No pint without a smartphone: pubs accused of discrimination
OLDER drinkers are at risk of discrimination in pubs because they do not have smartphones to order food and drinks on an app, a charity has warned.
Many pubs and restaurants have turned to smartphone apps after reopening this week to allow customers to order without leaving their tables or speaking to staff. But some venues have made ordering via app mandatory, and have refused to serve customers who do not have a smartphone.
Age UK last night warned that older customers were more at risk of being discriminated against by pubs that refuse to take orders verbally.
The charity said seven in 10 of the UK’S over-70s do not use a smartphone, and warned similar policies risked “reducing the opportunities for some older people to enjoy socialising again”.
David Walters, 78, wrote to The Daily Telegraph after he was refused service
‘I thought it was ageist. They should know that people of my age can’t use this sophisticated equipment’
at The Angel at Corbridge, Northumberland, on Monday. Staff told him customers were required to use an app to order and submit their contact details to NHS Test and Trace, despite government guidance that allows drinkers to fill in their details on a paper form if they cannot use the official NHS app.
While the guidelines encourage venues to use contact-free ordering from a table where possible, there is no legal requirement for customers to use an app if they are unable.
“I just thought it was terrible,” Mr Walters said. “Older people like me don’t have this computer knowledge because we weren’t brought up with computers. I thought it was really ageist, because they should know that people of my age can’t use this sophisticated equipment.”
Kevin Laing, who runs The Angel at Corbridge, said he and his staff were “just doing the best we could at the time, and following the advice and guidelines to try and keep guests and staff safe”. He added that the app-only policy was a temporary measure in place until the return of indoor dining and drinking on May 17.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “We fully understand the need for venues to pay attention to infection control but it would be helpful to their bottom lines, as well as to older people, if they ensure that smartphone use is not a precondition for buying a drink or a meal.”