Chope-ing (reserving) seats using tissue paper

[Yusof]

smurf:

if I bring toddler and rushing, I definitely won't use this service. it's too troublesome. where got so much time doing SMS.?? :?


and imagine, you just bought the food and is trying to find the reserved seat, then the timer ends, you have to fumble and try to do SMS. and while you do SMS and hold the food, the food drops, how?

Then you miss the point altogether. Too high tech for you.

The idea is, while you walk to the foodcourt, you send the SMS. It gives you about 10 mins to go straight to get the food, and go the seat reserved for you.

It is not meant for you to buy the food first, then send the SMS.

[Funz]

hquek:

ChiefKiasu:

To solve the problem, can simply have a ticketing machine at the entrance for people to press and print out a chope-ing coupon with the time on it. So you can use the coupon to chope for the next 10mins.

You ever queue for that lor mee in Old Airport road market? need I think 3 coupons....

well that's the thing. while you are still queing for your food, the seat you have choped could be used and vacated by someone oredi. But instead, it remains unused.

[Yusof]

auntieM:

Elderly and foreigners how? Very stressful to eat in such a place leh, a lot of procedure to follow.. ...

Auntie,

Elderly and guai-low go to busy Shenton Way, Raffles Place during lunch time for what ? If they really want to 'kuay-sio' (squeeze hot) then so be it.

The use of the seat reservation system is optional. Not say every one must use it.

The display with timer, is more 'formal' and proper than a silly pack of tissue paper. For all you know, the inconsiderate person can leave the silly pack of tissue paper there for years, and nobody is suppose to sit there just because of that ? Absolutely no logic.

Having a timer is to be fair for the others. The reservation of seat during a busy hour, cannot be indefinite.

[daisyt]

Let me quote one example, do not hammer me.


4 people going lunch. Found a table with 4 seats. All the 4 are eating different food.

Option 1
1 person sits down, to chop the table. The rest 3 go queue to buy food. When anyone is back with food, then its the sitting person's turn to go queue for food.

Option 2
Put 4 packets of tissue, all the 4 go queue for food.

Whats the difference? :?
Ultimately, all the 4 have to queue to get their own food.

[hquek]

Funz:

well that's the thing. while you are still queing for your food, the seat you have choped could be used and vacated by someone oredi. But instead, it remains unused.

Understand the frustration that comes in when you eye that unused seat. But if there is one person sitting there blocking other pp from using those same empty seat, and faithfully waiting for her friends to come back after searching the entire available stores, making up their minds and then queueing and buying the food back; and then she gets up to do the same.....I think the efficiency counter also fails.

I can only say that it all boils down to the particular circumstance, and it's best if everyone practises consideration for other fellow beings.

[hquek]

daisyt:

Let me quote one example, do not hammer me.

Different scenarios different outcomes lah. No hammering, this is a forum...we're expected to differ in our views. :celebrate:

Imagine everyone agreeing....aiyoh....not fun liao. :love:

[Yusof]

ChiefKiasu:

It is too expensive an option for open canteen-like hawker centres or foodcourts, and not required by restaurants who have their own waiters to do the crowd management. You will need to look for something in-between food courts and restaurants.

That is right, if you install this system at HDB's hawker center, then of course it is like the Americans...this is targetted for the busy foodcourt at CBD area.

The major stream of revenue is not from the reservation fee charged. It is the advertisement that keeps running on the table !!
[quote]To solve the problem, can simply have a ticketing machine at the entrance for people to press and print out a chope-ing coupon with the time on it. So you can use the coupon to chope for the next 10mins.[/quote]But this is waste of paper. The small little display does the job. The display is not movable. The paper will fly away, maybe other people will take the paper away and claim that they have the seat.

If there is no reservation fee, if the ticketing machine is like getting a queue number at a bank...then this system is going to fail because too many coupon is going to be issued, that will overwhelm the number of available seats.

There must be a small fee charged. If you are paying at the machine, then there will be another queue. Sounds stupid too. So the best is SMS, and the reversation fee deducted from the phone account. Simple and clean. The SMS reply confimation gives you the seat number. There is no way another person can claim it over you.

You got your confirmation, while in the queue to buy food, if the timer is left with 1 minute, another SMS will come, and if you reply to extend the time, another small charge is applicable. Of course, this extension timing got to be calculated properly, otherwise the customer is going to get very pissed off with the food court operator.

Another revenue making option for this system is, once I know this customer (phone number) always frequent which food court, I can use this information for marketing purpose. I can get the food court to do promotion and I have the customer's details in my database.

So...if you like to know more, heh heh, PM me :celebrate:

[Yusof]

hquek:

tankee:

I have seen people \"booking\" table using those free newspaper.

I pity the poor aunties and uncles who have to clear up... :x

Aunties and uncles happy coz can sell the newspaper.

[Yusof]

lovekidsverymuch:

wats so nice :? though lotsa food choices :love:

Food so expensive compared to non-CBD.

[Yusof]

[quote]
Option 2
Put 4 packets of tissue, all the 4 go queue for food.
Whats the difference? :?
Ultimately, all the 4 have to queue to get their own food.[/quote]Not hammer you. Just to reason with this option 2.

When I come and see an empty table with 4 packs of tissue, I would wonder, how long have these \"reservation\" take place already ? If I am one person, and I already got a tray with food, I can finish very fast usually less than 10mins. So, shall I seat or not ?

See ? If one person is still there, then I can ask, \"excuse me, are these seats taken ?\", \"yes, all four\", \"I can finish my food in 5 mins, before they come back, can I use one of the table ? \" (because the 3 of them won't come back immediately, even so, the 4th person still got to go and buy food. I certainly can make use of that 1 space to eat up my food.

Get it ?

I am not hammering you. Just let you see the picture.