Learn How to Improve Customer Satisfaction with Drive-Thru Structures

US Patent No: D960,391 and Patent Pendings

Customer satisfaction is the number one success factor for on-demand businesses like fast food and drive-through services. If your customers don't enjoy the experience, they can simply drive somewhere else. This means you want to capture satisfaction in your service quality from day one. That means finding little ways to improve the typical drive-through experience. Faster service, attentive staff, and accurate orders all make a difference. With decreased dining room business and increased drive-through demand, it's no surprise that many franchises and solo drive-through locations are upping their game when it comes to drive-through lane management.

We are seeing an incredible number of both renovations and seasonal modifications to allow for two lines and faster orders. Whether you are a drive-through pharmacy or franchise fast food, improved drive-through structures are the best way to increase customer satisfaction with every return trip.

A drive-thru structure is a small enclosed kiosk that provides outpost locations for fast food staff along the drive-thru along with protection from the elements and a powered location for POS devices.

How Drive-Thru Structures Improve Customer Satisfaction

1. Drive-Thru Structures Extend the Size of Your Drive Through

Using drive-thru structures, you can place temporary menu boards and increase the size and even the lane count of your drive-through design. Drive-thru structures make it possible to completely rebuild the size and flow of your drive-through, provided you have enough room in the parking lot to redesign. Even with a narrow space, you can extend the length of your drive-thru by starting to take orders far earlier. You can even take orders from multiple cars at once without installing a new intercom system.

2. Sending Orders In Early; Ready at the Window

Not all drive-thru orders are ready instantly. You may need a few minutes to prepare a sandwich, select products to bag, and ring up the order. Taking orders earlier in the drive-through line gives your indoor staff the time to have each order prepared and ready when the customer makes it to the final service window.

3. Increasing Order Accuracy by Removing the Intercom

Those fuzzy fast food intercoms made the business model possible, but they're not the best way to take orders. Wind, interior noise, and just plain fuzzy wiring can lead to all sorts of misheard orders and confirmations - that result in wrong orders and unhappy customers. By taking orders in person with the help of drive-thru service structures, you can vastly increase the rate of order accuracy and, therefore, your overall customer satisfaction by avoiding wrong orders.

4. Reducing Lost Time in a Long Drive-Thru Line

Sitting in the drive-through line gives people time to get restless. The longer they wait, the more they think about places they'd rather be. When you add drive-thru kiosks and window structures, you increase the total time-of-engagement when the customer is interacting with the business instead of cooling their heels waiting in line. Take orders earlier so that long waits are more engaging, then have a second crew confirming orders and arrival sequence for the window.

5. Serving Drinks Early from a Drive-Thru Structure

One cool trick is to mount a soda fountain inside your drive-thru structure. Even a small drinks machine can transform the fast-food waiting experience. Just like a dining room restaurant, you can provide drinks first and let your customers sip their sodas before they get to the window. This is an especially popular choice in the summer when your cars may be waiting in a sunbeam. Speaking of which, large drive-thru awnings are a great pairing when extending your drive-thru length with kiosk structures.

6. Sheltered Staff Are Happier and Friendlier

If you want to provide superb customer service using staff who stand along the drive-through, provide structures where they can stay in the shade and occasionally sit down. Your staff will be brighter and more chipper (less sun-wilted) when they greet your customers, which will create an overall more positive experience. Customers like to see your staff happy and cool when they swing by for food or other fast, convenient goods.

7. Providing a More Complete Branded Experience

Extending your drive-thru with temporary structures is also a great way to imbue each visit with your brand experience. Just like roller skating, carhops and themed music on the speakers, your drive-thru structures add a branded flair to those who swing by for a sandwich. They get more than a sandwich, they get a memorable drive-through experience that is worth coming back for.

How to Set Up a Successful Drive-Thru Structures

Ready to increase your customer satisfaction? Here's how to build a successful drive-thru structure strategy.

1. Mark Your Drive-Thru Pavement

• Paint

• Cones and Ribbons

First, make sure your guests know where to drive and how to best approach your new order-taking system. Use paint on the pavement, cones, and placed ribbons to mark the new paths that drivers should take.

2. Place Drive-Thru Structures at Key Locations

• Taking orders

• Directing traffic

Place between one and six drive-thru structures along the left side of each lane you plan to use for drive-through routes. Place one to greet each lane and take orders and another to confirm orders and help the cars line up from a multi-lane drive.

3. Equip Structures for Comfort and Service

• Water bottles and seats

• POS systems or tablet charging

• Drink Fountains

Don't just pop up your branded canvas structures. Kit each one out to provide comfort and safety to your team who will be out there. Facilitate them with a POS system in each structure or a tablet charging station for mobile orders. You can hide palettes of water bottles under the shelf or even station a soft drink fountain.

4. Use Tablets to Build and Relay Orders

The fastest and most flexible way to take orders from a drive-thru structure is with a tablet. Use a mobile-capable POS app so your staff can quickly send orders to the kitchen or shop.

5. Control the Order and Flow of Cars

If you have multiple drive-through lanes, place one structure to help a team member coordinate cars and the order they should zipper in to approach the service window. This ensures orders are delivered in the right sequence and to the right cars each time.

6. Have Orders Ready at the Window

The benefit of taking orders early is having more time to get them ready at the window. Have the orders sent in via tablet ready at the window when your traffic-directing team member indicates to expect the right car.

7. Prepare Concierge Spots for Delayed Orders

Finally, have a few slots available for cars who may need to wait a little longer on their order. Mark them as VIP or something complimentary and place a structure to manage their orders.

Canvas Craft Drive-Thru Structures

Drive-thru structures are transforming how modern fast food and drive-through businesses handle long lines and branded drive-through experiences. Contact us to discover branded structures, kiosks, booths, and awnings to boost your daily customer satisfaction.