Touchscreen Possibilities
Touchscreen Possibilities
I’m wondering why touchscreens (specifically related to food orders) do not have the option to input allergies. It seems like it would make sense for both the customer and the business. When you make an order on a restaurant/fast food/ convenience store Made-to-Order touchscreen, it asks you any number of questions about how you want to customize your sandwich (toasted or not, type of protein or cheese, veggies, toppings, condiments, etc.
The first button you touch could say “Allergens” and then have a screen that displays common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, wheat, gluten, dairy, shellfish, soybeans, sesame, other (allowing the option to type in your specific allergy if it is less common / lesser known). This would then be displayed on the screen and/or printed out order receipt so that the food handler is aware of your allergies.
I’m thinking about the following in relation to the Curb-Cut Effect. Secondarily, this allows for a host of other possibilities. Once you’ve selected an allergen on a touchscreen food order, the system could automatically be set to remove all items containing the selected allergen from your menu options. Further, this has applications beyond food allergies. A digital button could also be clicked for a “Heart-healthy diet” or “Low-fat diet” or “Low-sodium diet” or “Keto diet” or “Weight Watchers diet”—the list could go on and on. You’d simply have to scroll down to select your dietary restrictions or preferences.
I believe the above concept is preferable than what I encountered in a Wawa, in Philadelphia. Wawa’s Built-to-Order touchscreen fairly recently added warnings for items with high levels of sodium. What is the value of giving the customer the opportunity to consent to something that is inadvisable for their health? This feels akin to the experience we’re all familiar with of clicking “Accept” without having actually read the Terms and Conditions. There has to be a better way.
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Fun aside: check out the ongoing Wawa vs. Sheetz rivalry.
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Written in February 2021. Posted May 2021.