold off to build infrastructure for new areas and social housing. Use the rest of the profits to pay down the national debt.

There will be significant job creation in building, and cost of living will come down as accommodation becomes available. Listen out for the squealing of vested interests, which is of course why this will never happen.

Or reduce population growth. Oh look an elephant in the room!