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WHILE BIG RETAILERS hire security guards and fit security tags to every shoelace, one café has done away with the register altogether.
But rather than having trouble with customers skipping out on their bills, the only problem The Hazel House staff have to deal with under its honest-box system is locals overpaying and refusing to help themselves to change.
The honesty-box system is the brain-child of owner and carpenter Niall Fitzharris, who wanted to come up with a way to run the self-service café without leaving his woodworking studio.
The business, in an old farmhouse at Rathfarnam in the Dublin hills, also sells Irish crafts from ceramics to jewellery and runs woodworking classes.
Hazel House’s Fionnuala Malone, who now looks after its crafts and regular events, said she initially questioned if the plan was too risky, but the honesty system had worked perfectly from the start.
“I think that people like that they feel trusted,” she said.
So often now, people don’t feel like that – they go into a shop and there is a security guard there and they feel watched. What we’re doing goes against all that.”
Earlier this year, The Vault coffee shop in the small North Dakota town of Valley City drew international attention for its staff-free honour system.
Its owners, David and Kimberly Brekke, said the idea of honesty might come as a shock to people who hadn’t grown up in a tight-knit community, but to them it made perfect sense.
Malone said The Hazel House was an active part of the Rathfarnam social fabric, hosting regular movie nights and events, and everyone liked the honesty-box set up.
“It has been working really well from the beginning; we have never had a problem so far – everyone’s been honest,” she said.
“When people come in they laugh and they’re a bit surprised that we are doing it that way, but everyone likes the system.”
READ: This café’s strict ‘no hipsters’ policy takes an unexpected turn
READ: 9 unusual themed cafés you will want to visit immediately
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Great to see Samsung competing with apple. Android is the best job!
Yawn
You should get some sleep pet!
It’s an excellent, well rounded product. No wonder so many find it great to use. I’ve been enjoying mine like no other gadget I’ve ever had, and I’m a gadgeteer!
I’ve the iPhone 5, very disappointed with it, basically I’ve upgraded to a screen one icon bigger 4 €650, I’m disgusted I didn’t go with the S111
I’ve another 11 months left on my 4s contract. Can’t wait to get back to android.
iPhones are grand but very plain. Any time I see an S3, I get jealous.
My first smartphone was a HTC Wildfire, I was very disappointed with it. I upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy S3 last Oct. It’s the best phone I’ve ever owned.
They are a great phone.. Im still with S 2 model.. delighted with it.. Otter box
Otter box..
Love it.
S2 here too.
I have had three I phone’s, and have just switched to Samsung galaxy s3 rather then an iphone 5, and I have to say after that I wouldn’t go back to an iphone if ya gave it to me for free.
Galaxy s3 different class
God help those 100 million who have to replace the screen if it breaks, €180.
iPhone screen replacement €50
Be quiet Neuromancer, ya big fanboy.
Or you could just get insurance…?
The galaxys screen is alot stronger than the i phones screen
I disagree.
How do you break your screen? Too much drinking and falling over is it?
Screen on the s2 is ridiculously strong, I’ve bounced mine off the ground a silly amount of times and there’s not a scratch on the screen, the paint is pretty much gone off the rest of it though! Had an ipod touch dropped it once, screen cracked. Go figure!
The Galaxy S3 screen (and S2 & Note 2) are made from gorilla glass which is one of the strongest glasses in the world, whereas the iPhone screen is made from pretty normal glass, but if course Apple decided to say it ‘special glass’
I’ve dropped my plenty of times, even out of the cab of my truck and it’s perfect. My screen isn’t even scratched unlike my old Iphone 4s and its usually kept in my pocket with my keys.
@joseph potter.
I disagree too. My friend bought her samsung galaxy s2 & it broke wen it fell 2 days later. She priced it to be fixed in a few places & the cheapest price she got was 120euro. A guy i work with has the same phone & 1 crack down just the glass part cost him 150 euro to fix..
We should all go back to nokias though
Have you seen recent drop tests? iPhone 5 > Galaxy S 3 & Note 2
Poor auld Sony never get a look in in these fan wars.. The Xperia Z looks like it could blow the other two out of the water.
