Growing up, my mother always placed a heavy emphasis on proper table manners. She worked hard to teach me the following:
- NEVER talk with food in my mouth
- NEVER start eating before everyone has been served
- NEVER reach across the table
- NEVER watch television or talk on phone at the dinner table
My mom would be pleased to learn that most of her rules are still observed today but the introduction of the Smartphone has changed the table manners landscape. Cries of “Can you please put that away” and “We’re eating“ are now commonplace and make the smartphone user feel unnecessary guilt. It also has caused some of us to tell white lies like “Let me send this one last email and then I won’t look at the phone again.”
While I don’t want to upset my mother, I think the phone holds sacred stature and deserves some respect. That said, I am still in favor of some restrictions when it comes to technology and the dining experience. Let’s all agree on the following:
- Emergency calls only at dinner (also please excuse yourself from the table to make the call so we don’t have to listen to your boring convo)
- No web browsing in the presence of others
Now that we have a framework to reduce phone guilt, it’s time to address the heart of the issue: Texting.
Texting is a whole different communications beast and needs its own special rules. Think about what a text really is, it’s brief (TTYL), efficient (snowbound– help), and sometimes even purposeful (will b there in 5). Now I get it, it’s difficult to hold a dinner conversation with someone who is furiously texting. The person you are eating with is no less important than your co-worker, spouse, gf/bf/bff, whatever. But would it still be considered rude if texting at the dinner table could enhance the dining experience for everyone?
Imagine that you are out on a first date and he/she decides to order for you. They order the twin lobster, baked potato sans sour cream and a side salad with ranch dressing. While appreciated, the gesture does not take into account that you are deathly allergic to shellfish and the trip to the ER for the anaphylactic shock may dampen the night. Instead, what if you could secretly text the waitress the following message “We R on 1st date & he doesn’t know I am allergic to lobster – HELP” The waitress promptly comes back to the table with some sad news that they are out of lobster and the lady will have to choose something else – crisis averted, date potentially saved.
This texting scenario is now possible thanks to the Cambridge’s TextMyFood They’ve built a slick interface that allows customers to interact with the waitstaff by sending a simple text message right from their table.
The @TextMyFood Message Station is live at Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge and was recently featured on NPR. In addition to helping the diners ask for the check in a more timely fashion, the system also captures guests’ mobile numbers for future opt-in marketing. It also has built-in reporting capabilities to help optimize the diners’ experience and is another tool that savvy restaurant owners must now have in order to compete in the cutthroat industry.
So I ask for your tolerance and support of this smartphone at the dinner table movement. And the next time you are trying to get your check from the MIA waitstaff, leave them the following tip: Check out TextMyFood – it may be your only shot @ 20%
What would you text the waiter/waitress?
Image courtesy of Doonesbury.
