As we’ve stated many times in the past, the emphasis around drive-thrus is that of speed and convenience. What can quickly turn this objective on its head is poorly designed and arranged drive-thru graphics which make it confusing for customers. A poorly lit sign can also decrease the accuracy and turnaround time. All of this leads to unhappy customers who become less likely to return after their experience.
Of all the reasons listed above, confusing signage is the main contributor to poor drive-thru experiences. You can have the latest-and-greatest digital drive-thru, a nice traditional backlit menu board or a hand-crafted sign. None of that particularly matters if the design is done in such a way that it is confusing, difficult to navigate, cluttered with information or poorly positioned. This will lead to questions and repeat questions, long drive-thru lines and unsatisfied customers which can lead to negative reviews online.
What can exacerbate poorly designed drive-thrus is inadequate lighting. There are those who inherit old fluorescent drive-thrus that can leave areas of the sign darker than others. Others may go a more economical route and use a gooseneck light from up top or a spotlight from the bottom that quite often leaves areas of the board quite dim during certain hours. Whatever the case may be, this will have a negative impact on the customer. Having to strain to read menu items or contort your body to try to determine “what’s what” is in no way setting yourself up for success.
Luckily, with a modest investment, or not so modest depending on which route you want to go, you can improve your drive-thrus performance.
Backlit LED menu boards remain a more than suitable option for your drive-thru. The LED strands will ensure an evenly dispersed lighting source for years. This allows for greater visibly no matter what the time of day. While having appropriate lighting is great, it will do little good without well designed graphics. Less is more. Lose the descriptive text, create combos, limit images to individual sections of your menu to allow customers to quickly find what they are looking for, etc.
Backlit or digital presell drive-thru boards can also assist in the ordering process. By allowing your customers to preview all or some of the menu or to push specials, your customer will arrive at the ordering drive-thru more prepared to place their order, often with a nominal add to what they were considering ordering.
Digital drive-thrus may be the single most powerful tool at your expense. Speaking of expense, it does come with a decently hefty one. That said, the ROI can be realized quicker than their backlit stepbrother. The ability to push promotions, change the menu by time of day and eliminate the cost of reprint after reprint puts you in a great position to prevent “option overload” while promoting what you want based on again, time of day, and the current season you’re in. It needs to be stated that even with a digital drive-thru, a well-constructed design is critical.
Directional signage is quite often an afterthought when it relates to signage for your drive-thru lane. It shouldn’t be! Entry and exit signs assist drivers to navigate dual lanes and direct them where to place their order. This reduces angst, bottlenecks and herds the cars through the drive-thru more readily.
The message you should leave here with is that your drive-thru shouldn’t simply be viewed as a sign with your information. Careful thought should go into your setup, design, positioning and execution. The drive-thru and presell are your silent salespeople that can add to your ticket averages without you even knowing it. Keeping it simple and the message clear will establish speed, accuracy and return customers. The alternative can have a lasting negative impact on your business.
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.
