Petition to Reinstate the In-Person Deli Line at LVC Mund Dining Hall

To LVC Metz Culinary Management,

We, the undersigned members of the Lebanon Valley College student body, hereby petition for the reinstatement of in-person ordering at the Mund Dining Hall deli. As members of the LVC community, we believe that this change is essential for fostering a more inclusive, efficient, and socially engaging dining experience on campus.

The transition to virtual ordering at the deli has presented several challenges that have adversely affected the dining experience for many members of our community. While we understand that this change may have been implemented with the intention of streamlining operations and bettering the student dining experience, we believe that these intentions have not been achieved and that the negative impacts on the community caused by this change outweigh any perceived benefits.

The virtual ordering system has proven less efficient and more time-consuming than in-person ordering. Technical glitches, connectivity issues, and delays in order processing have resulted in longer wait times and frustration among students. The system is unable to gauge the length of the virtual queue accurately, as students could with the in-person line. Students can also order from the deli, even when they are not in the dining hall. As a result of these two issues, wait times have become significantly longer than they ever were when in-person ordering was in place. A student recently overheard a Metz deli employee remarking that they had received 50 orders in 20 minutes, a volume of orders that never would have occurred, or even have been possible, with the in-person system. Yet, this increased order volume must be processed by the same number of employees under the virtual system.

It appears that Metz Culinary Management’s motivation in switching to mobile ordering was to eliminate the often long deli line that created flow problems within the dining hall. They likely assumed that deli usage would remain consistent from in-person to virtual ordering; however, this has not been the case. While the in-person deli line could often reach a significant length, it was that visible indicator that acted as a factor in each student’s decision-making process regarding whether they would order from the deli. On days when the other available dining options were not attractive to many students, they often turned to the deli. However, if the line was long and students were constrained by time, they would have resigned themselves to another option that may not have been as appealing. The removal of the deli line removes an essential aspect of that decision-making process. With virtual ordering, students no longer feel the need to make that resignation and have a meal that may not be their first choice. Because of the inaccuracy of the virtual-ordering wait-time indicator, especially compared to our own human ability to judge the length of a line, students have often been falsely led to believe that they have time to order from the deli when they do not, thus creating a significant increase in students who are using the deli at each meal, in turn, creating longer wait times.

The virtual system has also caused a remarkable amount of waste, as the staff are forced to dispose of orders that have been sitting out for extended periods when they need the space to put more orders out. Previously, the frequency of unclaimed orders was little to none; however, due to the inaccuracy of the provided virtual waiting time, students are forced, by the constraints of their schedules, to leave the dining hall before their orders are ready, which creates a high number of deli items that must be disposed of.

The virtual ordering system may pose accessibility challenges for certain members of our community, including those with limited access to technology, those who may require assistance navigating digital platforms, or visitors to our campus. An incredible number of prospective students and their families visit LVC during the school year, many of whom decide to eat in the dining hall. Starting next year, student meal plans will include guest meal swipes, which will likely increase the number of students’ family members and friends visiting the dining hall. Changing the deli to the virtual ordering system excludes anyone who is not a student at the college from using the deli because orders must be made through an LVC Grubhub account. By reinstating in-person ordering, we can ensure that all members of our community have equal access to the Mund deli and can participate fully in the dining experience without barriers or limitations.

In addition to these issues, another considerable accessibility issue is the frequent malfunctions of the Grubhub ordering app. On multiple occasions, the app has gone down for all or some students, leaving them unable to order from the deli despite the fact that there are employees available waiting for orders to come in. These kinds of technical difficulties are understandable and seem to be natural for any fully virtual service. However, interruptions like these would have never occurred with in-person ordering, which makes the times they appear particularly frustrating.

Virtual ordering has significantly diminished the social aspect of the deli line. In-person ordering not only allows for face-to-face interaction with the deli staff but also provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to connect with one another while waiting in line. These interactions contribute to our vibrant campus atmosphere and help foster a sense of belonging and community among members of our college. The stress that this change puts on the deli staff has been painfully evident. In-person ordering allows for real-time communication with the deli staff. It enables students to customize their orders more effectively, leading to a smoother and more satisfactory dining experience.

In light of these concerns, we respectfully urge LVC Metz Culinary Management to reconsider implementing virtual ordering at the Mund deli and restore in-person ordering as soon as possible. We believe this change is essential for preserving the social fabric of our campus community, improving efficiency and student satisfaction, and promoting inclusivity and accessibility in our dining services.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.