No matter how much you use the drive-thru, you probably don't know all the useful drive-thru
life hacks, how you're being tricked, or what it's like to work at those windows. But never
fear folks, we're here to illuminate the best hush-hush drive-thru secrets that are out there.
As you pull up to the drive-thru in your pajamas or while picking your nose,
you may feel like you're invisible. Unfortunately, this most likely isn't
the case. In fact, there's probably a CCTV camera focused in on your hungover face.
A Starbucks employee named Brittney revealed this fact in a viral TikTok she made. In this video,
Brittney films two drive-thru customers while hilariously singing the words, "Thank you for
pulling into Starbucks." When she starts to sing, you can see her patrons' surprise, and
after she finishes her operatic moment, she asks for their order, and everyone has a cheeky giggle.
While this TikTok is hilarious, a lot of people online were surprised to discover
that they were actually being watched as they ordered their fast food. One person
named Lindsey commented, "OMG THEY CAN SEE US."
Meanwhile, another commenter wrote,
"I'm now SO embarrassed for all the times I made silly faces at the ordering screen."
And as you scroll through the rest of replies, it becomes incredibly apparent
that a lot of people didn't know that they could be seen at the drive-thru. So,
the next time you're getting your drive-thru tacos, make sure your PJs are on fleek.
If you feel like your drive-thru experiences are taking longer than they used to, you're probably
correct. In 2019, the average time it would take a customer to get their order from the window was
255 seconds, according to QSR. This was 20 seconds longer than a typical pick-up would take in 2018.
There are a couple of reasons that the drive-thru experience is slowing down. One
of the main contributing factors to this service decelerating is the fact that fast food menus are
becoming more complex. In 1940, McDonald's only sold nine products. And in February of 2020, the
restaurant served over 60 items at some locations — and that's not even including drinks. There's
just no way that one place can advertise that many meals and expect their service not to take longer.
Customers are also picking up their mobile orders from the drive-thru lanes.
And these peeps potentially make the ordering experience longer.
The more humans picking up their food, the more congested that piece of tarmac will become.
This info may not fill your stomach or quell your rage,
but at least you'll know why your drive-thru wait keeps getting longer.
Have you ever been waiting for your food in a drive-thru and were asked to pull your car
forward? If you have, you know what a vexing experience this can be. However,
there is a legitimately good reason why a fast food employee may tell you to pull ahead.
A writer for Odyssey, with personal experience as a fast food drive-thru worker,
broke it down. She said,
"If you've ever been asked to 'pull ahead' while in the drive-thru,
you know that it can be slightly frustrating, especially if you then see a bunch of other
cars getting their food behind you. But here's the thing — they're still working on your food,
too. It just so happens that your food is taking longer to prepare."
This means if you bought a whole meal, and the champ behind you ordered something small,
you could be asked to drive forward. But don't lose your cool, your food is still coming.
Everyone should remember this the next time they roll into a drive-thru.
Being timed is stressful and unpleasant for anyone. Therefore,
it wouldn't be much fun to be a drive-thru employee who's clocked during every shift
they pull. And that's exactly what happens at most of these chains.
One of the systems that fast-food restaurants use to monitor their workers is called
ZOOM. This app records how long each vehicle takes to look at the menu,
talk with a cashier, and pick up their food. According to ZOOM's ad, this tech helps eateries
"provide smoother, faster service and a better customer experience."
While a timer helps some drive-thrus deliver a great experience, it negatively impacts others.
One Burger King employee on Reddit reported that they have to serve a customer in two-and-a-half
minutes or less. Another poster from Starbucks said they're only given one minute per customer.
This is impossible if a patron takes three minutes to order,
then spends two minutes altering their meal at the window, and then waits another three
minutes as the restaurant accommodates these changes. As one employee explained:
"When our bosses come out and see an 8 minute timer, they don't care
if it was the customer's fault. They just assume you're slow and they lecture you."
