Simplifying the way we pay and split the bill at restaurants
Background
Program: General Assembly UX Redesign Challenge
The process for designing CheckOut was a bit different than usual. This was originally an assignment given by General Assembly when applying to their UX program. Out of the choices provided, since I had a tight deadline of only 4 days, it was a no-brainer which redesign challenge I wanted to tackle as my family used to own a restaurant and I have been working in the industry as a server for several years since then. This made it easier to research and conduct interviews as I have several coworkers and friends who work in restaurants.
I didn’t limit my interviews to those who work in the industry but many have had past experience or working in the food service. I also figured that many who work in the industry enjoy going out to eat with friends as much as anyone else and the same frustrations arise no matter what...but people in the food service industry tend to have a bit more patience when dealing with these problems.
The Problem
Splitting checks while dining out with friends is always one of the biggest frustrations when going out to eat. There are a variety of factors that make this process so difficult.
Some may carry only cash, some only card, the restaurant might even have a limit of how many times the check can be split, or everyone’s just bad at math.
This problem only gets compounded the more people there are in a group. It is not only a problem for customers but for servers as well.
EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
CheckOut was designed with the intention of making it easier for diners (and servers) to not only split the entire bill and pay for shared food but also allow them to view the menu and place an order directly from their phone.
The app is connected to a restaurant’s Point of Sales system where servers can confirm orders and monitor their tables. Restaurants also have the option to connect this system to the individual server’s smart device or tablets within the restaurant.
To keep costs low for the restaurant, a bluetooth beacon is not required and the guests only have to scan a QR code placed at their table.
Interview Questions
Six people were asked to take an online survey with many sharing the same pain points and solutions to the problem. Of those interviewed, many have experience in the food industry but are also frequent diners at restaurants as well.
Do you / have you worked in the food service industry? If yes, what position? If not, what is your profession?
In a week, how often do you go out to eat at a restaurant?
How do you usually pay for your meals? Cash or card? Which is easier for you?
Do you always carry cash on you?
When splitting meals do you prefer to split the bill evenly or pay for what you ate?
Do you prefer tipping in cash or on your card?
Whats the biggest pain point when it comes to splitting checks? As a server and / or customer?
How do you think the process of splitting checks be made easier (as a customer)?
How can customers make it easier for you (as a server) to split checks?
Would you rather have an app that helps you figure out the bill or would you rather have the restaurant take care of it.
As a server would you rather keep track yourself or have customers deal with it?
If you have a personal app would you be interested in keeping track of your meals as well?
Do you use apps like Venmo or PayPal? Why do you like them or why not?
User Personas
After initial research and interviews were completed, the data collected was used to create two user personas for our target audience.
