Drive-thru menu boards come in many shapes and sizes. They also have to adapt to work in varying locations. There are several factors that guide you to the final product; amount of menu items, available space, budget, etc. However beyond all of that, there is always one question that has to get answered, “Do you want to use a speaker post, of have the speaker and microphone on-board the unit?” I am quick to squash the cost question because it ends up being “pennies on the dollar” more to do it one way rather than the other. So what does it come down to? Which way should you go? There are a number of circumstances that have to be considered. [Read more…]
Speaker Post or On-Board Speaker & Mic for Drive-thru Menu Boards?
Menu Board Customization Helps Differentiate
Selecting a menu board system to meet your needs can become a frustrating process. With more and more options becoming available it could be overwhelming. Personally, I am all about variety being the “spice of life,” but let’s face it, sometimes it just makes it easier when there are less considerations to make; like what cable company to go with. [Read more…]
Going Cheap Usually Isn’t Your Best Interest
Do you have anything cheaper? Is that the best you can do? Do you have any refurbished or used an equipment? Can you send me an email with all of this information and do a little bit better on the price for me? I can go on and on with these types of quips that we get from prospective clients. Heck, I do the same thing when I am out and about acting the role of consumer. After all, it is in everybody’s best interest to get quality at a reasonable price. The operative word in this case is, QUALITY. It is one thing if someone is committed to the purchase but is looking to haggle on price. It is something completely different if someone is just looking for CHEAP. [Read more…]
Avoid Sticker Shock When Buying Menu Boards
It happens all the time when you go to buy something online, over the phone or from something you see on TV. You know, when “you can get all this for $99.99.” Well then tack on taxes, surcharges, shipping and handling (S&H) and next thing you know it is almost double. Then there are those “deals” that require credit checks. I probably don’t have to tell you but if your report doesn’t come back sparkling you won’t be getting that car for a “low monthly payment of $199.” [Read more…]
Menu Boards, Etc: Uncommon Questions That Should Be Asked
What I am about to talk about isn’t unique to the menu board industry; it is done time after time when making purchasing decisions. Assumptions are made based on things you have read, seen or heard, but the personal experiences aren’t known until the process is complete. Unlike buying a loaf of bread or a new pair of shoes, buying a menu board, drive-thru, communications, or digital signage system is either a first-time occurrence or something done rather infrequently. [Read more…]
Menu Board Examples & Their Lack of Purpose
The title that you read above may be a little too aggressive. To be clear, I am not suggesting that menu board examples serve NO purpose. In fact they can be helpful when trying to get the creative juices going and for you to envision how something would look in your location. After all, how else would you be able to see if something will work for you other than by ordering a system sight-unseen? The instances that I am referring to are those where the consumer has seen examples but want more; usually by going to see something in person or through additional layouts that are specific to their niche (i.e. Pizza, Ice Cream, etc). [Read more…]
Random Menu Board Thoughts II
Every so often something dawns on me and I think to myself, “I need to write a blog about that.” Then I get to thinking that there isn’t enough substance to talk about on the one topic. So for the second time I am going to touch on a couple of random menu board thoughts. Some may be redundant from blogs past but they have come up again recently and I feel that they should be reinforced. [Read more…]
Summer is Here! Adjust Your Signage Accordingly
Your menu boards have been designed, produced and delivered. They are the shiny new object for your restaurant. Days turn in to weeks, weeks turn in to months and sometimes those months, they become years. Over the course of time the menu boards get dusty, stickers are placed over prices, and the strips become sparse. [Read more…]
Menu Boards: Functionality Versus Budget
For a moment, imagine drawing a graph with “Functionality” on the Y axis and “Budget” on the X axis. From the bottom heading north on the Y would be a list of menu board capabilities and functions that continues to grow. Clumped within would be a series of menu board systems that could accommodate the capabilities. Along the X would be dollar amounts starting at say $250 (per panel) that increases as you venture right. The “Functionality-Budget” line would be drawn on a 45 degree angle from the corner of the Y and X axis point. [Read more…]
Menu Boards & the Lost Art of Loyalty
You may have read the title and thought to yourself, “this guy is about to unload some sour grapes on us.” Well you’d be incorrect, in fact it’s quite the contrary. [Read more…]