Like a month ago at the one (Irish-y) burger joint in the first floor of a historic hotel where I work now, we got a new handheld "POS" where it's like the same screens that you see as before, but on smaller modules that are less heavy and that also have all this stuff on the front so that you can swipe credit cards tableside.
And, they've been encouraging us to use them, to save time when it's busy.
I didn't really do it at first since I hate learning new technology, but since then I've started to do it, at least selectively.
If it's super-busy, I tend to offer it to everyone, but if it's not, I then split, where I offer it to the younger generation, but typically not to the older generation.
In general, I've noticed that younger people love it and they just see it as a plus because it's a more convenient form of payment, but older people tend to feel that it's somehow tacky.
And, I've quizzed customers about this, and found out as much.
"I like it since you don't have to carry a wallet," said a (faintly-accented) (college-age) (Asian-American) student in with her (college-age) (Latina-American) friend, and then when I explained my logic and thoughts, she said that she could see how some older customers would like a printed check "and that whole production," which she said nicely but in way that was like she was not quite stating the judgment that she actually felt towards them.
Like, from younger people who I've quizzed, only one (younger) (white) woman who was in with her boyfriend agreed with me, and she practically burst with emotion and was like, "YES, I have always thought that was tacky!", and I commiserated with her and pointed out that we have a lovely kind of elegant setting and a nice cocktail list, but then we go and do tableside payment?, it just doesn't make sense to me.
As for older people, they tend not to like it, and one (early 60s) (fatter) (white) lady with (helmet hair) who's a regular along with her husband said that she finds it awkward to punch in a tip while the waiter stands there, and imagine how that would be if it was bad service, and if it's good service, she feels like she panics and just hits the highest button on there, whereas if it was a printed receipt, she'd probably take her time and leave even more money, so in a way, we're shorting ourselves by using the tap-to-pay, maybe.
From everyone I've talked to, too, no-one feels like it's stereotyping, to regularly offer it to younger people, but not to older.
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