Now that schools are on break and the weather is warming up, everyone is spending more time out and about with their family and friends. With this busy season getting underway, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for the increase of orders coming in from the drive-thru. Here are a few tips that will help you manage your work flow and set up your store for success.   

Keep Tabs on Popular Menu Items - When there are several eateries to choose from, you need to stand out for the right reasons. Whether it’s a seasonal special or the most popular item on your menu, you’ll want to take regular inventory to ensure you have enough in stock at all times to keep your customers satisfied. A happy customer is a returning customer.

Clean up your Drive-Thru Menu Board - Make sure your menu board places emphasis on the most popular foods and beverages for the season. This is a great time to check pricing and update any outdated items. Also check the lighting on your menu board. Because people are staying out later during the summer months, they tend to eat dinner later in the evening. If there are areas that look dim, or sections that are completely dark, get in touch with your drive-thru menu board provider to have a technician come out and replace the bulbs.   

Inventory Your Drive-Thru Equipment - Working at a fast pace provides more opportunity for equipment failure, so you’ll want to have as many working back-up components as possible. If you have any broken drive-thru headsets or a non-operating drive-thru timer, send them in for repair before it gets too far in to summer. That way, if one headset goes down you’ll have replacements to back you up.

Purchase New Drive-Thru Batteries - When using a fresh, new drive-thru battery your headset will allow you to communicate for longer periods of time, thus reducing the need to switch it out as often. You’ll also experience an improvement in drive-thru sound quality, which will aid in order accuracy and help increase your overall speed of service.

The first day of summer is right around the corner. Now is the time to take advantage of these tips to ensure your drive-thru is working at peak performance. For additional ways to boost your drive-thru efficiency and overall customer experience, check back next week or call CE at 877-731-0334.