OLDTOWN's New System

Finally I get some spare time to blog after my work hour at The Mines Shopping Fair. Well, as the subject mentioned, this blog is mainly focusses on OLDTOWN's new system. 

Apparently I had my lunch at OLDTOWN this afternoon. To my surprise, I didn't know they have implemented a new system or probably it just being implemented in KL and not yet applicable in Penang, or it could be a trial run maybe, ... they have implemented a self-service system, in which you have to order your foods and drinks at counter before entering the restaurant to get your seats. After you placed your order and made payments, they will issue you an alarm vibrator where they will trigger the alarm when your food is ready and you have to proceed to the food counter to retrieve your food, same goes to drinks at drink counter.

Although it seems quite a systematic flows here, but I can tell there are a lot of flaws in this system. 

Flaws:

1) First of all, there are only 1 counter available to place your order, meaning you have to wait for a long queue instead of traditional way where you can allocate a seat for yourself, sitting down and enjoyably thinking or writing down the quantity of your beloved foods and drinks in their order paper. This also links to a problem where some of the customers were undecidedly standing at the counter looking at the menus and trying to figure out what should they eat or drink - You have to wait for them!

Key problem: insufficient counters

2) Secondly, I don't think you will get a seat if you are visiting alone during weekends. While you have to queue and wait at the counters to place your orders (how are you going to reserve a sit?), at the same time those came along with companions and friends are able to reserve a seat by having only a person queueing at the counter. Same thing goes to after you have placed your order, what about if your foods/drinks are ready and yet you are still looking for a place to sit?

Key problem: seats availability not guaranteed

3) Thirdly, you got an alarm vibrator triggered, your foods/drinks are ready, you have to leave your seats which you may have probably spending sometimes and effort to get it, now you got to leave them to retrieve your foods/drinks at allocated counters, how do you secure your seats? It surely increases the percentage of table sharing.

Key problem: difficulty in securing seats

Does their new system increases their workflow efficiently? Or will it just be another point-of-failure? There are still some spaces of improvements and hopefully this system is not a final product. Oldtown has been part of my favorite place so far, we love to see them grow and provide more good foods for us. And I have to compliment their foods in The Mines here, it's just taste delicious. :)

P/S: too bad, I didn't bring my camera along, otherwise would be able to capture some images of how their alarm vibrator looks like :)

H e n r i c k

OLDTOWN's New System