Have you ever thought about the different service mechanisms restaurants use? How do they decide the way you should order and receive your food. They’re either symmetrical, where you order, pay and take delivery of the food all at the same point, or asymmetrical, where things happen all over the place.

• Traditional Restaurant - order at table, food delivered to table, pay at table.
• Fast Food Restaurant - order at counter, pay at counter, food delivered at counter.
• Take A Number Restaurant - order at counter, pay at counter, take a number to table, food delivered to table.
• Take A Table Restaurant - find a table (and its number), order and pay at counter, food delivered to table.
• Take A Bill Restaurant - order at table, food delivered to table, bill delivered to table, pay at counter.

I prefer the first two symmetrical mechanisms, as at least it’s always obvious what you are meant to do. The problem with the asymmetrical ones is that can get a little confusing as to how you’re meant to order and pay.

The worst ones are the Take A Table restaurants, I really hate those. They always seem to have them at busy UK airports (I’m thinking of O’Neill’s at Heathrow T3). They work, unless you are trying to get breakfast and you’re on your own, which lots of people are at airports. You find a table, read the menu, go to the counter, queue and then order, by which time someone else has taken the table that your food is assigned to. You’re in an airport so you can’t even leave any belongings on the table as they’re likely to get destroyed in the interests of security.

It can’t just be me that has this problem every time can it?