Sacred Rules and Etiquette to follow at Fast Food Restaurant Drive Thrus
1. If you don't know what to order, go inside
Simple rule. If you have no idea what you are going to order, do everyone a favor and go inside of the restaurant and make your decision there. You'll take up precious time when making a decision at the menu board. The customers in the back of you would definitely not appreciate your indecisiveness.
2. Know what you want even before you enter the drive thru lane
That's right! Know EXACTLY what you want to order. That'll ensure efficiency and you mumbling and figuring out what you are going to order. if you don't know what you want, then go inside and ponder there.
3. Know what the total is by looking at the screen. Be sure to have that amount ready when paying
Many people fumble with change and take up more unnecessary time when trying to piece together how much money they need to pay for their food. Look at the total on the screen after you order, then be sure you have either the exact amount, or the amount higher. The cashier can easily make change. But fumbling to find money is definitely not a good idea. Does your meal cost $19.95? Well, be sure to find ninety-five cents, or just pay with a $20.
4. Don't order a ridiculous amount of food
The whole concept of the drive-thru was not to accommodate large orders, but to accommodate smaller orders. The drive-thru is meant to be quick and fast. When ordering, you should order at the very max, complete meals for 3-4 people. Or, smaller instances of ala carte items. The drive-thru is not meant for you to order 6 combo meals or 20 cheeseburgers. If you do, you'll probably have to park your car on the side anyways. Thus, if you had ordered this large meal inside, you'd be accomplishing the same service time.
5. Keep Special Items and Requests to a Minimum
Because special requests take a little longer, keep them to a minimum here. You can order your sandwich special, such as no ketchup or no mayo or no mustard. However, keep this special requests to a minimum or just to one order. Imagine an order with the following special requests:
1. Quarter pounder with cheese, no ketchup
2. Big mac, no onions
3. Chicken sandwich, plain
4. Filet of Fish, no cheese, extra sauce
5. 3 French fries regular, 1-no salt added
The "no salt" fries item is going to take time already. But imagine all the requests you're making. It's going to take longer. And if you did this inside, you'd be waiting the same amount of time in the car.
6. Dont Use Cell Phones While Ordering!
it's true that many people use their cell phones at the drive thru to ask what the person on the other end of the call wants to eat. And those people cannot make decisions! Know the order before even pulling in to the drive-thru lane. It's very irritating to employees when someone is talking on the cell phone while ordering. They don't know what you're confirming to add as the order.
