# Your ideas for already established businesses. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512 "2018-06-21T14:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/1 "2018-06-21T14:27:39Z")
1.) Fast food places: Get a free small “to go” fries when ordering two or more combos at the drive through. (No more bitching about who ate half your fries on the way home. :)) 2.)Online webcam for auto shop places. Go online and watch them work on your car. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/2 "2018-06-21T14:34:19Z")
Restaurants: charging stations at every table. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/3 "2018-06-21T14:44:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Restaurants: charging stations at every table. Good one. This should have been a thing a long time ago. My gym has them one their treadmills. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/4 "2018-06-21T16:42:56Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > 1.) > 2.)Online webcam for auto shop places. Go online and watch them work on your car. It’s pretty common for auto shops to have 3 different labor rates: 1. The normal rate. 2. Double the normal rate “if you watch.” 3. Triple the normal rate “if you help.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/5 "2018-06-21T17:24:01Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > It’s pretty common for auto shops to have 3 different labor rates: > > 1. The normal rate. > 2. Double the normal rate “if you watch.” > 3. Triple the normal rate “if you help.” > 😃 That’s certainly how my plumber works. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/6 "2018-06-21T17:28:39Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Restaurants: charging stations at every table. Damn, I misread that as “cha **n** ging station”, as in changing a diaper. That would be a big ol’ “NOPE” right there. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/7 "2018-06-21T17:38:10Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Restaurants: charging stations at every table. I was just meeting with a company that was helping to develop a charging station for restaurant tables that will come with adds on it they were also talking about getting them into any type of waiting room.so i wouldn’t be surprised if they were every where in 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/8 "2018-06-21T18:06:59Z")
Restaurant ordering and paying tablets at every table. Why do I have to wait for someone to take my order or to bring me my bill? They have these at my local Applebees, which is the only reason I go there. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/9 "2018-06-21T18:19:16Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Damn, I misread that as “cha **n** ging station”, as in changing a diaper. That would be a big ol’ “NOPE” right there. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/10 "2018-06-21T18:55:28Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Damn, I misread that as “cha **n** ging station”, as in changing a diaper. That would be a big ol’ “NOPE” right there. Damn, that’s my next big idea: ALL RESTAURANT SEATS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL COMMODES! I mean, it’s perfect. Download one meal while uploading the next. No more embarrassment for having to leave the table… even multiple times… to go to the restroom. Add more tables with the savings in restroom space increasing your sales per square foot. It will be… _marvelous_. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/11 "2018-06-22T13:32:39Z")
The world needs better dishes at ice cream parlors. Why do they serve 3 scoops of ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top----in a tiny paper dish 2 inches wide and one inch deep? Sure,it looks impressive to have a mountain of ice cream stacked high and overflowing… But it’s hard to eat. The dish should have a wide rim around the base,like a saucer under a tea cup. Of course,that would make it hard to stack the paper dishes in a tube for shipping. So why not just make matching paper plates/saucers,and placed on the counter? After the kid behind the counter hands you your oh-so-pretty-but-ready-to-start-dripping sundae in a tiny cup,you pick up a saucer as you sit down to eat it. Added bonus: the table stays cleaner. (yes,folks, this is a problem tougher than rocket science. We need a president to boldly declare that before this decade is out, we shall send a man to an ice cream parlor and return him safely to earth, with no sticky mess.) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/12 "2018-06-22T13:50:05Z")
Not sure if you want specific suggestions but I wish Amazon would let you sort orders by shipped date. Often a preorder I ordered 6 months ago just shipped and it is hard to find it to check the tracking if I am on their site. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/13 "2018-06-22T16:26:46Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > 2.)Online webcam for auto shop places. Go online and watch them work on your car. There used to be a body shop in town that offered exactly this. But either they’ve discontinued the service or I can’t remember which shop it is anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/14 "2018-06-22T16:30:26Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Restaurant ordering and paying tablets at every table. Why do I have to wait for someone to take my order or to bring me my bill? They have these at my local Applebees, which is the only reason I go there. I’d love a button to summon the server. (like the one on airlines, but not just for emergencies) They don’t have to come over to check on me periodically, but when I need one, they appear. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/15 "2018-06-22T16:44:55Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Restaurants: charging stations at every table. I suggested this to friends who were opening a brewery. Every other seat at the bar has an outlet for usb. People love it and stay longer, lingering over drinks while posting online. > [@Grrr](#): > > Online webcam for auto shop places. Go online and watch them work on your car. A few years ago a veterinarian did this for hospitalized pets. Owners were given a password that allowed them to view video feed from a camera aimed at their pet. It was great until someone’s declawed cat got off its bandages and bled out while they watched in horror. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/16 "2018-06-22T16:50:02Z")
Many airport bars have places to charge your phone/laptop at the table or bar. Sometimes I think it sucks because they are often so busy with campers, you can’t get a beer. So there is kinda a downside to this I think. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/17 "2018-06-22T16:53:55Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Many airport bars have places to charge your phone/laptop at the table or bar. > > Sometimes I think it sucks because they are often so busy with campers, you can’t get a beer. So there is kinda a downside to this I think. On the bright side, the airport bar charges $12.68 for a pint of crap beer, so you are better off!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/18 "2018-06-22T17:04:38Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Restaurant ordering and paying tablets at every table. Why do I have to wait for someone to take my order or to bring me my bill? They have these at my local Applebees, which is the only reason I go there. In most restaurants in Japan, each table has an electronic button. Push it, and the server shows up at your table. This is probably a cheaper solution than having expensive tablet computers all over the dining room. It’s also standard practice there that no matter how nice or crummy the restaurant, you take your bill from the table to the cash register and pay on your way out - no need to wait for a server to visit your table. The latter is kind of established custom at greasy-spoon diners here in the US, but we probably won’t see it adopted at nicer restaurants any time soon. But I’d love to see the “make your server come” buttons spread to US restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/19 "2018-06-22T17:08:16Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’d love a button to summon the server. (like the one on airlines, but not just for emergencies) They don’t have to come over to check on me periodically, but when I need one, they appear. Going back decades to a low-tech solution, a restaurant had small flags on the table. When you needed attention, you raised the flag. I’ve been in restaurants in which I felt I needed a flare gun to get service, and others where the wait staff wouldn’t let us eat two bites without bugging us, so any solution would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512/20 "2018-06-22T17:11:49Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Not sure if you want specific suggestions but I wish Amazon would let you sort orders by shipped date. Often a preorder I ordered 6 months ago just shipped and it is hard to find it to check the tracking if I am on their site. My complaint about Amazon is how they lump reviews together. Let’s say a movie has been released in several different editions; DVD, Blu Ray, 4K, a director’s cut, a special multi-disc box set - all the reviews for any of these editions will be included under the headings for all of them. So somebody will mention some special features and you don’t know if they’re actually in the edition you’re looking at or including in a different product. Reviews should only be included if they’re for that specific product. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-ideas-for-already-established-businesses/816512.md?page=2)