Nice & simple idea! I suppose this would be very useful for larger establishments. IMHO, smaller restaurants would be better off with classic wait services - kinda adds more 'spice' to the outing.

It would be great if this could be done without any "cords", i.e. wireless. Most restaurants tend to shift / modify their table arrangements depending on the crowd.

Are Bluetooth buttons possible?

There might be a possibility that customers may abuse the system, i.e. pranks on the poor waiter?

I like it. It will at the very least keep waiters from being able to pretend they don't see you trying to get their attention. For the serious task master boss, they could track how long it takes waiters to respond to the light, and it would otherwise be a great thing for efficiency experts.

I like this. This is like when you fly the flight attendant's bells and lights. But WHY NOT have it linked to the cash register. Pay as you use it. The more you call the more you pay. We could even save some bucks if we order all at the beginning.

I'd love to see this implemented here. Many restaurants and bars in Korea and Japan already offer this, and it's both convenient and efficient because the staff doesn't accidentally ignore someone while ambling around the floor (which they actually end up not doing - they stand around chatting till they hear the buzzer). I don't think they have a real problem with prank buzzes unless an impulsive child is present at the table. After all, the person sitting there has to own up to the button pressing.

Simpler than bluetooth would be remotes similar to garage door openers technology (where each would have it's own unique ID).On the station panel would be an indicator of what remote was activated, and how long since it has been. Might be useful to have a cancel button too.

Why just one button? Why not a simple, say, six-eight button remote. One with More Soda, More beer, Food is Cold, etc. Something easy and intuatuve, able to use at first sight. Something that would save the waiter from making the trip to the table to find out what was needed.

Apparently no one here has been a waitperson...

The closest thing I can think of to this is a low-quality buffet which I will not name has a system where you sort of press a button to get a small amount of service. This is ok since you don't really have a waitperson per se.

As for service in a restaraunt, I am also stunned. If you've waited tables, your jaw dropped reading this. I think service varies by the city's person:restaraunt ratio. Some of the worst service I've ever gotten was at suburban chains with a handful of alternatives.

I think I have a better idea. If you aren't pleased with your service, vote with your feet and go somewhere else. Don't try to harrass your poor waitress with bells and whistles.

One low tech idea to this would be to have an antenna on the table with a little flag on top. The customer would rise the antenna to request service. The waiter would lower the antenna when he comes to the table.

I had this thought as well but wanted to take it a bit further. After all, this idea is essentially what A&W and Sonic did thirty years ago with a phone at the table where you'd place your order.

Many higher end restaurants are already providing their wait staff with headphones to communicate between each other. What if each table came with a communication unit OR a person could tap in a number on their cell phone that would connect them to their wait staff? Or the person to record a quick vmail to their waitstaff so one doesn't have to wait for the server to come back from his smoke break to bring you the check.

Restaurants have been using the pagers for years now so that they can call you when it's convenient for them. It's time to turn the tables and have service at your table when you want, not when they decide to get to you.

On another note, the pagers that they use at restaurants now...can't we hook up the wait list to an LED sign and a website? I'd like to know where I stand in line so I don't have to keep asking the hostess. I'd also like to check out the wait on line and place my name ahead of time, either via the web or my mobile. Seems like a simple link of technology as long as the lists are put into a system instead of sheet of paper with half written names and scribbles. Just a thougt.

I have been to a Korean BBQ restaraunt that utilizes a system where each table is numbered, and has a button to push for "service". When the button is pushed, your table's number pops up for the wait staff, and the first available waitperson (whether or not they served you before) comes to the rescue. It was one of the best dining experiences I have had, and I would recomend it to any restarauant!!!

A variant on the ring for service at a reataurant I've seen is a small 6 inch high flagpole with a flag, attached to the rack that holds sugar packets. The flag has a small pulley and rope allowing customers to raise/lower the flag. If you need the waitress, you just raise the flag. You can then go on talking to your guest instead of wasting time looking for your waitress and trying to get her attention. Saw it in a restuarant in Hawaii -- very efficient.

This is actually done at a pizza restaurant called Donatos. When your ready to order or need something you pick up a phone on the wall and let them know what you need.

