A McDonald’s drive-thru is one of the most convenient ways to get their products, but now they are making it even better. The innovation will not only feature a slightly new process, it will shorten the customers' wait time, making it a win for fans of the international fast food chain.
McDonald’s knows how important customers are to the growth of the business. They are now hoping to make life easier for their patrons by making some adjustments to their drive-thrus.
They will be adding a food conveyor belt, a pickup room for delivery workers, and a shelf where people can pick up their orders, all of which are great upgrades that will most likely make the workers cater better and faster to the customers.
According to McDonald’s, the above-named features are now being tested in a restaurant near Fort Worth, Texas.
A fast response is important where fast food restaurants are concerned because customers are more impatient and can easily abandon a brand based on how long the response takes. This is doubly true when it comes to fast food restaurants because when a customer sees how long the line of cars is, they may choose to patronize a competitor.
According to reports, drive-thru service has gotten 45 seconds slower on average in 2022 compared to 2019 at industry-leading chains.
Max Carmona, senior director of global design and restaurant development at McDonald’s, said: “As our customers’ needs continue to change, we are committed to finding new ways to serve them faster and easier than ever before.”
The restaurant used for testing is much smaller than other locations and seems designed specifically for those who want take-out. Within it, there are kiosks for placing to-go orders as well as pick-up shelves and delivery rooms.
Outside, customers can use dedicated parking spots for curbside pickup and for delivery drivers. There is also an order-ahead lane for people who made their orders using the McDonald’s app before arrival.
When they arrive, they can move to the dedicated lane and have someone at the pickup booth confirm the order. From there, customers can get their orders from the conveyor belt. McDonald’s is not the only fast food chain looking to improve its drive-thrus, but given how popular it is, the new upgrade is sure to bring in more customers and satisfy the old ones with faster responses.