Everyone says they do not mind, and nobody wants to be the one who chooses. Comparing two at a time asks a much smaller question - and a small question a group can answer.
Try it now
Eight kinds of food. Find the one you actually want.
Question 1 of 7 · Which would you rather eat?
vs
No account, nothing is saved, and these options cannot be changed.
That was PickChill
The same thing you just did, with your own list instead of ours.
- Put your own options in, up to 32 - kinds of food, or the places near you
- One phone, passed round the table. Nobody else needs an account
- Save a list and send it to a friend who is not there - their pick comes back to you
Why a group cannot pick a place to eat
Deciding alone is hard. Deciding in a group is harder, and for a reason that has little to do with food.
“Where shall we eat?” is an open question. To answer it you have to hold every place you know in your head at once, guess what everyone else would like, and then say a name out loud. Saying the name makes you responsible for the evening. So people answer “I do not mind”, which is safer than choosing, and the group goes round again.
Nobody in that group is being difficult. The question is simply too big to answer.
Ask one small question instead
Do not ask the group to choose. Ask them to compare.
- Two options are shown side by side.
- The group says which of the two they prefer.
- The one they did not pick steps aside and is not asked about again.
| What usually happens | What happens instead |
|---|---|
| Somebody has to name a place, and own the evening | Nobody names anything - you only compare two |
| “I do not mind” ends the conversation | “I would rather have this one” moves it on |
| The same options come back round again | An option you did not pick is not asked about again |
Eight options take seven questions, and each one is easier than the last because the list keeps getting shorter. You just did it at the top of this page.
Decide the kind of food first, then the place
This is the part most groups get backwards, and it is why the example above is pizza and sushi rather than restaurant names.
A group that starts with restaurant names is arguing about three things at the same time: what they feel like eating, how far they will travel, and how much they want to spend. Those are separate questions, and mixed together none of them gets answered.
Split them. Run the comparisons on kinds of food first, with everybody, and get one answer. Then look for a place that serves it - which is a search with one word in it instead of an open question. The first part is the only part the whole group has to be in.
How to run it when you are all in one room
One person opens it on their phone and holds it where everyone can see. There is nothing to install, and nobody else needs an account.
Then agree one rule before you start:
- Out loud. Read the two options and take the answer the group gives. Fast, and it suits a group that agrees more than it expects to.
- Take turns. Each person answers one question, then passes the phone on. Slower, and it stops one person deciding the whole evening.
PickChill does not count votes. It records the answer it is given, whoever gave it. If your group needs a real count, put the phone down and take a show of hands.
If somebody is not there
You can send them the same list. They run it on their own, they never see your answer, and their one pick comes back to you. That needs a free account, because the list has to be saved before it can be sent.
What it is good for, and what it is not
Good for:a group that cannot start, a group that has asked the same question four times, and the weekly “same as last week?” that nobody wants to answer.
Not for: finding a restaurant. PickChill knows nothing about places. It has no map, no opening times, no prices and no reviews. You bring the options; it only helps you choose between them.
It is also not a way to be told what to eat. Every answer is yours. Nothing is scored and nothing is judged - the app has no opinion about pizza.
Questions
›Does everyone need the app?
No. One person opens it and holds the phone where the others can see it. Nobody needs an account to try it, and there is nothing to install.
›Can we put real restaurant names in?
Yes, up to 32 options. One warning: only use places everybody knows, or half the group cannot answer. That is also why it is usually better to pick the kind of food first.
›Two of us wanted different things in the same pair. What then?
Agree the rule before you start - out loud, or take turns. The app records the answer it is given; it does not count votes.
›What if the winner is not what anyone wanted?
It can happen: two strong options can meet early, and one of them goes out. Run it again, or put the whole list in order instead, which gives you every option ranked rather than one winner.
›Do we have to set it up again every week?
No. Save the list once, then run the same one again whenever you like. That needs a free account.