With the COVID pandemic disrupting many restaurants’ operations, opening up the drive thru option has become inevitable for many. The queue is piling up by the day, and many restaurants are having a tough time coping with this situation. Here are a few tips you could use to adapt to this increasing drive thru traffic:
1. Close Down Dine-In
With the limited resources and workforce, it may potentially become challenging to juggle both the drive thru traffic and your dine-in customers efficiently. If you don’t typically get many dine-in customers, you may consider closing down your dining room and focusing only on the drive thru. This way, you will be able to provide better experiences to your customers while increasing your efficiency.
2. Go Touchless
Many people may visit your restaurant daily if you are open for business and offer the drive thru option. Nevertheless, it may not be suitable to handle cash payments, considering the need for social distancing. The best thing to do would be to use scanners and mobile payments that will help you read info directly from a smartphone screen.
Many soft-drink manufacturers and restaurant owners have started using QR-based technology to help customers pay their bills without human interaction. They need to hold their smartphone camera on the QR code and scan it to make the payment.
3. Order Online
Online ordering and drive thru pickups can make up for a touchless and efficient customer experience that can be apt for this situation. Your customers will be able to place their orders from anywhere and at any time, using their smartphones, tablets, or other handheld devices. Even if they are in the middle of a meeting, they can quietly place their orders through an app or a mobile-friendly website.
Once you have an online ordering system in place, make sure you use your digital channels and signage to inform your customers about this option. This increases their safety, but it will also save a lot of waiting time once they arrive at the drive thru.
Here are a few more things you can achieve by offering this option:
- It will increase the efficiency of taking orders.
- By providing an end-to-end CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, an online ordering system can strengthen your bond with your customers.
- The ordering system becomes very efficient right from the time of placement to delivery.
- It will give you real-time information about your expenses so that you have full control over your cash flow.
- It can help you strengthen your online presence and reduce your marketing expenditure.
- It will help you maintain customer data and provide them a personalized experience.
4. Optimize the Intercom
Using one of those drive thru restaurant intercom systems with wireless headsets for your staff can make your drive thru experience safer and convenient for your customers. Many industries have started using this technology, even if they have never used it before.
An intercom system can make it easier for you to interact with your staff and keep them efficient. You will also be able to monitor employee performance in real-time so that you can bridge gaps, if any, instantly. You will be able to ensure order accuracy and maximize customer satisfaction.
Although there are systems with long-lasting battery life, it is better to install headset charging stations at convenient locations.
The intercom seems to become so convenient an option to manage the tasks remotely, many businesses tend to adopt this for security as well. It allows them ease of communicating with their visitors before granting them access to the building or their workplace. One can click here to see what else it can offer and how better it can be used. They come in different sizes and types, embedded with somewhat similar or different technologies making them adaptable to various types of buildings.
Offering Personalized Experience is Your Key To Success
Drive thrus make up for about 70 percent of restaurant sales. If you haven’t adapted to this system, it is high time you start making some changes. Start by making the place as easy-to-navigate and as stress-free as possible.
Your next step would be to identify the necessary equipment and technology to optimize your drive thru experience. Hire a professional service that can help you implement the right strategy, maximize your delivery capability, and ensure success.
You need to focus on the construction of the physical drive thru; However, you also need to establish a digital platform to complement and support the drive thru experience.
The best part about drive thru technology is that it can detect a customer’s phone in the vicinity and identify the guest’s standard order. This will help you offer a personalized experience to each of your customers by providing the right promotions and mobile coupons. Within a short time, you will be able to enjoy a competitive edge in the market.