The University of Wyoming Residence Life and Dining Services is trying to make it easier for students to order sustenance on campus, but it may not be working.
Stopping for some coffee or tea is not an uncommon daily ritual among students, particularly in the winter. As such, the University of Wyoming Residence Life and Dining Services Department has implemented the “Tapingo” system in nine locations across the UW campus.
According to a news release on the UW website, “By using Tapingo, guests will be able to order in advance of arriving at the operation. While there will still be a wait time before their orders are ready, customers are not spending that time waiting in line.”
The Tapingo app, available for free on both Apple and Android devices, has users enter their name, student number and other basic information, with an option to input credit card information for advance remote payments.
The goal of the app is to speed up the process of ordering and serving on campus.
However, according to some Residence Life and Dining workers, Tapingo has not been delivering on the promise of shorter lines. Meredith Wells, a UW sophomore and a barista at the Book and Bean detailed her experience with Tapingo so far.
“The moment a Tapingo order appears, I will be both astonished and confused because I have not done a single Tapingo order since it’s been installed,” Wells said. “It doesn’t really seem to be catching on at this point.”
Wells went on to discuss whether the food ordering system was worth the money it cost to be implemented.
As a student, I think that the money used to install Tapingo everywhere probably could have been used differently. They definitely could’ve increased wages for minimum wage workers at the university, or something like that. I think it’s interesting how they allocate their funds
– Meredith Wells, Book and Bean barista
“As a student, I think that the money used to install Tapingo everywhere probably could have been used differently. They definitely could’ve increased wages for minimum wage workers at the university, or something like that. I think it’s interesting how they allocate their funds,” she said.
Charlie Patterson, a sophomore in the English program, weighed in on the usefulness of the application.
“I feel like getting the jump on things and being proactive about getting your product out there isn’t worth it when there’s not that much wait involved,” Patterson said. “For something like the Book and Bean, it’s kind of pointless. With something like a coffee, how long are you really standing around for? Maybe two minutes.”
While he does not see himself using the program, Patterson explained that he understands the reason it was put in place.
“I think it’s a good idea, it’s just poorly implemented because no business on university grounds really requires that long of a wait time. As such, it’s just kind of a waste of money and time for everybody,”jhe said.
Patterson also explained that Tapingo is generally beaten out by other similar programs.
“Frankly I would probably just order Jimmy John’s or D.P. Dough because the food’s cheaper and it tastes better. Plus, they’d deliver it right to your door so you don’t have to go anywhere,” he said.
In addition to traditional delivery orders placed by phone, many restaurants have begun to introduce their own applications that function similarly to Tapingo. Both Taco Bell and Starbucks have applications that allow users to place orders ahead of time.
However, according to Patterson, competition from other restaurants is not the main issue with the application.
“If everybody switches to Tapingo, they’re still going end up waiting in line to pick up their stuff,” Patterson said. “It’s only good if only a few people use it. Since it wasn’t designed to only be used by a few people, I feel like it’s a broken system.”
Shanise Hernandez, a sophomore in the English Education program at UW and a barista at the Rolling Mill in the Wyoming Union, agreed with some of Patterson’s points, but still considers the Tapingo system to be a good addition to the restaurants across campus.
“With the amount of people that are using it now, I think it’s very useful,” Hernandez said. “I think that could be different if a lot of people were using it, but as of right now, I think it could be very beneficial if you really want something in between classes but don’t have the time to wait for your food.”
Though she finds the system useful, Hernandez did admit that she does not use the app herself, finding it to be more hassle than it is worth. As such, she doesn’t think the app will gain much momentum.
“I personally don’t think it’ll be used that often,”lshe said. “A lot of people still just come and wait in line. I don’t know if they don’t know about Tapingo or choose not to go through the hassle of downloading and using it.”
Despite the lack of Tapingo use Hernandez has personally witnessed, she still believes it could help out at other businesses, discussing whether implementing the application was a wise decision or not.
“I would say it’s a smart move because maybe it could increase revenue at other places,” Hernandez said. “At the Rolling Mill, I know it’s not very effective, but that is probably different at Panda Express. I know that they have an issue with extremely long lines, and maybe that’s part of why they got Tapingo in the first place.”
While some remain skeptical of Tapingo and it’s place at the university, the chance remains that it will become a part of the campus atmosphere.
