Friday, March 28, 2014

Table Ziosk


Our local Chili's restaurant has placed small "Ziosks" (wee computers) on the tables and booths. You can place an order, you can request a refill on your drink, you can pay your bill. And it has games for the kiddos to play!

When you've concluded your dinner and are ready to pay, just swipe your credit card in the assigned slot. You can add a tip and sign the chit and be on your way without further ado.

These things might be a bit too much for the technologically-challenged. In fact, I didn't like them at all at first and refused to use them. They are not mandatory. But the last time we ate at Chili's I decided to give it a try and it worked quite well.

We have not seen these elsewhere but it's possible some other restaurants are using them also.  Have you seen them in your city?

20 comments:

Judy said...

I haven't seen one yet. Not sure I would like it either but then, I didn't think I would like a lot of the new technology until I tried it. I wonder if some of the "wait people" will lose their jobs if that catches on. That would be a shame.

hamilton said...

Who exactly would you be tipping?? It looks like you are doing most of the service.

Jack said...

Technology is changing everything, including restaurants. I have not seen this, but several places bring iPads to the table. The menu is on it, with clickable photos to see what the food looks like.

Thanks for your poem today. I am honored. Don't expect me to write you any poems. I am strictly a prose guy.

William Kendall said...

I haven't seen that around either.

Randy said...

One less employee to hire.

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

Next, they'll want you to serve yourself.

Anonymous said...

Closest we get is self service check outs in supermarkets, sounds like Randy has it about right.

Karl said...

Not seen yet here, but it is only a matter of time...

Rajesh said...

Self service till the last mile.

Lowell said...

We gave up on Chili’s after they reduced the number of wait people, and began serving frozen hamburgers that are reheated, since they changed their kitchen to more short order cooking. We kept sending hamburgers back and disliked the long waits for food.

We like the new deli, so that helps us when we are in a hurry

Birdman said...

Pretty cold...
Did they forget the last line

... and Get Out of Here!
hehehehehe

Sharon said...

Hopefully they are paying the wait staff a living wage because I bet this cuts down on the tips.

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

I'll have to try a Ziosk. Thanks for educating me! Do you still maintain a daily photo site?

VP said...

I have never seen anything alike here, but we are definitely backward in this kind of things. Not sure if I would like it, but I will at least try...

VP said...

I have never seen anything alike here, but we are definitely backward in this kind of things. Not sure if I would like it, but I will at least try...

Kay said...

Nope. I haven't seen that here. I'm not adverse to self-service & I've mastered it here and there. But I can't say I'd like it in a restaurant where I'd otherwise expect wait staff...though I know it's an improvement over some "wave and wait" service I've had. Next they'll bring one of those vibrating light units to your table and when it goes off you go to the window and retrieve your food.

RedPat said...

I think I prefer to be waited on and have some personal contact!

cieldequimper said...

No, I haven't, thankfully.

magiceye said...

Further reducing human contact :)

Small City Scenes said...

Very interesting!! MB

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." — Henri Cartier-Bresson