Houston, We Have a Problem…
If you’re waiting for a connecting flight in Houston (IAH), this little bar in Terminal C may entice you to take a load off, grab a bite to eat, indulge with a glass of wine. That’s what I did during a recent layover with my better half. We took a load off. We found a table in the bar and slid our backpacks off our tired shoulders, not noticing the tablet before settling into our seats .
Waiting for a server, we looked over a menu glaring from a tablet that was bolted to the table and positioned between us. We waited some more… and then some more. I looked around for a server. My parched throat was yearning for water. The pictures of food beaming from the tablet taunted my belly.
After what seemed like twenty minutes but was probably ten, I tried waving at one of the two bartenders. “Maybe they didn’t see us sit down,” I suggested. But I couldn’t make eye contact with either one. They weren’t busy with customers but kept their eyes down. Washing glasses, wiping down the counter, even turning their backs to watch the television hanging behind them. I was just about to get up and walk over when I saw a server coming with two plates of food. “Ah, there he is,” I said and I got my smile ready. The smile that says hi there, we’ve been waiting a while but we understand you’re busy and we’ll be nice to you. Because we’re hungry. And thirsty. Really thirsty.
Are Tablets Controlling Us?
I locked my eyes and smile into place. He came to the table next to us (literally, ten inches next to us), and introduced the food in a monotone voice as he placed it down, “Portobello mushroom sandwich with onion rings. Bacon cheeseburger with fries.” Then he walked away, never looking in our direction. I locked my eyes on him to no avail. He never saw my friendly, thirsty, we’ve been waiting awhile smile. Bill and I stared at each other in disbelief then waited a few more minutes for the monotoned-voiced waiter to return. No luck.
“Excuse me,” I said to the woman ten inches away, “how did you get that food?” She was between bites, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and nodded with understanding. “It took us a while to figure it out,” she said, “You have to order from the tablet. Tap the home key to get started.”
“Even water?” I asked. The gentleman with her nodded and swallowed, “Everything,” he said, “you won’t get any service unless you start with that home key. It’s crazy.” He shook his head and took another bite of his burger. The lady shrugged and bit into her sandwich.
Ember Restaurant and Bar – IAH Houston, TX
“Maybe they just use these in the bar,” Bill said and suggested we move to the adjoining restaurant where, surely, we would get better service. We gathered our belongings and moved toward the restaurant to find every table with a tablet permanently fixed. While someone traveling alone may have a different perspective on the tablet idea, I find the absence of human interaction disheartening. Personal service is not all that’s lacking. The tablets fixed to the center of the table prevent you from having a real conversation with your travel partner.
Because of Time Constraints…
We decided to stay with the inhuman waiter due to lack of time before our connecting flight. We took a seat and it must be said that Bill and I are both computer literate but it took us some time to order as the tablet was almost indecipherable. A few minutes after deciphering, water was delivered then wine was placed in front of us with no words spoken. Waiting for our food, we found it curious that the people working there made little to no eye contact with customers. Bill and I stretched our necks to look at each others’ eyes over the tablets, doing our own analysis of the surroundings. In short, we came to the conclusion that the tablet is not only replacing the human waiter but sets a new standard we often see today.
In Ember’s defense, even in restaurants with outstanding human servers, we see many people sitting next to each other without talking because of electronic devices. It was this experience that prompted me to start a blog about food and nice people. Let’s put our devices down for a while, start interacting with each other and the people that serve us. The person delivering food may be a scientist on the brink of discovery. That lady wiping tables may be an actress about to be cast in the next blockbuster. We may find that interacting with people is just as interesting as the latest post on Facebook or tweet on Twitter.
By the way, when our food finally came, it was sufficient. But, had we been greeted with a smile and a personal connection, I may have said the food was delicious.
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