This means that if you're ever getting food from a drive-thru, you should try to figure
out what you're buying before the employee asks you. And try to avoid changing your order once
it's been placed. Trust us, drive-thru workers everywhere will appreciate it.
The fact that drive-thrus are there to make restaurants money is the opposite of a secret.
But just because you know this doesn't mean you notice every trick that they're pulling.
For example, drive-thru posters showing new items are back lit to inspire
impulse purchases. These advertisements are actually designed to cause a customer to buy
a new product or some dessert without really thinking through this decision. It's kind of
remarkable yet scary that an illuminated placard can provoke us to change our spending habits.
Drive-thus are also planning on using new tech to encourage even more impulse purchases. In 2019,
McDonald's spent $300 million acquiring a firm that makes personalized AI technologies. One
of the items that this business developed can present individualized advertisements to each
person that pulls up to their intercom. What this ad will display changes depending on the time,
what the weather's like, and if the line's congested or not.
A couple of directors believe that this technology is going to make McDonald's
customers impulsively spend their cash. Ricardo Belmar, a senior director at Infovista, said,
"This is a great use of AI to improve the drive-through experience and generate
more impulse buys at the point of sale. Smart move by McDonald's."
So, if you're ever at a drive-thru and craving an apple pie, ask yourself if
you really need one. Because you may become a sucker that makes an impulse purchase.
Speaking of artificial intelligence, this tech is already taking over our drive-thrus.
That bit of news came with an only semi-terrifying report from The Washington Post, who shared the
fact that Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard had acquired a new system called Valyant AI. This tool
is able to take orders, chat with customers, and never get frustrated at a bad patron.
"Hi. I'm your automated order-taker. Take your time. Order when you are ready."
While this AI sounds like a utopian dream,
this technology certainly has its skeptics. In the same Washington Post article, it was mentioned
that these AI tools may be harming more workers than they help. Erikka Knuti, communications
director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, told The Washington Post,
"Too many businesses treat customer service as a line-item cost instead
of an investment. In addition to eliminating jobs,
removing people from transactions degrades the product that businesses are selling."
However, whether you're for or against AI-controlled drive-thrus, keep your ears peeled
the next you're at that intercom. Who knows, maybe your favorite place has a robot assistant already.
"Your total will be two dollars and forty-eight cents. Thank you."
In the year 3030 (or maybe even sooner), every drive-thru could have an AI assistant
to take your order. Or they could all have another piece of tech that makes
the intercom 100 percent redundant. And that device is the humble touchscreen.
But why would a fast food joint ditch the intercom and use a touchscreen instead?
Joe Sheetz, the CEO of Sheetz, told Fast Company there were plenty of reasons to do so.
Sheetz uses touchscreens inside their deli locations,
and he believes touchscreen ordering encourages his customers to try new items.
He also says that they can reduce the number of incorrect order complaints
and retain available data about each customer. In 2014,
Sheetz started testing this screen at different drive-thru locations.
And it's not just Sheetz using this tech. Subway also has touch-screens at some of their
drive-thru locations, and it's entirely possible everyone else will be following before long.
Even though McDonald's has a ridiculously big menu, it also has an exclusive drive-thru item
that many people don't know about — and that brilliant product is their ice. Now,
buying frozen water from McDonald's may seem like the worst life hack in the world.
But it's genuinely not. Their cubes are actually pretty high quality.
There are a lot of legit advantages to using this ice. According to one ice fan
who spoke with Pure Wow, what makes this frozen water better than other brands is
its transparentness and its refreshing vibe. It's also not like the ice you'd
get at a convenience store: this isn't going to be frozen into a solid block,
and ice without the backbreaking work of, well, breaking it — that alone is worth the trip!
Reportedly, the bags of ice from McDonald's cost between $1 and $2,
though it seems to differ by location, and you don't even have to go inside
to get them — they'll hand them over right through the drive-thru window.
If this hack sounds lit, but you live nowhere near a McDonald's, don't panic. You can also
purchase sacks of ice from the drive-thrus at Dunkin', Burger King, and Arby's.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite restaurant chains are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.