Out at dinner the other weekend we encountered an experience I’m sure you’re all familiar with. We’d enjoyed a nice meal and were ready to pay our bill before heading home. We’d alerted the waiting staff of this and then waited. And waited. And waited some more. Nearly 15 minutes passed before we finally managed to pay for our meal and leave, all of which left a rather sour taste in our mouth about the dining experience.
It would be nice to think such an experience was uncommon, but I’m not at all sure it is. Coming to the rescue is a new service that promises to make the whole process swift and easy. Flypay are a new app that allows customers to pay for their meal without having to hang around for the waiter to pay them any attention.
It works courtesy of either an app accessible through your phone, or alternatively you can scan a QR code on your table, or even waving the handset in the vicinity of an appropriate NFC tag. The setup has already been installed in the Mexican food chain Wahaca, and there are apparently plans to roll out the system in another ten restaurant chains throughout the country.
The company revealed that in their first few weeks of operation, diners would typically use the system to pay roughly 10% of bills, but they expect that to grow as more diners become used to the technology and how it works.
Of course, Flypay are not alone in this growing market, with the likes of Cover also making headway. The US based company have gained traction in New York and San Francisco after their launch last year. It uses Bluetooth technology to understand when you’ve entered a participating restaurant, and diners can then pay their bill using their pre-registered credit card.
It’s certainly an interesting trend and one that is gaining a following amongst those who wish nothing more than to get on their way once they’ve eaten. Of course, for those who actually quite like the languid post-meal moments to enjoy a chat over a coffee, these apps won’t be for you, but you might be seeing them coming to a restaurant near you soon.
I must say, I'm very much in the want to leave as quickly as possible camp. I don't get it really. I mean do waiters think you'll buy more if you have to wait around for the bill? Surely you're just blocking up a table?
I don't want restaurant dining to be like fast food or anything, but I've been in places where you can wait for 10-15 minutes for your bill, then another 5 minutes for them to come back with the card reader etc. Baffling.