Chick-fil-a drive-thru question

[wvjules]

What purpose does it serve to have a person standing at the menu board taking your order as opposed to speaking into the speaker?

 

[jrmasm]

It's their pleasure.

 

[hereyago]

Here is an article with their logic behind it.


https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/drive-thru-2017-chickfila

 

[JaxDad]

They are definitely faster, more courteous, and more accurate with their orders than other drive-through restaurants, at least in this area.

 

[hereyago]

Dang it I want some chick, lol

 

[_19disnA]

It's just a gimmick to somehow make the 'experience' of ordering at their drive-thru different/better. Also means they need added labor to run the drive-thru. Sound quality at many fastfood places is terrible and it is difficult to know what the person is saying. Speakers/microphones need to be rugged enough to stand up to the elements. McDonald's have locations where there are 2 drive-thru lines and people often seem confused about how to use them. They tend to work best on a small site where it is a safety issue to have cars backing up onto a busy street. Don't really find it does anything to speed up ordering or getting your food. I choose a fastfood place based on having the type/quality of reasonably priced food I like. Have also seen a few rest stops on various freeways with touch screens to order your food. They often don't seem to be working or people can't figure out how to use them and eventually stand in the order line like everyone else !!!

 

[starry_solo]

Typically when it gets busy is when they do that.
Same thing with In N out.
At least in my area.

 

[luvsJack]

Well, I define a "gimmick" as something that appears to be something its not or do something it doesn't. This doesn't appear to do anything, it actually does it.

They are one of the two fastest drive thrus that we go through on a regular basis. They are fast and always have it right. Not something McDonalds can say regardless of the customers confusion on the drive thru lanes.

 

[Southernmiss]

Our chic fil a in town remodeled this year. They now have 2 covered drive through lines and are able to serve over 150 cars in under an hour at lunch time with their methods of taking orders by having several people standing in various locations in the car line to take orders rather than having people speak into the speaker. It takes a minute or less to get through their drive through, even busy times.

This location is just off an interstate and main highway and at the intersection of a very heavy shopping area and has a lot of local traffic, too.

Extremely efficient, always courteous and quality (for fast food) is always as expected.

I haven't had the pleasure of being in that line at lunch time, but i do believe it's accurate.

They are running over the competition here.

 

[wvjules]

hereyago, thanks for the article.

I don't think it saves any time. I order from the person at the marquee and pay them. I still have to wait for all the people in front of me to get their food, and if they pay cash, I have to wait for them to pay too.

I get the face-to-face argument but IMO, it saves no time at all.

 

[luvsJack]

hereyago, thanks for the article.

I don't think it saves any time. I order from the person at the marquee and pay them. I still have to wait for all the people in front of me to get their food, and if they pay cash, I have to wait for them to pay too.

I get the face-to-face argument but IMO, it saves no time at all.

I think I know the one that SouthernMiss is talking about and we go to that one a lot too. But unless its something different, their order takers are not at the marquee. They are out in the line. So by the time most people get to the place to order they have already ordered. The vast number of people that go to that location are able to get their order and get out in a very short amount of time. The line almost never stops moving! Perhaps you can really see the difference at the busier locations.

 

[soccerdad72]

Yeah, I think it's supposed to be more efficient. I have no idea if that's the case or not. I know the one by us (also the same plaza as the Costco we go to) is always slammed with cars on a Saturday. I've yet to brave the lines on a day like that, so I don't know if the ordering system helps at all.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I think taking orders is faster than getting the orders done, so it allows the line of cars waiting to get their orders taken before they are able to move up to the speaker.

Personally I just try to go to Chick-fil-A when it's not busy.

(also, I do feel guilty about going to this place due to the owner's history of donations, but two very dear friends of mine who are not hetero-normative love the place, so I feel like it's ok)

 

[Mamabun]

We have one I go through weekly, and it saves a ton of time. But there are at least 2 people, usually 4, outside in the line: 2 taking orders, 1 printing receipts/exchanging cash, and 1 delivering orders, all before you get to the window. When you do get to the window, half the time you can drive right past because you've already paid and got your food, or they just hand you your food, no waiting, no payment, etc. I see the difference when weather prevents anyone from being outside, I'd say it easily doubles the throughput of the drive-through.

The single person taking orders instead of letting you talk into the speaker is likely just a mild improvement in that they probably have to ask folks to repeat less frequently, etc. And possibly, in space restricted windows, it allows for one person to be taking orders while the person at the window is just handling payments and food deliveries.

 

[handinpocket]

It's just a gimmick to somehow make the 'experience' of ordering at their drive-thru different/better. Also means they need added labor to run the drive-thru. Sound quality at many fastfood places is terrible and it is difficult to know what the person is saying. Speakers/microphones need to be rugged enough to stand up to the elements. McDonald's have locations where there are 2 drive-thru lines and people often seem confused about how to use them. They tend to work best on a small site where it is a safety issue to have cars backing up onto a busy street. Don't really find it does anything to speed up ordering or getting your food. I choose a fastfood place based on having the type/quality of reasonably priced food I like. Have also seen a few rest stops on various freeways with touch screens to order your food. They often don't seem to be working or people can't figure out how to use them and eventually stand in the order line like everyone else !!!

Then it's obvious you've never been to a chick fil a drive through.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Now I know what I'm having for dinner.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Portillo's Hot Dogs has been doing this for years in Chicago. The employee takes the order from the customer and radio's it in a cashier, so much more efficient than a customer staring at the menu board while there are no lie, 50 cars behind them.

 

[lifesavacation]

I've never eaten at Chick-fil-a, but this is how they do the ordering at the Dutch Bros in our area.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I think taking orders is faster than getting the orders done, so it allows the line of cars waiting to get their orders taken before they are able to move up to the speaker.

Personally I just try to go to Chick-fil-A when it's not busy.

(also, I do feel guilty about going to this place due to the owner's history of donations, but two very dear friends of mine who are not hetero-normative love the place, so I feel like it's ok)

I don't go there or Hobby Lobby. I'm not judging or preaching and I'm so NOT the "radical" person, but for some reason Chick Fil A and Hobby Lobby get in my crawl. LOL I think its the closed on Sunday BS. I don't know.....

 

[MGMmjl]

I don't go there or Hobby Lobby. I'm not judging or preaching and I'm so NOT the "radical" person, but for some reason Chick Fil A and Hobby Lobby get in my crawl. LOL I think its the closed on Sunday BS. I don't know.....

It's definitely not BS, but whatever.

I will say that it stinks though to be craving Chick-fil-A on a Sunday, lol.