I agree with rebolin's comment. If you don't like the service, go someplace else, or don't go at peak times. Long "wait times" during peak periods are not necessarily a sign of bad service either. Good food can only be prepared so quickly. A good server will do his/her utmost to provide the best service possible to all their tables. But during peak periods the best service possible is not likely to be at the same level as during slower periods. This isn't something that technology is going to solve.

The big benefit is not having to stop your conversation with your tablemates for a few minutes while trying to flag down a waiter, catch his attention, remember exactly who your waiter was, etc. The speeding up of service is a secondary benefit, shaving a few minutes off the wait time regardless of whether it is a busy time or slow time, a restuarant that is understaffed that day or appropriately staffed.

To those who suggested "voting with your feet", it's not quite so simple. In one particular restuarant, service can vary substantially from day-to-day reflecting a variety of factors such as servers calling in sick, the weather, special events in town, or just randomness of how many people show up on a particular night. The use of a "ring" will speed things up a tad regardlesss of the situation, and more importantly, will get the customer's needs met more or less automatically -- with minimal effort/attention from the customer.

How about getting robot-waiters so we don't even have to deal with a human, who is probably overworked and stressed out just trying to remember everyone's drink orders IN ORDER? This is a shining example of why I think everyone should have to wait tables for at least 6 months of their life. Most restaurants with effeciency issues are simply under staffed or improperly managed.

I've seen something similar at the restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, inspired of course by the Forrest Gump movie. I visited the location in Miami. There is a small sign that sits on the table. You can flip the sign to read either "Run Forest Run" or "Stop Forrest Stop." Each side is colored green or red appropriately. Any staffer who sees the "Stop Forrest" side will assist you. I was very impressed by how efficiently it worked. And by the way, the food is pretty good there too.

An alternative way to signal a waiter could be something similar to what a lot of cash registers have in retail... If we need assistance we turn our light on so that it is flashing...

though for a restaurant maybe just have the lights off, or flashing...

Then again, it could be extendended to mean that a light that is off means an empty table, light on means table is in use, and light flashing means assistance needed.

Or... Maybe a stoplight, Green means no help needed, yellow means help when you can, and red means help NOW! though I would forsee the system as being too easily abused, everyone would just skip to red, and ignore yellow...

Or, change it so that the light starts green, when the customer presses "the button" the light turns yellow, then after a given amount of time with no assistance, it turns red, to notify the waiter they've been waiting a while.

Then, if they wanted to the restaurant could rate waiters on how few red lights they got...

I run a business in California that sells a wireless signaling system called WaiterBell which is similar to the ones in Korean restaurants that were previously mentioned.

The button on the table itself does not make a sound when pressed, and the receiver that displays the table number has a volume control.

Out of all its benefits, I see the system mainly as a service safety net for the staff, so that a customer is not accidentally neglected. It may save that customer, and prevent negative word-of-mouth about the restaurant.

This is significant because acquiring a new customer can cost five to seven times more than retaining an existing one. Also a customer with a good experience will tell two or three people, but a customer with a bad experience will tell 10 or 11 people.

I started the business this year, and have sold the system to a couple of restaurants in California so far. Everyone’s comments to this post have been very helpful to me, thank you.

I welcome any additional feedback, suggestions, or questions at WaiterBell.com, thanks again.

I've seen this in old restaurants before. I don't know why it went out of style.

I have wished restaurants had this many times. The worst to me is always waiting for them to bring the check, then they leave and you have to wait for them to come back and get the credit card.

I worked in fast food, but I agree. They have the same systems for the drive through. Sometimes on the night shift the front is ignored during cleaning. *whoops*

Isn't that the whole idea of the tip? I know some people who play games with the waiter/waitress and lay out dollar bills on the table and when they mess up or take too long, they take a dollar away and if they do well, add a dollar :-p

Check out the last issue of 'Wired' - it talks about a device located at the table that wirelessly alerts a wristwatch on the server when you need service. it would also notify the server when the food is ready from the kitchen.

It's a good idea..but I just don't want kids to start playing with this button.

That would get annoying. If service is slow (for whatever reason) little lights and buzzers won't help. They're also easier to resent.

Great idea !

what about you let them know that the service is poor and then don't go. then they will get the drift that they offer poor service and then improve.