Few things do more to reduce speed and efficiency in quick service restaurants than poor sound quality in the drive-thru lane. When customers and employees can't hear and understand each other, it takes longer to process orders and the number of mistakes increases.

For most drive-thru systems, the biggest obstacle to good sound quality is extraneous noise, especially if the restaurant is located near a busy street, strip mall or highway. Fortunately, QSRs can mitigate these and other sound quality problems by following a few simple drive-thru design principles. To create an acoustic environment that will minimize extraneous noise while enhancing sound clarity:

• Place the order point behind a building, facing away from noisy traffic, neighbors, and busy streets or highways. If necessary, use landscaping (trees, shrubs, etc.) or a concrete wall to direct environmental noise away from the order point.

• Use a speaker post instead of a menu board for the order point. The post's separate sound chambers will provide better sound quality for both customers and employees.

• Place the inbound microphone in the speaker post at least 42 inches above the ground, close to the level of the customer's face at the order point. If the microphone is too low, it will pick up engine and muffler noises that will interfere with sound quality. If your restaurant is located in a windy area, consider using a screen to block additional wind noise.

• To prevent feedback, place the outbound speaker at least two feet from the microphone. Check the speaker on a regular basis to ensure it stays tightly mounted. This will avoid rattling noises that can distort the sound and make it difficult to understand the order taker.

• Use a high-quality headset, such as the ION IQ from HME, for transmitting clear, intelligible sound from the restaurant to the customer's vehicle.

A properly designed drive-thru system that maximizes sound quality will reduce order errors and labor costs while increasing revenues and repeat business -- an outcome that every QSR would like to see!