How Do You Call The Wait Staff?

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://akiba.sorobangeeks.net/news_9165.html' target='_blank'>http://akiba.sorobangeeks.net/news_9165.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"How do you tell a customer in a Japanese fast food restaurant that his/her food is ready? You could try yelling like in the banks or bring the food to his table after searching for half an hour where he/she is seated. A restaurant chain came up with an alternative solution: the "beep". When the food is ready, give the customer a call and he will come over and collect his food."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/t00.jpg" /><br /><br />Yeah, yeah, yet another off topic post but Akihabara had this post about a device with which restauranters can inform customers that their food is ready. But then it got me thinking about how customers can summon a waiter without flailing your arms, and I had to post on it. I have often thought about starting my own restaurant (when I am super rich, of course ;-)), and one of the core features was going to be a service where you have a simple button to summon the wait staff rather than either waiting impatiently or... well, how do you summon a waiter when you are in a restaurant?

[piperpilot]

I have often thought about starting my own restaurant (when I am super rich, of course ;-)), and one of the core features was going to be a service where you have a simple button to summon the wait staff rather than either waiting impatiently or... well, how do you summon a waiter when you are in a restaurant?

If such a system works anything like hospital nurse call buttons work, you might get the waiter to come to the table at some point in a given three hour time period. :wink:

[backpackerx]

That's funny Suhit, I've thought about the exact same thing.

A "summons" button would prevent the wait staff that's always bugging you if "everything is alright" and hopefully get you quicker service in the places where you can actually see your fingernails grow between each wait staff visit.

[Don Tolson]

Actually, while reading this, I was taken by an apparent 'cultural' difference, in that I would never think to go into a restaurant where I, as the customer, was 'summoned' to come get my food.

Sounds like something that happens in fast food places or cafeterias, here in North America -- not in a restaurant.