No one likes queuing. It’s not just the long and annoying wait to get what you want, it’s also those people who are always impatient and try and take shortcuts that just makes the wait longer for everyone else. Where this is apparently most annoying is at bars, where people line up to get their order taken by the bartender only for opportunists to barge in and rudely try and get their orders placed before others.
I say apparently because I don’t drink and therefore don’t frequent bars much. However, it must be a big problem because DataSparQ has actually developed a system to work around this by using facial recognition to put customers in an “intelligently virtual” queue, letting bar staff know who really was next, who’s just being rude and if it’s Nick, to avoid entirely.
According to DataSparQ (via Endgadget) the system has the potential to save the UK queuing time equivalent to pouring 78 million pints, and could make a significant dent in the average two months each Brit spends waiting for drinks in their lifetime (wow, that’s a lot of time waiting to get beer). The technology also provides data insights to bar managers on drinking patterns and peak times, to help them optimise their staffing requirements.
More than just sorting out queues, other features in the pipeline for the app include automatic re-ordering, and a “FaceTab,” feature which would also allow facial recognition to ensure certain faces belong to a tab. The setup requires a standard webcam, display screen and internet connection, and will cost landlords from £199/$240 (R3500) — a reasonable sum if it means your customers are more satisfied.
It’s a great concept that I can see having a big uptake in the UK, though not something which would work here just yet. It’s also likely going to probably cause a lot of bar fights initially when said drunk and rowdy patrons feel ignored when some quietly spoken person was actually there first and deserves to be served before them.
Last Updated: August 2, 2019
HvR
August 5, 2019 at 11:17
If this gets adopted widely it will mean the end of all bar jokes since when a horse, ginger and priest walks into the bar only the priest will get recognised as human and end up being served,
HvR
August 5, 2019 at 11:17
If this gets adopted widely it will mean the end of all bar jokes since when a horse, ginger and priest walks into the bar only the priest will get recognised as human and end up being served,