Sixty-one metro area Orlando Burger King restaurants have added new and
improved drive-thru components aimed to ease customer stress. This unique
bundling of eight components, named Drive Thru 2000, is part of Burger King
Corporation’s larger transformation efforts meant to enhance the entire customer
experience at Burger King restaurants based on consumer feedback.
“Since drive-thru comprises more than 50% of our business, it’s essential that we
create ways to provide great service in every part of restaurant operations,” said Jeff
Bonasia, director of marketing for Transformation, Burger King Corporation.
“Studies show that the drive-thru can be a stressful experience for customers, and
we’ve taken several steps to alleviate that stress and make the drive-thru experience
more pleasant and efficient for our customers.”
The new elements of the drive-thru now available in participating Orlando Burger King restaurants are: daypart specific preview menu board; daypart specific menu
board; improved speaker and microphone for better audio reception; order
confirmation units with LCD displays; price confirmation display; credit and debit card
readers; value meal trays and clear view bags.
The preview board allows customers time to “preview” or study menu options
before driving to the order station which reduces order time and anxiety about being
hurried at the menu board. The daypart specific menu board, which for example
displays breakfast items until 10:30 a.m., reduces the clutter of menu options and
shows larger food pictures, making the board easier to read.
The sound system has been enhanced for improved voice transmission and
reception. Once the order is taken, an order confirmation unit displays the items in
the customer’s order, along with the price so that order accuracy is improved.
The price confirmation unit at the pay window displays the amount owed, which
speeds up the transaction time and reduces the customer’s stress during the
payment process. Payment options also become more convenient with a credit or
debit card reader. Cards are swiped through the card reader inside the restaurant,
and if the customer selects the debit option, he or she is presented with a keypad to enter the personal identification
code for payment. A complimentary traveling value meal tray was developed for use in the customer’s vehicle.
Clear view bags allow the customer to ensure that the order is correct before driving away.
“We listened to what our customers told us they were looking for at the drive-thru and bundled these elements
together into Drive-Thru 2000,” said Bonasia. The improved drive-thru is part of a massive restaurant
transformation initiative currently underway in U.S. Burger King restaurants.
See how Burger King and other chains performed in last year’s QSR Drive Thru Time Study .