I’ve had the 3GS 4 and iPhone5, however if Apples next iOS would include options to tweak the OS (which it won’t) then I’m moving to Samsung.
All these options are available if you jailbreak the phone however this is currently not an option on the iPhone 5. Good to see healthy competition.
Should have been “if its doesn’t include options to tweak the OS”) :-/
You have to jail break iOS to tweak the iPhone, that’s what I did with mine, a 3GS. You can change the theme using Winterboard etc., change the system internals and add 1000s of non-Apple apps. Look up Cydia. OK, not as good as Android but still fun.
Please re-read what i said, there is no jailbreak available for the iPhone 5!
Screen breaks on Samsung fortune to fix…screen breaks on iPhone very cheap to fix.
Stop breaking the screens. Free.
The glass on the Samsung screens is about ?10…..the HD screen is ?150.
Most places quote for both at replacing just the glass is difficult. As for the apple fan boys…….get back under your ibridge, damn iTrolls….
You saved some money on a screen, clap clap….how much did you spend on the adaptor to use new phone with old accessories?
The screen breaks on an iphone if you look at it the wrong way.They are designed to break so you have to fix it,Apples ruthless business model.
Just upgraded from htc one v to iPhone 5 purely because the Samsung phones are HUGE!!!! You’d want a laptop case to carry them around.
Samsungs come in different sizes, that’s the whole point. If s3 is too large, Galaxy Mini is its smaller version (not as powerful, but then it’s cheaper).
Yes it’s smaller but really doesn’t compare with the S3 on capability. I have small hands and won’t use a phone which I can’t comfortably use one handed. Surely if apple can make compact phones, than brands such as htc and Samsung can too? I would have preferred an android based phone , its nothing to do with the price….
I agree that there isn’t anything that compares to the iPhone if you’re looking for a pissy little phone that looks 5 years out of date.
Bastards
The s3 is like using a phone from the future. It’s so bloody intelligent.
I have the galaxy and the iPhone 5.. The iPhone 5 is my first iPhone and in fairness it’s a better machine.. However, android is a better operating system. My iPhone has kept its speed up and the Galaxy slowed down after updates.. If you want a quick, easy to use phone, go with an iPhone.. If you want fancy gadgets and user friendliness go with the galaxy.. They’re as good as each other so please stop arguing like little girls.
It’s far from a discussion.. A discussion would involve both parties weighing up pros and cons.. Not fan boys saying that the one they own is better.
Size matters .
True true and with phones smaller us definitely better :)
I don’t view my SIII as a phone at all. I view it as a mini tablet that can make calls. The phone functionality is one minor feature.
I bought it for surfing the web and reading documents. The screen size is perfect. No need to carry a bulky tablet or laptop with me everywhere I go and big enough to read comfortably.
Got a Note 2 (which is huge) after an iphone 4 and 4s. Love it. The size is fantastic. Bigger phones are the rage now with 6in phones due to be launched shortly. Also like some of the android features over the iphone. iphones served me well and probably suit lots of people but android has some great functions to. I don’t think Apple are in the ascendancy any longer – which is probably a great think for us all as Tim cook will push Apple further again.
I can’t afford either. Samsung galaxy y has to do the job for me, if anybody wants give me one would be much appreciated.
is nobody jailbraking?? improves an iphone alot.
Not an option on iphone 5 and some others using iOS 6.x
Had a Galaxy S3 for 4 months and found it very a disappointing buggy experience. Sold it for the iPhone 5 and haven’t looked back as found it a far faster, lighter and more reliable than the S3.
I don’t believe you.
Believe what you want, but it is true.
The S3 now has multiwindow so i can browse the net on part of the screen and use another application in the other half,awesome!
Still prefer my iPhone!
Had the galaxy note then sold it and got the galaxy note 2 which is a phablet. And an epic phone it is. Cant wait for next one.
Cant get an s3 for another 10 months damn contract. love my s2 but will love my S3/s4 even more
have your say