Whether you realize it or not, when you enter a typical drive-thru lane, there are several more touchpoints than just the menu board. Whether it is to get you to the lane or guide you out of it, or to inform you on where to stop to make your payment and pick up your food there are many areas that need to be addressed. We’ll provide a checklist of signs that will ensure efficiency and safety.
1. Directional Signs
Other than your marquee sign, the first sign your customer should see when they get to the drive-thru lane is a clear directional sign pointing at where to enter. Way finding signage and its placement helps your customers get to the right spot and lessens their anxiety. If it isn’t lit, these signs should be reflective, so they are legible at any time of day.
2. Bar for Height Clearance
Do you have a low roofline, canopy or awnings over your pay and pickup windows? If your answer is yes to any one of these, you’ll want to add a clearance bar at the entrance of the drive-thru lane. These bars are clearly labelled with height restrictions. When hit, most clearance bars will pivot the further the car proceeds, so they don’t get pulled off their foundation. Clearance bars help protect all these items but also ensure that any downtime while repairs are made is non-existent.
3. Presell Menu Boards
Presell menu boards can serve one of two or both purposes, 1- promote specials, LTO’s with the idea of upselling, 2- duplicate the menu so that when customers hit the main unit, they are prepared to order. A blended version of this would be to highlight both popular and high-ticket items to shape customer decisions so they are quick to place their orders. The messaging should be concise and clear so not to create another potential bottleneck in service.
4. Order Confirmation Boards
As the customer place their order, having the items reflect on a screen at the drive-thru establishes a level of trust that the order is being inputted correctly and will be made as such. It also minimizes the time in the lane because the employee doesn’t have to read back your entire order with whatever modifications you’ve made. It is a simple “does everything look right on the screen?” In addition, some OCBs can make suggestive upsells while customers place the order.
5. Digital Drive-thru
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a digital drive-thru, however if the budget allows, you’d be better served by taking this direction. While the future cost of redesigns, reprints and shipping are cast aside, you immediately are afforded the benefits of day parting, displaying specials based on time of day, controlling inventory, testing new products, etc.
6. Clear Communication & It’s Housing
Not really signage, your speaker post is what houses the speaker and mic of the communications system. Quite often, “order here,” or a stop decal is present, but you can also use them to display your logo to reinforce your brand. More important is what is in the speaker post and the headset system it is connected to. A system with clear audio, noise cancelling technology and employee-to-employee communication is critical.
7. “Pickup” or Pay Here” Signs
Seemingly obvious, you’d be surprised how many customers will bypass the payment window and go directly to the payment window. Both should be clearly identified with signage and designed in a cohesive manner with other signs. Yes, during slow periods the payment window may be closed. You should have a window sign on hand to put up in these instances.
8. Promo Signage
So, we’ve got the “enter” sign, the “presell” sign, the main menu board and then usually some distance to the first window and more space to the pickup window. Whether it is flag banners on the landscaping promoting your app or online deals, or (food) beauty shots in snap frames lining the walls of the building, there are more opportunities to reinforce your brand, educate your customers and (attempt to) increase your average ticket.
9. Exit Sign(s)
Your customer has stopped at the window to pay and carried on picking up their food and are about to pull out of the drive-thru lane. Is it into one way traffic? Can a specific turn take you the wrong way? Can they only exit by going in one direction? These are reasons why “exit” and “thank you” signs should be prevalent at the end of the lane.
Summary
A lot of what we’ve highlighted here seems more functional than strategic. However, each touch of signage lends its hand to an efficient output for your business and a stress free, formidable one for your customers. If you are building out, renovating or have an existing drive-thru, use this checklist to identify blind spots you have yet to consider or implement. By plugging those holes, more money will fill up.
Do you need help making these determinations for your business? Give us a call today at 888-235-2579, email us at info@origindisplays.com or contact us here to speak with a solutions specialist.
