ab3@pucc-h (Darth Wombat) (01/26/84)
There is a company called "Remanco" (Previously "Cremanco", until
the folks who make microcomputers ("Crememco") yelled at them) in Toronto.
They have been marketing a 8086-based micro running a custom operating
system for about 4-5 years now, and this is the system that produced the
receipt recently reproduced in net.general. It consists of a box with
cpu/memory/floppies that sits back in a manager's office, along with a
terminal; a number of remote order-entry pseudo-terminals, and a number of
remote printers. The idea is that waiter/waitress X takes an order, punches
it in on the remote tty (which is more like a keypad); it prints out in the
kitchen; they cook it; and when it's ready, they punch their remote to
fire up an led on the waiter/waitress's remote to let them know to come and
get it.
Additionally, this widget has 1001 routines for doing reports and
so on, so the manager-types love it. It's not cheap; a typical system can
get up to $50k without trouble. The places where it is most cost-effective
are resort-hotel-restaurant complexes, where physical separation of server/
servee/kitchen/bar can affect the quality of service, and where many diverse
menus need to be accomodated.
If you are in the Chicago area, you can see one at the Bally's
restaurant-arcade; or at the Hackney's in Lake Zurich or Glenview. It's
actually pretty useful; a manager can (without too much sweat) find out
how many people ordered a drink from the bar while sitting in the dining
room between 8:15 and 9:20 -- and what tips they left.
Which brings me to the answers to a couple questions that were asked...
1. Resisting this by demanding a written receipt is unlikely to phase
the manager who shelled out $50k for it, especially since most customers seem
to be fascinated by the printout.
2. The reason for having the guest sign a duplicate receipt in addition
to a credit card slip is fraud prevention. A couple years ago, in Chicago,
I wrote some programs for these critters, and was approached by a restauranter
who wanted me to write a program to completely rewrite the database in a
tax-favorable manner. He could then (assumedly) reprint all the daily
total reports for the year and ...
Additionally, asking you to sign increases the chance that you will
read it first and find any spurious items. (Example: Did the waiter order
himself a gimlet along with yours?)
3. Company accountants love these things.
Hope this answers some of your questions...
--
"Go ahead...make my day."
Darth Wombat
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