What’s Wrong with the Standard Drive Thru Model?
Demand at the drive thru has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in longer lines and dragging wait times. Long lines equate to lost revenue because customers drive away before entering the queue and those that do wait it out experience lower satisfaction. A study conducted by SeeLevel revealed that speed of service increased by almost 30 seconds at ten quick serve restaurant chains this year. When combined with inaccurate orders and missed upsell opportunities, these businesses have an estimated loss of $506 million per 5,000 units. Given this unpredictable environment, finding a solution to these problems during a time of increased demand should be a strategic priority for any QSR.
Beyond speed of service, QSRs face challenges related to accuracy, throughput, and personalization. When team members mishear orders and enter them inaccurately, it has a direct impact on the bottom line. Without technologies that predict demand and offer suggestions, QSRs can’t operate at peak throughput potential. Because the standard drive thru model has historically failed to bridge the personalization gap, customers don’t always feel special or valued.
How Can Your Business Plan for the Future?
Management and staff need a clearer picture of what’s happening at the drive thru, and guests should have a higher quality experience at the window. Technologies such as computer vision and dynamic menu boards are leading the future of drive thru by surfacing customer insights, increasing throughput, and enhancing the guest experience. QSRs should seek solutions that achieve the following objectives:
1. Know who your customers are.
Find a solution that provides valuable insights about your guests. Differentiate new from returning customers, identify customers by car model, and identify the day of the week they come to the drive thru.
2. Increase throughput.
Measure and accelerate speed of service with computer vision and real-time suggestions, forecast demand to keep the kitchen informed, and identify bottlenecks to reduce friction.
3. Enhance the guest experience.
Enable reordering by leveraging historical data reports and personalize suggestions for customers through adoption of license plate reading technology.
A Solution—Presto Quick Serve
Presto actualizes these benefits for thousands of restaurants around the world and is leading the industry with innovative solutions for QSRs. Clients that deploy Presto Quick Serve deliver faster, more accurate, and personalized service while increasing throughput for the whole operation. The solution provides restaurant owners with key insights that drive objective decision-making in operational strategy.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, drive thrus were already faced with revenue-impacting operational strategy challenges—from long wait times, to a stale customer experience. Combined with increased demand resulting from the pandemic, the need to address these challenges head-on has come to the forefront of every QSR’s priorities. Presto’s comprehensive solutions speed up the line and enhance the guest experience so restaurants can thrive under all circumstances.
Presto is passionate about bringing new technologies to market. It works with dining establishments of all sizes to deliver innovative solutions that have a direct impact on the bottomline. Contact us today to schedule a demo.
